When thousands of entrepreneurs gather in Denver next week for the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 30th National Convention and Business Expo, small-business owners won’t be the only ones learning to establish and expand their businesses.
The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation has invited dozens of inner-city high school students to participate in BizFest — a free, rigorous business- and leadership-development program and competition for young people. The four-day workshop will take place at the Colorado Convention Center during the convention and expo from Wednesday through Sept. 19.
Three finalists in the regional competition in Denver will be recognized with scholarships and will have the opportunity to compete for the national title at next year’s convention in Dallas.
In 2000, 6.6 percent of Latino workers were in management, business or financial-operations occupations. By 2006, that had increased to 7.5 percent, according to the USHCC. The national organization wants to increase the number of Latinos in top posts at large corporations.
“This program helps students to open up their horizons and lets them know that they can be their own bosses, that they can turn their hobbies into lucrative business opportunities,” said Alyssa Campagnoni, program manager for USHCC.
Last month, she visited nine Denver schools and community organizations to provide information about BizFest. Her focus was to recruit students who generally are not exposed to this type of educational opportunity, regardless of race.
Manual, North, West, Abraham Lincoln and Adams City high schools, the Denver Center for International Studies and the Mi Casa Resource Center, the Daniels Fund and the Girl Scouts received applications.
Thirty to 35 students are expected to participate.
BizFest will open Wednesday with a motivational speech, followed by an introduction to entrepreneurship. Finalists from the regional competitions in Sacramento, Calif., in 2008 and Detroit earlier this year will act as mentors for the teens, who will learn to develop a detailed financial plan for their businesses and to establish a networking base.
The workshops help the teens build confidence in their abilities, said Augustine Martinez, president and chief executive of the USHCC. The program also encourages them to establish contacts with one another and with business owners they meet on the convention floor.
During the last day of the program, students will present their business plans to the instructors. Those deemed most innovative and well-planned will compete in the semifinals, in which they will present their plans to a panel of judges.
“In most cases, these kids have not seen their parents go to work with a shirt and tie,” Martinez said. “We want to expose them to a corporate environment and open doors to opportunities outside of their world.”
