IN PROGRESS . . . Melinda Esquibel President, Co-CEO: Mundo Maravilla, Inc - Artículo Breve

Latin Beat Magazine, Feb, 2002 by Haydee Vicedo

Quick Facts:

Name: Melinda Esquibel

Present Projects:

* Mundo Maravilla Films and Edward James Olmos (Olmos Productions) will soon start working on A Fool's Plan, a Latin dark comedy!

* Mundo Maravilla Music is currently in the works with Santiago Douglas' debut album, SANTIAGO

For more information, please contact:

Rebekah Salgado, West Coast Publicist, 323-654-9874

Email: MundoPublicity@yahoo.com

Websites: www.MundoMaravilla.com

There are just some people whose aura touches you, whether it is negative or positive. Melinda Esquibel exudes such a buoyant vibe; anyone who meets her would want to pat her for good luck, so some of her energy would rub off on them. This is not an exaggerated observation; even for a twenty-something Latina who is already President and co-CEO of her own Entertainment Company and is destined for even more successes. As accomplished as Melinda is, she displays a very down-to-earth and approachable persona, which allows her to take each and every one of her achievements in stride.

Born and raised in Belen, New Mexico (a small town just thirty miles from Albuquerque), Melinda left her quiet confines for the stars and dreams of Hollywood. Not necessarily clamoring to become the next It-Girl, Melinda came to Los Angeles with the vision she's had since she was young...that she would be in the entertainment industry - making films, producing movies, and just about anything she could get her hands on. With about fifty-dollars to her name and the Mercury Cougar she was driving, Melinda opted for a life less ordinary, took the road less traveled and followed her dream. Once she set foot in la-la land, she found an ad for production classes in the Paramount studio lot and engulfed herself in learning everything about the entertainment industry. Her perseverance paid off and she soon found herself doing temp positions at Saban Entertainment, which led to jobs at Fox Family Productions and most recently, as production supervisor at ABC Family Channel. In Spring 2001, she and a partner decided to create their own paths and opened up Mundo Maravilla, Inc., a full-fledged entertainment company which will venture into film, music, and television.

Mundo Maravilla's co-CEO, Santiago Douglas (of Girlfight and Punto 45 fame), and Melinda created the company with an artist's best interest in mind. As their mission statement asserts, they want to provide resources and opportunities for their talent, so each artist can concentrate on what they do best --creating. Having both gone through the harsh realities that the entertainment industry can sometimes instill, the company really aims to provide a safe haven for the people they will be working with. Melinda, herself no stranger to how hard it is to be a Latin woman in the industry, operates an open-door policy to young women who might want and need her mentoring. She's on the Board of Directors of the Imagen Foundation (an organization that promotes positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment industry); she's a regular speaker at industry conferences such as Women on the Verge, Adelante Mujer Latina, and The Hispanic Women's Conference, and will be the first one to offer a budding fellow entrepreneur any advice and guidance they seek. Mundo Maravilla itself has already established a non-profit arm called Poder...for the Love of Art, which will aim to provide direction and support (as well as grant moneys) to up-and-coming artists.

The new year will bring even more great things from Melinda and her enterprising new ventures. Mundo Maravilla recently partnered up with Hand Print Entertainment (Benny Medina's production and management conglomerate) to co-produce future music, film, and other worthwhile projects. With all of these feats quickly adding up in her personal score card, one could easily picture Melinda falling into the cusps of Hollywood's hold. It's just the opposite of course --it's really Melinda leading her own way--with a big smile on her face.