(Block 2) 11:15 - noon
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Certifications
Hosted by: Jennifer Crist, Northeast Ohio and Hispanic Outreach Manager, Ohio Department of Transportation
Workshop description: Please join the Ohio Department of Transportation for a workshop that will highlight the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program and explain how to become DBE Certified. The DBE program was created to help level the playing field by providing small, disadvantaged businesses with a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded transportation contracts. DBE Certification assists small businesses to do business on heavy highway transportation projects and other transportation-related projects.
Other benefits of becoming DBE Certified include:
- Assisting Prime Contractors and Prime Consultants to fulfill DBE goals on federally funded transportation projects
- Gain access to opportunities to grow your business
- The opportunity to become DBE certified in other states after becoming DBE certified in Ohio.
The Mindset of the Entrepreneur
Hosted by: Shaundretta Boykins, Manager of Business Development and Entrepreneurship, Office of the Minority Business Development Division, Ohio Department of Development
Workshop description: You may have the skill and the will, but it takes an entrepreneurial mindset to be successful in starting up, standing up, and scaling up your business.
Impacto
Hosted by: Jose Colon, Senior Manager of Hispanic/Latino Services at Jumpstart Inc.
Workshop description: Impacto is a Spanish-language small business program, creating a safe space for inspiration and information sharing between Hispanic entrepreneurs. This multi-session program empowers entrepreneurs to take their business to the next level. Each week, participants focus on key business skills including financial planning and marketing, and on the last day of the program, they present their business to the class. In addition to building industry-specific skills, each participant receives one-on-one coaching and $1,000 in grant capital.