Having experienced firsthand the challenges of being an immigrant, with little to no resources, the founder Carlos Castro personifies this philosophy. Take, for example, its philosophy: “At Todos Supermarket, we believe that good people working toward a common goal may accomplish anything they set out to do” this view represents their basic belief in people’s capacity to adapt, grow and flourish. Paying particular attention to issues important to Latin Americans in the U.S., Todos is known for its commitment to development. Not only is Todos attentive to the dietary preferences of its customer base and in so doing, connect them to their cultural roots, but it also stands as an advocate for the needs and rights of its community stakeholders. Todos Supermarket, in many ways, is a steward of the community it serves. Castro, President of Todos Supermarket, spoke as a panelist at the 2015 Business and Economic Resilience Conference hosted by the Institute for Business in Society at the UVA Darden School of Business. Castro, President of Todos Supermarket.Īs part of their ongoing community outreach efforts, Todos Supermarket hosts adult education classes, English as a second language training, and also teaches employees to become engaged leaders in the community. “My constant and sincere participation brought us not only customer loyalty, but also employee support,” commented Carlos A. This extended community debate was followed by the global economic downturn, which Todos Supermarket weathered well as they opened up a new 50,000 square-foot location, bolstered by the strong community support they had developed. Todos employees actively participated in the debate about the Prince William County “Rule of Law” illegal immigration resolution and the 2008 directive that changed it.
In an area marked by Latino immigration, which has sparked a growing and often heated debate over the past decade, the Todos Supermarket leadership decided to stand up for its customers and community by getting involved in local civic activity. Castro, President, Todos SupermarketĪs a grocer focused on providing foods that meet the needs of a primarily Hispanic customer base, the employees of Todos Supermarket found themselves in the midst of political unrest directed at its customers. We no longer cater only to the Latino community, but have expanded to become an entire neighborhood store in both locations.” - Carlos A. “We became a center for information for our community, not only for groceries, and that gave us the strength to grow along with the community.
One such company is Todos Supermarket, a retail organization with stores in Woodbridge and Dumfries, Virginia. This spring, the Darden School Institute for Business in Society hosted the 2015 Business and Economic Resilience Conference to explore these issues and to learn from Virginia businesses that have demonstrated resilience successfully. In today’s global economy - in which policies and regulation, the financial landscape, the environment and so many other factors can drastically affect the operations and success of a business - organizations must be resilient in order to survive.īut what makes some businesses more resilient than others? And what are some successful traits and lessons shared by resilient companies, from which other organizations can draw? Defined as “the act of springing back, or rebounding the power or ability to recover quickly from a setback or other adversity buoyancy elasticity.”