A Surprise on Stage: Reflecting on the John A. Gilmore Award and a Journey of Advocacy
Celebrating recognition, growth, and the power of lifting others as we climb
There are moments in life when the universe has a sense of humor. For me, one of those moments happened on stage at Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture during the Northwest Mountain MSDC's Leadership & Advocacy Awards ceremony in October 2025.
I was serving as emcee for the evening, helping present awards to corporations, public agencies, and fellow minority business enterprises (MBEs)—people whose work I deeply admire. As scripted, I moved to the award table after introducing the next presenter, ready to hand out the honors. A board member stepped to the lectern and announced the winner of the first award. She then began reading the description of the John A. Gilmore Award, given to an MBE owner or employee who exemplifies activism and business expansion through strong advocacy for fellow minority business enterprises.
Then she said my name.
I looked down at my hands. I was literally holding my own award, thinking I was about to give it to someone else.
What This Recognition Means
Katrina Scott, NWMMSDC board member, presents Ricardo Ibarra with the John A. Gilmore Award.
Once the initial shock wore off—and the audience's laughter subsided—the weight of the honor began to sink in. The John A. Gilmore Award represents something I hold sacred: the principle that success is not a zero-sum game, and that our role as business leaders extends beyond our own bottom lines.
"This recognition was a wonderful surprise. Personally, it means that I am living my values and showing up as the kind of person that I want to be. Professionally, it's a validation of the hard work that I've put into not only building Trio Group into a competent marketing and printing agency, but also my desire to elevate my fellow minority business enterprises through teaching, training, coaching, being a role model and a mentor."
The moment on stage—standing there, award in hand, ready to give it away—felt like the perfect metaphor for my approach to leadership. I've always believed in servant leadership, in the idea that there is more than enough success to go around for all of us. My role is to help others realize that potential and reach for what they want.
The Unconventional Path to Ownership
My journey to this moment has been anything but traditional. In 2009, I had recently graduated from the University of Washington with a biology degree, and the economy was in freefall during the Great Recession. Career prospects were scarce, and I found myself pivoting to a side hobby: graphic design.
My father, Ralph, a business consultant, had been working with the Northwest Mountain MSDC for years. Through that connection, he met Jeff Quint and Dennis Brooks, who had recently left the printing giant RR Donnelley to start their own small business—Trio Group. They mentioned they needed someone who could do design work. My dad made the introduction.
I walked into that interview with my portfolio, shared my vision for how I wanted to work, and they gave me a shot. I joined Trio Group as Creative Director, and what started as a necessity during tough economic times became my calling.
"My unconventional path has really shaped my approach to business and mentoring others because I've had to learn everything through the school of hard knocks and through practical experience. I never had a traditional course in a degree program. A lot of my knowledge has come from self-study, observing great marketers, designers, and business operators, and has been forged by fire. I don't think there's anything I advise someone to do that I haven't done myself."
In April 2024, when Dennis retired, Jeff asked me to become his business partner. A year and a half later, I found myself on that stage at MoPOP, being recognized for advocacy work during one of the most pivotal transitions of my life.
From Printing to Creative Services: Breaking Through Barriers
When I joined Trio Group in 2009, we were known among public agencies, corporations, and small businesses for printing and mailing services. But we weren't as well-known for marketing, graphic design, or other creative services—which is exactly what I was hired to build.
The challenge was significant. We submitted proposal after proposal for public agency RFPs, only to be turned down for larger jobs because we didn't have demonstrated experience in creative services for public agencies. It was a classic catch-22: we couldn't get the experience without winning the contracts, and we couldn't win the contracts without the experience.
Public agencies are inherently risk-averse—they don't want to waste taxpayer dollars on vendors who haven't been tried and tested. So we found ourselves stuck with small-dollar projects, waiting for our breakthrough.
Integrating augmented reality technology into the Construction Center of Excellence’s program guidebook helped unlock more work with public agencies.
That breakthrough came in 2012 with a request for proposal from Shana Peschek, director of the Construction Center of Excellence at Renton Technical College. She was creating a construction program and resource guide—a directory of all the construction education and apprenticeship programs connected to Washington's 34 Community and Technical Colleges. The RFP called for a vendor that could both design and print the guide. Perfect fit.
We submitted our proposal with a twist: we included augmented reality technology to bring pictures and images to life with video and sound, making the booklet more appealing to the younger audience they were trying to reach.
We won the contract. We knocked it out of the park. The design was beautiful, the augmented reality integration was seamless, and we received rave reviews. About 2,000 of those booklets were distributed across the state.
But the real value came from what happened next. Shana became one of our best advocates. She introduced us to other directors at the Centers of Excellence. She wrote us into grants she received from the Department of Labor and Industries. She introduced us to her industry partners. She championed our work as a creative services and marketing firm.
"Shana really unlocked the door for bigger projects with public agencies. We ultimately went on to work with City of Seattle, King County, Seattle City Light, the state of Washington. She was a real turning point in those early days of building Trio Group."
That experience taught me a crucial lesson—one I now share with every MBE I mentor: look for small opportunities where you're a no-brainer fit, then over-deliver. Be patient. Knock it out of the park. Let your work speak for itself and create advocates who will open doors you can't open alone.
