Today we’d like to introduce you to Elena La Puente Socorro.
Hi Elena, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m originally from La Habana, Cuba, where I earned my medical degree before my husband and I made the difficult decision to leave the country after the events of July 11th, 2021. Like many Cubans, we reached a point where we could no longer ignore the political reality of living under a dictatorship and the lack of freedom, stability, and opportunity that came with it. We wanted a different future — not only for ourselves, but especially for our son.
We immigrated to the United States in February of 2023. Leaving Cuba meant walking away from everything familiar: our careers, our home, our families, our routines, and the life we had always known. We arrived with uncertainty, but also with hope and determination to rebuild from zero.
The transition was much harder than I expected. Even though I had studied English in Cuba, nothing truly prepares you for arriving in the U.S. and suddenly having to function entirely in English every single day — especially in healthcare. Understanding different accents, speaking confidently, handling fast-paced conversations, and adapting to a completely different professional and cultural environment was overwhelming at times. There were moments where I felt insecure, frustrated, and emotionally exhausted trying to adapt while also carrying the pressure of survival, motherhood, and financial responsibility.
Only three months after immigrating, my mother passed away unexpectedly. Losing her while trying to build a new life in a new country was one of the hardest experiences of my life. I was grieving while simultaneously trying to stay strong, work, adapt, and continue moving forward for my family.
My first job in the United States was as a phlebotomist in Wynwood, Miami. That chapter humbled me in many ways. Back in Cuba, I had already completed medical school, yet here I was starting over from the beginning, learning the American healthcare system from the ground up. Instead of seeing it as failure, I chose to see it as rebuilding.
While working there, I continued studying and preparing myself for the next opportunity. In May, 2023, I passed the ABSA exam and transitioned into working as a Surgical First Assistant, and only 5 months after I came to U.S. I was inside the Operating Room again. A few months later, an opportunity arose in Jacksonville that represented significant professional growth and greater long-term stability for my family, so we made the decision to move from Miami to North Florida and start over once again.
Right after arriving in Jacksonville, my son Mateo was diagnosed with autism. That diagnosis changed our lives as parents and brought an entirely new level of responsibility, learning, and emotional growth into our lives. Suddenly, I was navigating therapies, evaluations, appointments, school systems, and learning how to advocate for him in every possible way. At the same time, it reinforced why immigrating had been the right decision. We were now in a place where he could access opportunities, resources, and support that would help him reach his full potential.
In Jacksonville, I continued building my career inside the operating room, working alongside surgeons and surgical teams across multiple specialties. The OR environment shaped me tremendously. It taught me discipline, emotional control under pressure, precision, adaptability, leadership, and resilience. Healthcare is demanding in ways that people outside the field often don’t fully understand, especially when your personal life is carrying just as much weight as your professional one.
At the same time, I always had a strong entrepreneurial and creative side that continued growing over the years. What started as small creative projects eventually evolved into two brands that are now a major part of my professional vision.
The first is Donum Matthaei (Mateo’s gift) a medical-inspired brand focused on vintage anatomical art, gifts, and products for healthcare professionals, students, and anatomy lovers. What began as a creative outlet inspired by my background in medicine slowly evolved into a growing business and creative ecosystem centered around healthcare, education, and design.
The second is JAX Business Merch, a branding, merchandise, and marketing agency based in Jacksonville, Florida. Through JBM, I work with local businesses helping them develop their brand identity, merchandise, social media presence, and marketing strategy in a way that feels modern, intentional, and authentic. Building these businesses allowed me to combine healthcare, creativity, entrepreneurship, branding, and strategy into something that genuinely reflects who I am.
Over time, I realized I didn’t just want financial independence — I wanted freedom, ownership over my future, and the ability to create a stable and intentional life for my son while building something meaningful of my own.
I’m also deeply grateful to our families for the support and help they gave us in order to make our journey to the United States possible. Starting over as immigrants is never something you should do completely alone, and I will never forget the people who opened doors for me, supported me, believed in me, and helped me keep moving forward during the hardest moments. I’m grateful to everyone who has helped me along the way, and above all, I’m profoundly grateful to this country for making true freedom and opportunity possible. I love this city and I love this country.
My journey has been far from linear, but every difficult chapter forced me to reinvent myself, think bigger, and become more intentional about the life I wanted to create.
More than anything, I hope my story reflects resilience, reinvention, gratitude, and courage. Not because everything came easily — it didn’t — but because I kept moving forward anyway. I’m proud of the woman I’ve become through all of it: an immigrant, a mother, a healthcare professional, and now an entrepreneur building a new future from the ground up.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it definitely has not been a smooth road. One of the hardest parts of my journey has been learning how to rebuild my life while carrying multiple responsibilities at the same time — professionally, emotionally, financially, and personally.
Adapting to life in the United States was challenging in ways I could not fully understand until I lived it myself. Even though I had studied English before immigrating, functioning professionally in a completely different language and culture was overwhelming at first, especially in healthcare. There were many moments where I felt insecure, exhausted, or like I constantly had to prove myself while trying to adapt as quickly as possible.
