HR: Hiring and Keeping Employees - Emerging Farmer Learning Series
March 25, 2026 12:00PM - 1:30PM
Featured Speaker: Carolina Puerta-Estevez, Founder, Human Resources Bilingual International Services
Hosts:
- Jazmin Bolan-Williamson, Farm and Food Business Coordinator, Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems
- Erin Elly, Technical Assistance Manager, Michigan Good Food Fund
To provide support for Michigan farmers and food business owners, Michigan’s Emerging Farmers and the Michigan Good Food Fund are partnering to host a free webinar series focused on key business topics. This farmer training series will cover a range of subjects, including value-chain coordination, customer insights, preparing for financing, and more.
These virtual sessions will be held on Wednesdays from 12-1:30pm, March 4-April 15, 2026. During each 90-minute session, experienced subject matter experts will lead a presentation before transitioning to breakout rooms among participants. These sessions will be hosted live for interactive discussions, as well as recorded and shared for later viewing.
Meet this Week's Speaker
Carolina Puerta-Estevez is the founder of HR-BIS (Human Resources Bilingual International Services), www.hrbisllc.com, a minority woman-owned human resources consulting firm serving small to mid-sized organizations across the United States and internationally. HR-BIS specializes in HR program development and implementation, helping organizations strengthen HR compliance, workforce stability, and operational effectiveness, with bilingual service in English and Spanish offered as an added capability.
With more than 20 years of global human resources experience, Carolina is consistently recognized through 5-star client reviews for her expertise in HR consulting, policy development, compliance implementation, recruiting support, bilingual training, and digital HR program execution. Organizations engage HR-BIS for practical, results-driven HR solutions that align people strategy with business objectives while reducing risk and improving organizational performance.
In addition to organizational HR programs, Carolina provides individualized career coaching. Clients credit her with helping them secure employment, build professional confidence, and navigate successful career transitions as well as job promotions. Her work is grounded in a people-first philosophy paired with actionable strategies that support both individual growth and long-term business success.
Carolina is a graduate of Ferris State University with a bachelor’s degree in business and served nearly six years on the West Michigan Council, supporting scholarship initiatives for students facing financial hardship. She is a published author featured in Mujeres in Business – Michigan Edition 2025, where she is recognized as one of the featured entrepreneurs and shares her guiding principle: “Plant the seed, believe in the process. The fruit will come!”
Born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and having lived between Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Almuñécar, Granada, Spain, Carolina brings a global, multicultural perspective to her work in human resources consulting and career coaching, supporting organizations and professionals across diverse industries and regions.
About Michigan Good Food Fund
Michigan Good Food Fund invests in food and farm entrepreneurs across the state, offering flexible financing and tailored business assistance to grow a more resilient, inclusive local food system. We meet entrepreneurs where they are, connect them with what they need, and build long-term relationships that help their businesses thrive. As we work toward a more resilient, inclusive food industry, we focus on entrepreneurs whose access to power and capital has been historically limited because of their race, ethnicity, and/or gender. Our efforts are guided by the shared vision of our Stakeholder Board, a diverse group of entrepreneurs, farmers, funders, and policymakers with deep roots in Michigan. Learn more at https://migoodfoodfund.org/
About Michigan’s Emerging Farmers
Our statewide program aims to create pathways to growth and economic opportunity for all of Michigan’s agricultural producers, including small- to mid-sized farmers. This project is funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, in a cooperative agreement with members of the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems, Michigan State University Extension, and Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS).
This work is supported by the American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Initiative program, project award no. 2023-70417-39233, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.
Print
Email