Kim Ruiz Beck worked part-time at Ruiz Foods while earning her bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Fresno State. As the first in her family to graduate from college, Kim used her experience at Fresno State to help grow the family business. She recalls a class assignment where she did market research for Ruiz Foods’ chimichangas with students on campus.

“They were a big hit,” Kim says, laughing. “I loved school. A lot of the business challenges we were facing were directly related to what I was studying.”

Kim has since earned her master’s degree and held various leadership roles at Ruiz Foods, including her most recent role as chairperson since 2009. In 2015, Kim was named as one of the most influential women in the food industry.

Still, to Kim, no one’s as influential as her parents — her heroes. She remembers her parents always supporting their community.

“They were great examples of giving back,” Kim says. “Our family has been so blessed that we want to pay those blessings forward.”

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