For many people, the dream of owning their own business beckons them with the possibilities of fortune, self-reliance, solid net worth and unbounded self-worth. A convention this Saturday in Pasadena offers these people inspiration that anything really is “POSiBLE” and brings practical advice to would-be entrepreneurs.
The POSiBLE L.A. convention at the Pasadena Convention Center starting at 7:30 a.m. is open to entrepreneurs of all stripes but is definitely skewed towards the Latino community. The entire event was put together by Univision, the Spanish-language media group whose KMEX Channel 34 is the most viewed television station in the greater Los Angeles area.
Saturday’s convention is all about giving entrepreneurs the tools they need to make their dreams real.
“[It’s] a full day of activities informing and empowering the community about growing or starting a business,” said Luis Patiño, the President and General Manager of Univision Los Angeles and the Founder of POSiBLE L.A. “There will be a lot of Spanish speaking sessions, which is one of the big reasons that this event is so popular. There’s very few of those.”
The event is down-to-earth practical and addresses the most important issues facing start-up entrepreneurs, Patiño said.
“We felt that our community was really looking and hungry for more sophisticated information as it related to actually starting a business,” he explained. “For those people who already own a business, we saw that there was an opportunity to provide them information about access to capital, which is one of the main issues [of] a lot of Hispanic-owned businesses . An inability to really grow and scale. So access to capital is a big part of this.”
Julie Stav, a financial expert who owns Julie Stav, Inc. is one of the featured speakers scheduled for the event.
“We do it bilingually and we do it in a way that is accessible. We bring all the resources, we bring people that know how to do it and put it all under one roof and pack it into one day,” she said. “So people leave not only motivated, but with the tools they can apply the next day.”
When it launched last year with Los Angeles entrepreneurs in mind, the assembly drew about 5,000 aspiring business owners – many from the Latino community – as well as top entrepreneurs and self-made professionals who shared their ideas about how to plan, finance, structure, launch and grow a business, the organizers said.
POSiBLE LA is made of six zones – Plan It, Finance It, Explore It, Grow It, Structure It and Emerging – and offers attendees access to critical resources, including new products, tools, and platforms.
Participants can also hear keynotes from successful business leaders and have the opportunity to enroll in boot camps aimed at launching and growing their businesses.
Business founders and entrepreneurs will come to mentor and speak to the public about some of their experiences, with panel discussions, keynotes and a full day of activities that’s all about informing and empowering the community, Patiño added.
Paul Little, President of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, said the event brings Latino business thought leaders together, but is open to all entrepreneurs in Los Angeles.
“It surely will be a good opportunity for Pasadena entrepreneurs to expand their horizons,” he said.
“I think when you talk about [the] Latino business community in Pasadena, you’re talking about the broad range of business in Pasadena,” Little observed. “Entrepreneurs are the pioneers of today. They’re the brave folks who are setting out on a new course and a business adventure that hopefully will prosper and help grow our economy, provide jobs and make other contributions to the communities.”
POSiBLE LA 2018’s presenting sponsor is Wells Fargo Bank, with Rise Programs as the premier sponsor. Stav will deliver a keynote address, and best-selling author Carlos Marquez will also be speaking during one of the panel discussions.
In addition, panel discussions will feature a number of Univision personalities, including Andrea Gonzalez, anchor for Noticias 34, who will moderate a discussion titled “Latinas de Exito” (Successful Latinas), and Salvador Garcia, Creative Services Director for Univision Los Angeles, who will host “Branding: It Makes or Breaks Your Business.”
K-LOVE radio personality Donaji Esparza will also lead a discussion titled “Los errores son el camino al éxito” (Errors Are the Path to Success). Univision Creator Network influencers Gia Fey and Rosy McMichael will share first-hand insight on how their YouTube channels have grown from passion projects to businesses.
Representing one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. population, Hispanic Americans own about 4.2 million businesses that contribute $668 billion in revenue to the U.S. economy annually.
Los Angeles is home to about 65 percent of Hispanic-owned businesses in California.
Pasadena City Councilmember Tyron Hampton said POSiBLE LA is definitely a boost to Pasadena’s being one of the most diversely populated cities in the U.S.
“First and foremost, I’ll say it’s a great thing for small and large Latino businesses, but as a whole, the event is open to the public, so I think it’s a great idea for anyone who wants to come down and see how to network, build relationships, also get tips and advice from other small business owners as well as large business owners,” Hampton said. “I mean, we’re all Americans and we’re all moving towards the same goal: supporting our family, supporting our community, and doing well in business.”
For a full event schedule, speakers and how to purchase tickets, visit www.posiblela.com. Entrepreneurs can also join the conversation via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #POSIBLELA across all social platforms.
Source: Pasadena Now
