Bessie M. Irizarry loves embracing a good challenge. It’s one of the many reasons she’s earned respect as a female engineer and business owner in predominantly male-dominated fields.

Her background and achievements have paved the way for her current role as co-founder and CEO of Falcona Management & Technology, LLC, a consulting group focused on industrial engineering, education & training, quality improvement and project management, primarily in the defense and government sectors.

Irizarry has been leading teams of engineers for several decades, including at Texas A&M University, where she managed multi-year, multi-million-dollar projects, including for the federal government and state agencies.

In 2008, the opportunity arose for Irizarry to co-found Falcona. She became the firm’s majority owner in 2022, which opened new avenues for the now Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB).

The firm has been a fascinating and rewarding venture, addressing a diverse range of challenges: Their work with the U.S. Department of Defense gained recognition for excellence; They increased graduation rates at the Medical Education & Training Campus located at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) Fort Sam Houston by assessing attrition risks and applying innovative teaching techniques; And they helped the government develop strategies to overcome medical supply shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite these significant challenges to dig into, Irizarry admits that running a small business has been her most rewarding undertaking.

“Entrepreneurship runs in my family. My dad and brother have both owned several small businesses,” she shared. While she’s far away from

her native Puerto Rico, and her business differs greatly from those owned by her father or brother, she feels the same drive and connection to business ownership.

“It gives me an opportunity to help others achieve their goals, and it allows me to make meaningful connections and see things from different perspectives,” she added.

As Irizarry assumed full ownership of Falcona, she turned to Steven Bankler, CPA, Ltd., to help address concerns she had with her tax situation. What the Bankler team uncovered was even more complicated than she anticipated. But the tough advice she received was delivered with a we

lcome balance of respect, urgency, frankness, and reassurance.

“My experience with the Bankler team has been refreshingly different from what I’ve encountered with other CPAs,” Irizarry explained. “Their proactive approach—taking care of details and engaging with other stakeholders—has resulted in extremely positive outcomes.”

Learn more about Falcona at falcona-hq.com.

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