(Block 3) 3:00 - 3:45 p.m.

Panel: How to Excel Starting a Business

Moderator: Thalia Amador, Economic Development Specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

José Colón, Jump Start Inc.
Melony Bryant, Minority & Small Business Advocate, Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation
Randy Cedeño, Director of Small Business Development Center, Hispanic Business Center
Nichelle Gray, Senior Stakeholder Liaison, Internal Revenue Service
 

From Tamales to 1099s: Centering Latine Womens' Need and Experiences for Business Ownership

Hosted by: Astrid Sambolín Morales Additional Presenters: Rita Aggarwal 

Workshop Description: Our presentation highlights a community-research partnership project that provides workshops and community-building opportunities for Latine Akron women interested in starting or expanding their small businesses. The workshop series, facilitated by a Kent State faculty member and a local non-profit, invited Latine women with small businesses in Ohio to speak about their experiences, share resources and advice, and guide participants through selling their artisanal products. By connecting a hard-to-reach population with existing resources and centering the community's already-existing expertise and cultural wealth, the project strives to meet workshop participants where they are while responding to their needs and contributions to the workshop programming. Moreover, the presentation will highlight the strengths and possibilities when researchers and community organizers partner and center the needs and aspirations of a marginalized community.
 

Resources to Build and Scale Your Business

Hosted by: Shaundretta Boykins, Manager of Business Development and Entrepreneurship, Office of the Minority Business Development Division, Ohio Department of Development 

Workshop Description: Learn how to access the tools you need (capital, certifications, contracts, connections, centers) at low to no cost to build and help build your businesses.