In partnership with the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, the Conductor is launching a business development program for Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs.
“LEAF: Latino Entrepreneurs and Families” will include material for bilingual family members to provide holistic and sustainable support for the business owners, according to a press release.
“LEAF is our first major bilingual initiative,” said Jeff Standridge, managing director of the Conductor. “We are committed to reaching groups that have been historically underserved in our region. This partnership with the ASBTDC will allow us to connect with small business owners in new and exciting ways.”
The program is both for Spanish speaking entrepreneurs and their English speaking support system, Standridge said. Family members will participate in a “train the trainer” program, where they will be taught business development skills which can then be taught to their Spanish-speaking family members. There are also Spanish-speaking coaches available to meet with entrepreneurs individually between training sessions.
Activities will be held on Wednesdays, July 28 to August 25, and will be presented in both English and Spanish. Subject matter experts include Ana Oritz, Sandra Carrasco, Itzel Meador, Maria Weyrens and Daymara Blanco with coaching provided by Osmar Garcia. Topics to be covered include marketing, sales, finance, lending and leadership.
“Small businesses and families are two of the most important threads in the fabric of our communities. We are excited about the collaboration and look forward to working with the Conductor to assist the Latino entrepreneurial community,” said Laura Fine, state director, Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center.
The entire LEAF program, including technical assistance training and coaching will be provided at no-cost to entrepreneurs and their families. The program will culminate with a networking reception with economic development leaders from the Latino community. The event aims to connect Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs to industry professionals in the financial, legal, and marketing sectors, or other areas that arise during the program.
Registrations for each presentation, in English and Spanish, are available at https://www.arconductor.org/