Eva Longoria Says Growing Up Around ‘Smart, Independent Women’ Shaped Her Success (Exclusive)
Eva Longoria Says Growing Up Around ‘Smart, Independent Women’ Shaped Her Success (Exclusive)
Jordan GreeneFri, March 27, 2026 at 5:36 PM UTC
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Eva Longoria supports Lenovo launched Backing Every Business programCredit: Lenovo -
Eva Longoria is partnering on a new global initiative to help small businesses access funding, mentorship and tools to grow.
She says her passion for supporting entrepreneurs is rooted in being raised by strong, successful women who shaped her confidence.
Through the program, she hopes to recreate that sense of community by mentoring founders and connecting them with others facing similar challenges.
Eva Longoria has long credited the strong women in her life for shaping her confidence and her drive to succeed.
Now, she’s channeling that mindset into helping other entrepreneurs, partnering with Lenovo on a new global initiative, called Backing Every Business, aimed at giving small businesses greater access to funding, mentorship and tools to grow.
The initiative is designed to support founders around the world through a mix of financial backing, mentorship and AI-enabled resources — areas where many small business owners often struggle to find consistent access.
“My life’s work with my foundation has been about helping small businesses, specifically helping Latinas reach their full potential through entrepreneurial programs,” the actress, 51, tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Eva Longoria supports Lenovo launched Backing Every Business programCredit: Lenovo
For Longoria, it reflects the kind of structure she says she has long hoped to help create.
“This is a solution I’ve always looked for when trying to help the women in my foundation access resources,” she explains. “There are resources everywhere, but to have a global initiative really designed to support each small business, which is unique and deserves real solutions from a trusted partner, that’s what really excited me.”
“I thought, this is a great idea, because this is exactly what small businesses need,” she adds. “It’s this customized partnership that I don’t think any small business can build alone.”
Eva Longoria holding a laptopCredit: Lenovo
That emphasis on connection and opportunity is also deeply personal. Longoria traces that perspective back to her upbringing, where she says she was constantly surrounded by strong role models.
“So many people have guided me in my life,” she says. “I have nine aunts, three sisters and 18 female cousins. I was surrounded by smart, independent and successful women.”
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Because of that, she says, she always had a clear sense of what was possible — even if the exact path wasn’t defined.
“I didn’t have to look far to see the woman I wanted to be. I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be like my sisters. I’m going to be like my mom,’ ” she continues. “That instilled in me this idea that I always knew I would be successful. I didn’t know what I was going to do — whether I would be a dentist or a lawyer — but I knew I’d be successful.”
“And that came from the community around me,” she adds.
Eva Longoria sitting on a deskCredit: Lenovo
Now, she hopes to help recreate that same sense of support for others — particularly through the initiative’s mentorship component, which pairs entrepreneurs across industries and countries to share advice and problem-solve together.
“Even now, part of the Backing Every Business initiative with Lenovo includes a program called Twinning, where we pair small businesses from around the world — whether they share an industry, a challenge, ambitions or problems,” she explains.
“Just being able to speak with each other, navigate challenges and share knowledge to create real, practical solutions is really cool. I had that growing up with my own family,” she adds. “So to be able to provide that for these small businesses is pretty priceless.”
Through the program, select founders will also have the opportunity to receive direct mentorship from Longoria — an experience she believes can be transformative.
“Being an entrepreneur is one of the hardest, most daring things you can do,” she adds. “Every entrepreneur reaches moments where they wish they had someone who truly understands the weight of what they’re building.”
“What I love about this is that it’s built on creating that connection,” she continues. “When entrepreneurs feel supported, entire communities benefit.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
