Guiding Light
(continued)
groups offering economic resources
to the Latino community. “The field
out there has developed to get more
comprehensive. In the past, there have
been [separate] groups for tax prep, financial planning, business ownership.
Now things are consolidating.”
There is an anecdote offered by
Poyo to illustrate the need for entrepreneurial support programs: “On
the first day a Hispanic immigrant
arrives in the United States, they find
a place to stay. On the second, they
hang out a shingle and start their own
business.”
Jino Ahn, CEO and founder of
Asian MBA International, has seen
a similar drive toward business ownership in the Asian community. “Asians
are, historically and culturally speaking, highly entrepreneurial. If you look
at statistics in this country, Asians are
in the entrepreneurial field and not
the corporate field,” he says.
“As the immigration field matures,
the third and fourth generations are
also getting into entrepreneurial fields,
including MBAs. In the old days,
Asians with MBAs used to consider
doing investment banking, consulting,
and working
in the financial industries,” states
Ahn. “That
is changing
quite rapidly. Many
of them are
pursuing the
entrepreAhn
neurial path
and a lot of schools are changing
their curriculum to educate them, to
prepare them better.”
He continues, “Our own confer-
ence [this] September in New York
City will have a heavy emphasis on
entrepreneurship because that is
where the interest is shifting.” The
conference tracks will feature successful business owners as speakers
and include workshops so that individuals have the opportunity to learn
the practical details of starting and
growing a business.
F
or Poyo’s organization, it’s about
satisfying the increasing demand
for business ownership resources
and bridging the information gap
that exists in the Hispanic community. “There are not a lot of federal resources focused on the Latino
community. It has the highest level
of entrepreneurship and the lowest
level of service,” he said. “Latinos are
one of the driving forces of regional
economies and the national economy.
SUPPLIER
The Right Connections
The New York Power Authority has done more than
half-a-billion dollars in business with minority- and
women-owned enterprises. We recognize that diversity
is the key to our strength, which is why we value our
connection to hundreds of MWBEs throughout the state.
We’re seeking new ideas and innovations that will help
move New York toward a clean energy future. If your
company specializes in sustainability, energy efficiency
or renewable technologies, we may have a relationship
worth exploring.
To connect with us visit www.nypa.gov/sdp/default.htm
MBE
May/June 2013
23