Avila Real Estate Experience

Real Estate Experience Portfolio

Tomás Alberto Ávila Milenio Real Estate Group, LLC


2 Tomás Alberto Ávila Real Estate License # B15642



Letter of Introduction January 1, 2013 To Whom It May Concern As a Real Estate Broker with 25year of experience in Rhode Island state and Massachusetts, I have been putting into practice the learning outcomes of the BUSN-1110 Sales class in my profession and business in servicing the needs of my clients. Duties included conducting detail research of local real industry, to produce comparable market analysis, pre-qualifying and consulting with buyers about homeownership and mortgage qualification. I have been helping buyers and sellers transact their purchase and sales of Real Estate and have found it to be a very gratifying and rewarding career experience. In addition, my previous experience as Regional Sales Manager in Caracas Venezuela managing a $3.5 million, quarterly budget where I started as Inside Sales associate and my professional development and training activities have offered me opportunities for my professional growth and the promotion of my career. Within the past 25 years I have risen through the ranks of the Real Estate Industry starting as a Sales Associate in Boston, MA with the Century 21 Park Realty company, where I was a part time associate that became 2 highest producer within a year of my start, by provide the highest quality customer service to my clients in prequalifying them to an appropriate and sustainable mortgage that allowed them to live and improve their socio economic standards. After practicing Real Estate in Boston for six years, I transferred to Rhode Island and continue my career initially with DeWolfe Real Estate and continuing with Coldwel Banker after its purchase DeWolfe in 2004 and after obtaining my Real Estate Broker’s license decided to strike on my own Real Estate business and founded Milenio Real Estate Group initially, managing 10 Sales Associates at the peak of the market. My professionalism has been furthered through my service in local organizations, the community and my Management consulting business Milenio Associates, administration and facilitation of sales strategic planning and development at the Small Business Development Center. I have been honored with the publication of several articles about Real Estate in the Providence Journal and local ethnic newspapers such as the Providence En Español, Providence American News, and Siglo 21. In 2007, I graduated from the Graduate Real Estate Institute, and in 2009 completed the National Association of REALTORS Green Designation and in 2004 became certified as the first Bilingual (English/Spanish) Administrator and Facilitator of the Kauffman Foundation FastTrac Entrepreneur Program. I thank you for your time and careful consideration of my portfolio. Please do not hesitate to contact me for any clarification of the information I have presented. Sincerely,

Tomás Alberto Ávila




Tomás Alberto Ávila Milenio Real Estate Group, LLC



Table of Contents Letter of Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 3 Tomás Ávila Professional Resume ........................................................................................................................................ 7

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS .............................................................................................................................. 7 About Tomás Alberto Ávila ................................................................................................................................................. 9 Experience Narrative .......................................................................................................................................................... 12

Century 21 Park Realty ................................................................................................................................................... 14 Cabletron Systems de Venezuela C.A ......................................................................................................................... 15 DeWolfe/Coldwell Banker .......................................................................................................................................... 15 Small Business Development Center Program Manager............................................................................................... 15 Milenio Real Estate Group, LLC ................................................................................................................................. 16 Milenio Associates, LLC ............................................................................................................................................ 16 InterWeb .................................................................................................................................................................... 17

Rhode Island Small Business Development Center 2006-2009 .................................................................................... 17 The Apeiron Institute of Sustainable Living ................................................................................................................ 18

80 Percent of Hispanic Families are First-time Home Buyers .............................................................................................. 23 Today Renters: Tomorrow’s Homeowners, Increasing Latino Homeownership ................................................................... 27 Housing market for minorities a priority ............................................................................................................................. 29 Our Neighborhoods Economies (ONE) ............................................................................................................................... 32 Development of First Step FastTrac at Johnson & Wales University .................................................................................... 37 First Step FastTrac ............................................................................................................................................................. 39 FastTrac® GrowthVenture™.............................................................................................................................................. 42 Latinos Taking New Entrepreneurial Skills To Market ....................................................................................................... 44 Primer Paso Three Year Review Interview .......................................................................................................................... 48 2008 Providence Business Expo Former Students ............................................................................................................... 51

Immigrant Startups Are Maturing In Nature .................................................................................................................... 52 PBN EDITORIAL ...................................................................................................................................................... 52