Shortly after arriving in the U.S., my mother passed away unexpectedly, which became one of the most painful experiences of my life. Grieving while simultaneously trying to build stability in a new country forced me to become emotionally stronger very quickly.
Another major turning point came after moving to Jacksonville, when my son Mateo was diagnosed with autism at 3 years old. Navigating therapies, evaluations, school systems, and learning how to advocate for him completely changed my perspective as a mother and as a person. Balancing those responsibilities while continuing to grow professionally and emotionally has not been easy, but it has taught me resilience, patience, and adaptability on a completely different level. Even being a doctor, was hard, nothing prepares you for something that affects your child.
Professionally, one of the biggest challenges was accepting that starting over sometimes requires humility. I had already completed medical school in Cuba, yet I still had to rebuild step by step in the United States. That process taught me to focus less on ego and more on long-term vision, discipline, and persistence.
Entrepreneurship has also brought many challenges. Building businesses while working long hours in healthcare and raising a child has required a tremendous amount of discipline, consistency, and sacrifice. There have been moments of uncertainty, self-doubt, burnout, and fear of failure. But at the same time, those experiences pushed me to become more resourceful, creative, and intentional about the future I want to build.
Looking back, I think my greatest challenge has been learning how to carry responsibility without losing myself in the process. But every difficult season taught me something valuable, and ultimately shaped the woman, mother, healthcare professional, and entrepreneur I am today.
As you know, we’re big fans of Donum Matthaei & JAX Business Merch. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I currently lead two brands that reflect both my healthcare background and my entrepreneurial vision: Donum Matthaei and JAX Business Merch.
Donum Matthaei is a medical-inspired lifestyle and design brand focused on vintage anatomical art, gifts, and products for healthcare professionals, students, and anatomy lovers. What started as a creative outlet inspired by my experience in medicine evolved into a growing brand that combines healthcare, education, art, and storytelling. Through Donum Matthaei, I create products that allow people in healthcare to feel represented in a way that is elegant, creative, and meaningful. I’m especially proud of building a brand that connects medicine with creativity and identity rather than presenting healthcare in a purely clinical way.
JAX Business Merch is a branding, merchandise, and marketing agency based in Jacksonville, Florida. Through JBM, I help local businesses strengthen their brand presence through logo design, merchandise development, social media marketing, website development, and overall brand strategy. My goal is to help businesses create brands that feel intentional, professional, and authentic while also helping them connect more effectively with their audience and community. I love Jacksonville and I love to see how businesses are growing here.
What sets my work apart is that everything I build comes from a very personal place. My background in healthcare taught me discipline, precision, adaptability, and how to perform under pressure, while my entrepreneurial journey taught me creativity, resilience, and strategic thinking. I combine both worlds in a way that allows me to approach branding and business development differently.
I’m especially proud of building these businesses while navigating immigration, motherhood, a demanding healthcare career, and major life transitions simultaneously. For me, entrepreneurship has never been only about business — it has been about creating freedom, stability, and long-term opportunity for my family while building something meaningful and authentic.
Above all, I want people to know that my brands are built intentionally. Whether through Donum Matthaei or JAX Business Merch, my goal is to create work that feels genuine, thoughtful, creative, and impactful.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I think one of the biggest misconceptions about mentorship and networking is that people assume it starts with connections, when in reality it usually starts with consistency, humility, and genuine relationships.
As an immigrant rebuilding my life and career from scratch in a new country, I didn’t arrive with a professional network, established connections, or a roadmap. Most of the opportunities I’ve had came from showing up consistently, being willing to learn, working hard, and building authentic relationships over time.
For me, mentorship has often happened organically rather than formally. Some of the most valuable guidance I’ve received came from people I worked alongside in healthcare, business, and entrepreneurship — people who noticed my work ethic, my willingness to learn, and my persistence. I’ve learned that mentors are much more willing to help when they see someone who is genuinely committed, adaptable, and open to growth.
One thing that has worked very well for me is not being afraid to ask questions or admit when I don’t know something. Starting over in a new country taught me humility very quickly, and I think that openness helped me grow both personally and professionally.
Networking, in my opinion, is also less about “selling yourself” and more about building trust and genuine connections. I’ve found that relationships become much stronger when you focus on adding value, being authentic, and showing consistency over time rather than trying to impress people immediately.
I also believe it’s important to seek mentors not only for professional growth, but for perspective. Some of the people who impacted me most were those who helped me think bigger, stay resilient during difficult moments, and believe that reinvention was possible even after major life transitions.
My advice would be to stay open, stay teachable, and don’t underestimate the power of simply showing up consistently. Sometimes opportunities come from the places and people you least expect.
Pricing:
- Brand Starter Package – starting at $1,200
- Brand OS (Full Brand System) – starting at $3,500
- Monthly Brand Management Retainer – $500/month
- Custom merchandise & print orders – pricing varies by order
- All packages can be customized to fit your business needs and budget.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jaxbusinessmerch.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elylapuente?igsh=MXBsbHJwNmdnbzBiMg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Other: https://donummatthaei.etsy.com/