What Advocacy Means in Practice
Advocacy means different things in different contexts. In the traditional sense, it means championing MBE utilization by public agencies and corporations—reminding decision-makers of the value that diverse suppliers bring, the innovation and unique perspectives that minority, women, veteran, and Native-owned firms offer beyond business as usual.
But advocacy also means something more personal and hands-on: seeking partnership opportunities, building community among minority businesses, and empowering those businesses with knowledge, tools, and strategies to succeed.
"One of my big passions is education. I love teaching and training and sharing my knowledge with fellow business owners. So I've been involved with the City of Seattle's Technical Assistance Services program, the Port of Seattle's Small Business Accelerator program—all teaching marketing and design and capability statement development."
One of my favorite success stories came from this work. When we started partnering with the Northwest Mountain MSDC to offer marketing and design services as part of the City of Seattle's technical assistance program, one of the first MBEs I worked with was Kim's Embroidery. I worked with Dana, the owner, on developing her capabilities statement. She had never heard of one before, but Starbucks and Nike—companies she was trying to do additional business with—had asked her to present one.
We worked together, applying my knowledge of corporate procurement and capability statement best practices. She ended up securing additional work for Kim's Embroidery through that process. It was a real joy to see how something that seemed like a barrier—not knowing what a capability statement was—could be transformed into an opportunity with the right guidance.
The Common Challenges MBEs Face
In my years of teaching and mentoring, I've noticed a consistent pattern: many MBEs are working on their business rather than in their business. They may be absolute experts in their craft or skill, but they haven't had the time or opportunity to invest in learning about marketing, sales, and business development.
One of the early exercises I do with MBEs is helping them define the problem they're solving—and that goes well beyond just the product or service they deliver. I help them view their value through their clients' eyes, through their ideal clients' eyes, so that when they go out to market, when they pitch or respond to RFPs, they're using the language their ideal clients are already using to identify solutions and find vendors.
"Trio Group's journey—going from printing to becoming recognized for creative services—has given me a lot more empathy for fellow MBEs. It's really scary to expand your capabilities. It's helped me understand where the gaps in knowledge are and be a better coach and mentor in understanding where someone is on their business journey so I can offer the best advice, coaching questions, or ideas to help them succeed."
Every business operator is at a different stage. A brand new business owner has different needs than someone who's been operating for 5, 10, or 20 years. Working with Trio Group through our own evolution, and working with dozens of MBEs over the past several years, has given me the ability to tailor my advice and offer solutions that meet people where they are.
Looking Ahead: Doubling Down on Impact
As I look to the future, my goals for Trio Group are clear: we're going to remain a platinum sponsor of the Northwest Mountain MSDC. I hope to continue growing our business, particularly with the public agencies that are part of the council. And ultimately, I want to double our creative services revenue.
But more importantly, I want to see change in our region. In my closing remarks as emcee at the Leadership and Advocacy Awards, I challenged the room: when we gather again next year, I want corporations and public agencies to come up to me and say, "Yes, we did it, Ricardo. We doubled our impact."
"I want to see corporations doing more to hire and develop minority-owned firms in our region. They're doing a good job, but I want them to double down on their goodness."
My advice to emerging MBE owners struggling to break into larger contracts? Be patient. Look for small opportunities that you're a no-brainer for, where you can totally knock it out of the park—and then do just that. Over-deliver. Create advocates. Let your excellence speak for itself.
Gratitude and Moving Forward
None of this work happens in isolation. I'm deeply grateful to Karla Malacon, President and CEO of the Northwest Mountain MSDC, and the entire council staff. To Fernando Martinez, the immediate past president, for his leadership and vision. To my business partner, Jeff Quint, for his excellent support and for being an all-around fantastic person. To my predecessor, Dennis Brooks, for creating a business I was overjoyed to buy into.
To my fabulous and adorable husband, Deo, for his unwavering support and for being my number one cheerleader through every challenge and triumph.
And perhaps most importantly, I want to thank my fellow MBEs for their tenacity and heart. We're in tough times right now. It takes courage to stand up and identify yourself as a minority business owner, to keep going, to keep trying to earn a living and take care of your family and community. Your hard work doesn't go unnoticed.
The Award in My Hands
Standing on that stage at MoPOP, holding my own award and thinking I was about to give it to someone else—that moment crystallized everything I believe about leadership and advocacy. It reminded me that I'm on the right track, that servant leadership isn't just a philosophy but a practice that shows up in how we move through the world.
The John A. Gilmore Award isn't just recognition of past work. It's a call to continue—to keep teaching, mentoring, advocating, and believing that there is more than enough success for all of us. It's a reminder that when we lift others, we all rise together.
As I continue this journey with Trio Group and the Northwest Mountain MSDC community, I carry that award—and that moment—as both an honor and a responsibility. The work continues. The advocacy continues. And I couldn't be more grateful to do it alongside such an incredible community of minority business enterprises who inspire me every single day.
Ricardo is the President & Creative Director of Trio Group, a marketing and printing agency based in the Pacific Northwest, and a platinum sponsor of the Northwest Mountain MSDC. For questions about marketing, design, capability statement development, or how Trio Group can support your business, contact us.