Workshop Draws Fledgling Hispanic Entrepreneurs ........................................................................................................... 53 Tomas Alberto Avila Awarded 2007 Rhode Island SBDC State Star at the National Conference of the Association of SBDCs .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 55

Avila Honored For Bringing SBDC Services To Latinos ................................................................................................. 56 Tomás Ávila Certified as Fast Track New & Growth Venture Facilitator, Business Coach and Administrator .................. 57 Rhode Island Small Business Development Center (RISBDC) ....................................................................................... 58 RISBDC Program Manager ............................................................................................................................................ 59 ‘Primer Paso’ A First Step For Hispanic Firms ................................................................................................................ 61

Apeiron Launches Sustainable Business Network ............................................................................................................... 63 Benefits...................................................................................................................................................................... 66 eNewsletter ................................................................................................................................................................ 66



Speaker Bureau ........................................................................................................................................................ 66 SBNRI Guides ........................................................................................................................................................... 66 Think Local First ...................................................................................................................................................... 66 SBNRI Roundtables .................................................................................................................................................. 66 Conference ................................................................................................................................................................ 66

Director, Sustainable Business Development ...................................................................................................................... 69 Supporting Material ........................................................................................................................................................... 71 Real Estate Broker License ................................................................................................................................................. 73 Real Estate Sales Certificates of Accomplishmnet ............................................................................................................... 76

Rhode Island Association of Realtors .......................................................................................................................... 76 DeWolfe Real Estate................................................................................................................................................... 76 Century 21 .................................................................................................................................................................. 76 Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salesmen .................................................................. 76 Lee Institute, Principles of Real Estate Practice ........................................................................................................... 76 New England Professional Development Committee, Certified Business Counselor ..................................................... 76

Providence Business News Articles Featured .................................................................................................................... 104



Tomás Ávila Professional Resume 61 Tappan Street Providence, RI 02908, (401) 258-8816, [email protected]

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS Bilingual/bicultural, multi-task oriented professional, with extensive experience in the area of economic development and capacity building. Possess strong organizational development, strategic planning and implementation methods. Demonstrated commitment to community development and outreach. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Managing Partner 2001 – Present Milenio Real Estate Group, LLC, Providence, RI Provides full-service real estate brokerage services to home-buyers and sellers across the state. Responsible for the agency’s Licensees’ compliance with Rhode Island Commercial Real Estate Licensure Act and regulations. As a Certified Sustainable Property Specialist by the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Green REsource Council, certified to incorporate green principles into Real Estate practice, and to advocate the green building philosophy while being a positive force in creating sustainable and energy efficient communities of homes and commercial buildings across the United States. Managing Partner 2001 – Present Milenio Associates, LLC, Providence, RI A bilingual (English/Spanish) consulting firm specializing in helping entrepreneurs and business owners develop and grow their businesses and their bottom line. We design business plans, develop marketing strategies and create marketing plans and financial plans and assist U.S business in marketing their products and services. We specialize in business consulting for both small business startups as well as mature companies. Director of Sustainable Business Development 2009 –2010 The Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living, Providence, RI Developed, managed and implemented the Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island a network of locally owned businesses, service providers and community organizations committed to building a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable Rhode Island for future generations. Solidified processes for the development of sustainable business development as well as to develop other successful methods of customer acquisition. Director of Latino Entrepreneurship 2004 –2009 Larry Friedman Center of International Entrepreneurship Johnson & Wales University As Director of Latino Entrepreneurship planned, organized, marketed and managed the nationally recognized FastTrac® programs based upon their approved business development Plan. Managed the entrepreneurial education, training and business coaching of thousands Latino entrepreneurs and to build the capacity and infrastructure for sustainable economic and community development through the focused partnership of Johnson & Wales University and the Kaufman Foundation. Senior Business Consultant 2001 –2004 RI Small Business Development Center, Smithfield, RI Managed the development of fundamental skills needed to successfully establish and grow businesses while supporting the acquisition of knowledge on managing a small business, personnel and accounting



issues, marketing and production. Developed collaborative approaches to create greater and more flexible access to capital for new business startups, inventory, expansion and market development for existing small businesses. Political Strategist 1996 – 2010 Avila & Associates Consulting, Providence, RI Successfully conducted the overall planning and conduct of Latino Political campaigns to promote the election of Latino candidates and the interests of the Latino community. Planned campaign strategies, coordinate campaign staffs, and arrange meetings to publicize candidates or causes using advertising, press releases, fund-raising drives and other activities, in introduce politicians and their ideas to the voting public.

