Hilda Mera was borned and raised in Ecuador. She came to the United States when she was 20 years old. Hilda has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in management and business operations. Mera, Co-Founder and CEO of S&A Auto Center since 2013, is distinguished for her expertise in management and business operations.

S&A Auto Center is a minority and women-owned operated business providing professional auto repair services to customers throughout northern New Jersey. Ms. Mera’s husband, Jose Masache, is a professional auto Technician and when the opportunity arose for the couple to run their own repair shop, they took a leap of faith. Backed by an AA in accounting from Essex County College, Mera thrives in her managerial role. Having gained recognition from the Ecuadorian Consulate in 2018, Destination Newark Magazine and Negocios Hispanos USA Magazine for her work in 2019. In 2016 Ms. Mera was notably honored as VIP Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women and in 2021 was featured in Forbes Magazine, LatinasInBusiness.us, ZingerNews and was awarded as The Top 100 Leaders in Transportation and Automotive by iTAs (International transportation and Automotive Summit). Adding to her recognitions, Ms. Mera was the winner of The Challenge and emerged as the Community Champion and Community Choice Award in the 2019 RISE competition. The entrepreneur attributes her career success to her upbringing and to her parents for instilling in her how positive rewards come from hard work, dedication, and perseverance.

Ms. Mera is passionate about helping her community and looks forward to continuing empowering women through seminars and workshops in the auto repair industry, as it is a predominantly male field. In addition to these endeavors, Ms. Mera holds membership in the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of NJ and Rising Tide Capital. Mera now teaches at Rising Tide Capital with an emphasis on empowering women to become business leaders in their communities. Ms. Mera is also proud to be a mentor for the RU-Flourishing program at Rutgers Advanced Institute for the Study of Entrepreneurship and Development (RAISED) and a community board member of the Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC).