BCC to target Hispanic businesses with accelerator

Hispanic entrepreneurs could soon reap the benefits of a program in the Meadowlands specifically aimed at helping Latino startups.

Bergen Community College has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey to develop a start-up assistance program, or business accelerator, that both organizations believe would be the first in New Jersey aimed specifically at Latinos.

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Jersey City holds Hispanic Entrepreneur and Small Business Conference

Jersey City held its first Hispanic Entrepreneur and Small Business Conference at City Hall on Wednesday to offer services to those trying to start, grow or expand Jersey City small businesses.

Attendees heard from a number speakers and officials, including Carlos Medina, president of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey; Maria Nieves, president and CEO of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce; and Chris Murphy, manager of Statewide Strategic Initiatives for the New Jersey Department of Labor.

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Jennica Carmona >www.jennicacarmona.com

Jennica Carmona, Owner, Si Se Puede Productions, LLC

What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
Ambition, focus, organization, and determination.

What did inspire you to start your business?
The desire to create opportunities for myself as well  as for  my colleagues.

How did you finance it?
Fundraising events, grants, and personal investments.

Being Hispanic…Does it have any influence on your business?
Yes. We choose to work on projects with a Latino theme, and/or work with Latino and other minority groups during productions.

In the face of adversity, how do you decide to keep going?
You have to believe in yourself and what you are doing. Believe that what you are doing will have a powerful and positive impact on other people- that will give you strength to keep going!

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
Raising the funds to complete the film, “Millie and the Lords”.

If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
I wish we had a larger staff to help with administrative tasks. We are a group of three and currently
do it all on our own.

What was your childhood ambition?
To be a dancer.

Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire?
I admire filmmakers Spike Lee, Ava Duvernay and Leon Ichaso.

For business meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Breakfast- I have more energy at the beginning of the day!

What sacrifices on your personal life did you have to make in order to become a business success?
It’s a huge time commitment and you can’t always be with your family as much as you would like to be. Your relationships may suffer. It takes a lot of patience and understanding on the part of your loved ones. So I sacrificed a lot of time with family and friends.

What is your favorite quote?
“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong”. (Ella Fitzgerald)

Is it difficult to be unconventional?
Yes, very. Particularly as a Latina woman. There are so many traditional roles that you are cast in, so many expectations. It’s hard to stand up to that and say no, that’s not what I want, I want to do something different. It may not be right for you, but it is for me.  

Biggest mistake made?
I don’t believe in mistakes- I believe in “learning opportunities”. 

Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
Yes, I do. I started my own production company with my sister and husband. That takes a lot of effort and hard work, not everybody does that. We don’t have big names or a lot of money, but we have a lot of passion and are willing to work hard to achieve our goals. I also think that we are innovators in the sense that we are creating opportunities for other artists, and we inspire others to do the same.

About the Company
We are a small independent production company that produces film and theater. Our first film, “Millie and the Lords”, is currently touring the film festival circuit. We have received the best Feature Award from the Viva Latino Film festival as well as the Award of Excellence from The Rincon International Film Festival. 
Our current play, Elvira, is currently touring at various college and universities throughout the country. 
Movie site is : www.millieandthelords.com
Personal site is: www.jennicacarmona.com
Facebook: Millie and the Lords

Andre Hidalgo > www.2StrongMusic.com

Andre Hidalgo, Owner, 2 Strong Music

What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
Passion, Hustle perseverance cause with out those it will never happen.

What inspired you to start your business?
My love for Bachata Music & after launching Aventura's career I just had to keep going.

How did you finance it?
At first it just worked my regular 9 to 5 and payed everything my self then as time went by the music started paying for itself.

Does being Hispanic/Latina have any influence on your business?
Yes of course as I run a mainly Latin based Record Label.

In the face of adversity, how do you decide to drive ahead?
Sheer will power and inspiration from my own work and what I had already accomplished.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
The greed of others in the industry which in turn brings disloyalty, hate & opportunities blocked. 

If you could change one thing about your business. What would it be?
I would make the industry more united & honest.

What was your childhood ambition?
Funny but my childhood ambition was to have beautiful big family, marriage, kids & house was all I needed.

Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire.
Steve Jobs, P Diddy and Pitbull.

For business meetings, which do you prefer: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
I prefer lunch or dinner.

What sacrifices in your personal life did you have to make in order to become successful in your business?
My biggest sacrifice was having less time with my kids & of course never sleeping.

What is your favorite quote?
"I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees" ; "Love & Loyalty" which are words i live by. The second one I'm not sure if its a quote that out there but its a quote that I always use.

Is it difficult to be unconventional?
It is at times because most people dont understand or get the genius behind some unconventional ideas & a lot of the times these are the ones that make history or change the world.

Biggest mistake made?
Trusting people too much, believing in there honor, morals or dignity that is usually not there.

Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
Yes I do. Mainly because I think outside the box; I usually see what most don't. I never just follow the crowd; I'm not afraid to try the new different things that i know can work.  Its just a shame not everyone realizes that ....haha.

About the Company
2 Strong Music is a Latin indie Record Label it was founded in 2001 By Andres (DRE) Hidalgo CEO, Producer and owner. A visionary in the Latin Urban Music world Andres has solid experience discovering, producing, developing & managing artists into award winning overnight success stories! Such as Aventura, Xtreme and Prince Royce.
Website: Sitio Web: www.2StrongMusic.com

Leticia Moreinis Schwartz >www.chefleticia.com

Leticia Moreinos Schwartz, Founder,  Chef Leticia

What inspired you to start your business?

A desire to communicate my passion for cooking and writing about Latin culture.

How did you finance it?

I am in the process of working with sponsors.

Does being Hispanic/Latina have any influence on your business?

Absolutely!! My business is based on sharing the love for Latin culture!

In the face of adversity, how do you decide to drive ahead?

I will use Martin Luther King’s words to answer this question:

“If you can’t fly, then run

If you can’t run, then walk

If you can’t walk, then crawl,

But whatever you do,

You have to keep moving forward.”

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?

As any start up, the beginning is always hard.

If you could change one thing about your business. What would it be?

I would like to take it to the next level.

What was your childhood ambition?

At what age? The things I wanted at 10, were not the same I wanted at 12, and not the same when I was 16. Somewhere along those years, I wanted to own a restaurant. But then, when I actually worked in restaurants, I decided to find another dream.

Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire.

Jorge Paulo Lehmann, Brazilian investor;

Sophia Vergara, Colombian actress capitalizing on Latin culture;

Rachel Ray, making a fortune on all things cooking/media.

For business meetings, which do you prefer: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

I prefer lunch.

What sacrifices in your personal life did you have to make in order to become successful in your business?

I have to say no to a lot of things in order to focus on my business.

What is your favorite quote?

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

--Albert Einstein

Is it difficult to be unconventional?

Not at all, I was born this way.

Biggest mistake made?

Mistakes are evaluated by its margin of error. When I was in my 20’s and early 30’s I could afford them. I said yes to many wrong things and no to many right things. I could recover because time was on my side. Now, mistakes are almost shameful. I have another quote for that: “ When you repeat a mistake, it’s not a mistake anymore. It’s a decision”. Paulo Coelho

Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?

Yes, I am trying to create something that doesn’t exist yet.

Description of the company:

Teacher. Author. Spokesperson. Personality.

Leticia Moreinos Schwartz has built a career on the passion for Latin cuisine. She was born and raised in Brazil, received a BA in economics and worked in finances. She moved to NYC and studied Culinary and Pastry Arts at the French Culinary Institute. She continued her training at legendary restaurants like Le Cirque 2000, La Grenouille, La Caravelle and Payard Patisserie and Bistro.

She then studied Journalism and started a food blog. Her first cookbook The Brazilian Kitchen was published in 2010 and won the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards for Best Latin Cookbook. Her second cookbook, My Rio de Janeiro: A Cookbook was published in 2013 to raving reviews.

She is the spokesperson to Merck’s diabetes campaign Desafiando La Diabetes, with interviews in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. Among her tasks, Leticia develops diabetic-friendly recipes for the campaign. She was as a featured guest on Sara’s Weeknight Meals, and has appeared on several TV shows including The Today Show. Leticia’s main goal is to bridge business and promotional interests between Brazil and Latin America with the rest of the world. She is working on a cooking show about Latin Cuisine.

Leticia Moreinos Schwartz
Author of The Brazilian Kitchen & My Rio de Janeiro: A Cookbook.
Web: www.chefleticia.com
Blog: blog.chefleticia.com

South Florida Cultivates Hispanic Entrepreneurship, Recognizes Top 25 Hispanic-Owned Businesses

SOUTHWEST RANCHES, Fla.,-- This year, ANF Group, Blue Star Foods, Eastern National Bank, T&G Constructors and Bankers Healthcare Group made their debut in South Florida Business Journal's Top 25 South Florida Hispanic-Owned Businesses of 2014. Brightstar Corporation of Miami sits at the top of the list with $7.2 billion in revenue.

"It's truly an honor to be recognized among other leading Hispanic-owned businesses in South Florida," said Bob Castro, president and co-founder of Bankers Healthcare Group, a leading provider of innovative financing solutions for healthcare professionals and number 16 on the list. "Together, we're contributing to our region's economic development and forging a path for future Hispanic entrepreneurs in the U.S."

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What it’s like to be a Latino entrepreneur in Silicon Valley

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Alex Murillo leans forward in his seat, sipping coffee from a shot glass and waving his hands as he talks. He points to the screen of his MacBook Pro, explaining the genius behind Audive, the mobile application he is developing that allows users to record cover songs and mix tracks with music enthusiasts around the world.

“This is the secret sauce,” says Murillo, hitting a key on his computer that fills the air with the sound of a man singing in Italian. “You can bring in vocals from a guy in Italy or you can bring in the flamenco guitar from Spain.”

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What It's Like to Be a Latino Entrepreneur in Silicon Valley

November 24, 2014 SAN JOSE, Caif.—Alex Murillo leans forward in his seat, sipping coffee from a shot glass and waving his hands as he talks. He points to the screen of his MacBook Pro, explaining the genius behind Audive, the mobile application he is developing that allows users to record cover songs and mix tracks with music enthusiasts around the world.

"This is the secret sauce," says Murillo, hitting a key on his computer that fills the air with the sound of a man singing in Italian. "You can bring in vocals from a guy in Italy or you can bring in the flamenco guitar from Spain."

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Hispanic expo to focus on entrepreneurs

A 28-year-old artist and entrepreneur, Rene Soto characterizes his ventures as young, small and gaining in recognition. His wedding and events publication, Glamorous Magazine, is bilingual and less than a year old. Rene Soto Art & Photography is less than two years old.

In his small office on Stamford's Main Street, Soto says Hispanic businesses often fly under the radar, and he's hoping for a boost from the upcoming fifth annual Business Expo, sponsored by the Greater Stamford Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

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Aspiring Hispanic Entrepreneurs Find Opportunity

The face of the nation is changing. The Census Bureau announced last week that Hispanics have surpassed blacks as the largest minority group. And in about 30 years, Hispanics will be the majority in Ttexas.

Many cities are now looking forward-- helping out Hispanics today who want to build successful businesses for tomorrow.

"I see more and more hispanic people every day." says Maricela Aguilera.  They come right into her store, Gonzalez' Gro

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