Latin America Regional Manager 1993 –1997 Cabletron Systems, Rochester, NH Directed the development, implementation and coordination of sales, technical and customer service activities to existing and new customers throughout Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador while overseeing the efficient operation of 15 staff regional office. Responsible of managing and monitoring territory’s $3.5 million quarterly sales quota and establishing quarterly revenue projections. Broker Associate 1984 –1991 Century 21, Boston, MA Developed sound community relationship image through quality service plus personal efforts in civic and realtor association activities. Conducted detail research of local real estate industry, to produce comparable market analysis of listings obtained. Generated and manage 2 million dollars annual in residential sales during four years as an associate. Mechanical Engineer 1978 –1992 General Electric, Lynn, MA Manage teams Design Engineers implementing projects on aircraft engine testing. Design and implemented project plans. Coordinate with other projects inside and outside engineering department. Coordinated project performance with necessary operational tasks while conducting project reviews and documenting project and employee status.

EDUCATION Leadership Rhode Island, Providence, RI October, 2000 & OTHER Certificate of Completion Division of Commercial Licensing & Regulation, May, 2001 Real Estate Salesperson License #B15642

Bryant College, Smithfield, RI Jan, 1997 Entrepreneurship Training Program Certificate

Crottonville Institute, Rochester, NY 1985 Manufacturing & Material Engineering, Certificate Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA 1978 Mechanical Design

Proficiency: Computer literate and knowledgeable, proficiency with MS office. Languages: Read, Write and speak Spanish fluently

Military Member, U.S. Army Reserve July 1980-1991 References Furnish upon request



About Tomás Alberto Ávila

Tomás Alberto Ávila former Executive Director of Progreso Latino, the state largest human services provider to the immigrant community in the state. In such position he was responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs that lead to the success of the agency’s clientele and stakeholders. He supervised, trained and evaluated a diverse professional and support staff made up of 24 full time and 16 part-time staff members. Ávila oversaw Progreso Latino’s ongoing $1.5-million capital campaign and successfully completed such campaign with an outstanding $1.8 million raised.

A licensed Real Estate professional, with substantial experience in brokering, rehabilitation and the management of residential properties. Ávila has developed a sound community relationship image through quality service plus personal efforts in civic and realtor association activities. His broad experience is coupled with a high level of desire, energy and discipline. Previously employed by the General Electric Corporation as a Senior Design Engineer, overseeing the design of commercial and military aircraft engines. During his tenure at General Electric, Tomas completed various training programs including GE's nationally renowned Manufacturing Management Training Program at its Crotonville Institute that is considered one of the best in the industry and equivalent to a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

Ávila spent over 20 years in the private sector as an engineer, sales manager, Real Estate Broker and strategic planner. Most recently he was appointed as a Commissioner of the Providence Board of Elections and Registration, and currently serves as Executive Secretary and Director of Board of Canvassers and Registration. He was appointed by Mayor David N. Cicilline’s to the City Government Equity Task Force made up of community members, and charged to review the City's affirmative action policy, minority contracting procedures, equal opportunity compliance, and other related issues. The Task Force assisted the Mayor in redesigning and improving Affirmative Action recruitment and hiring practices, contracting procedures and outreach strategies. Avila played a significant role in the research, analysis and restructuring of the City’s First Source Ordinance. While at the Rhode Island Small Business Center at Johnson & Wales University, he performed a variety of duties, including instructor, Primer Paso Administrator, Business Counselor and Minority Business Specialist he was selected to receive the National Association of SBDC’s Rhode Island State Star Award for his outstanding accomplishments and contributions to Rhode Island’s SBDC and to the entire SBDC’s network. He was s described by management as engaging, forward thinking, thoughtful and progressive and his network colleagues. Proactive in bringing business development services to the growing Hispanic clients in the region; Avila assisted in meeting training and participation goals for the program; facilitated the Primer Paso FastTrac feasibility planning program, that targets citizens of the state’s Hispanic business community and provided assistance to entrepreneurs interested in developing the skills necessary to successfully form a business; and has been vital in the implementation of this program in the in Rhode Island SBDC. His hard work and dedication is an asset to his community, colleagues and the entire Rhode Island SBDC network. With his guidance and knowledge, he has effectively helped countless entrepreneurs in managing their small businesses, starting new businesses, increasing sales and creating new jobs for Rhode Island. The State Star Award is presented annually to one employee in the SBDC network. The



Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) annually awards a State Star to outstanding SBDC employees who are exemplary performers, make significant contributions to their state or region and show a strong commitment to small business. Avila has also served in the Providence School Department’s Student Assignment and Registration Center Citizens’ Oversight Committee appointed by former School Superintendent Diana Lam, The Commission to Study Rhode Island Election Procedures, appointed by Secretary of State Edward Inman that successfully prepared the state of Rhode Island for the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), the Providence High School Redesign Advisory Committee that helped former School Superintendent Diana Lam established the guidelines for the redesign and construction of Providence High Schools. The Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs as Policy Analyst with the responsibilities of identifying and tracking of legislative issues that impact the Latino community (i.e., social security reform, health insurance, welfare reform and immigration). The Redistricting Coalition responsible of developing clear, legally defensible standards those were written into the enabling legislation, and developed a highly public process for redistricting 2000. Introduce and push for passage of redistricting legislation that embodies those standards and that process. He is a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island Upsilon class of 2000, AFL-CIO Leadership for a Future Class of 2000, the Pew Foundation Providence Civic Entrepreneurship Initiative class of 1998, the RISBDC Entrepreneurship Training Program (ETP) class of 1997. Ávila has also been involved with many community organizations, such as NCCJ, Common Cause, Adopt A Doctor, the Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee, the Democracy Compact, the Southside/Broad Street, North End Housing Development Corporation, Board, Providence Civic Entrepreneur Initiative, Quisqueya in Action, CHisPA, Progreso Latino, to name a few. Bilingual/bicultural, multi-task oriented professional, with extensive experience in the area of economic development and capacity building. Certified Sustainable Property Specialist by the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Green REsource Council, certifying his incorporation of green principles into Real Estate practice, and to advocate the green building philosophy while being a positive force in creating sustainable and energy efficient communities of homes and commercial buildings across the United States. Avila has been lead consultant and visionary in the development and facilitating of many local businesses Initiative established to address the Spanish speaking business community educational and development needs, such as the Primer Paso FastTrac program, a nationally recognized program. Previously served as Program Manager at the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center (RISBDC) Enterprise Community Office, responsible of consulting and business development administration. Certifications/Designations; REALTOR, Graduate Real Estate Institute (GRI), GREEN, New England Professional Development Business Counselor, Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation FastTrac Administrator/Facilitator, Certified Business Counselor, H&R Block Tax Advisor Membership: National Association of REALTORS (NAR), Rhode Island Association of REALTORS (RIAR), The Green REsource Council (GRESC), Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), Greater



Providence Board of REALTORS (GPBR), United States Green Building Council (USGBC), Rhode Island United States Green Building Council (RIGBC), National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), Multiple Listing Service (MLS), International Consortium of Real Estate Association (ICREA). Awards: ASBDC State Star Award, Century 21 Multi Million Producer, DeWolfe Multi Million Dollar Producer, Coldwell Banker Multi Million Dollar Producer, Center for Hispanic Policy & Advocacy (CHisPA) Outstanding Leadership, John Hope Settlement House Outstanding Community Leader, Quisqueya In Action Outstanding Latino Professional Imagen Hispana Magazine Influential Hispanic of New England, METCO Outstanding Parent, Cabletron Systems Outstanding Employee. Licenses & Memberships: RI RE License: B15642, MA RE License: 144245, NAR ID: 744041639, MLS ID: 15438, DUNS #:782919331, NAIC: 531, NAICS : 531210 Published: Providence Journal, Providence American, Providence Business News, Providence En Español, Siglo 21, Latino Expreso Conference & Other Make No Little Plans Symposium: A Symposium on Visions for the City of Providence. Americas Real Estate ExpoIII, taking place in the Dominican Fiesta Hotel & Casino, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, July 1-4, 2009. The Association of Small Business Development Centers National Conference



Experience Narrative As a real estate sales professional, you are the CEO of your own business. Each month, have the CEO call a meeting and check in with all departments. Review your monthly plan, goals, and results to be sure you are on track to meet your annual goals. Make any necessary adjustments, and then continue to implement your plans. Be sure to track the things that are working and those that are not and adjust your plan accordingly. You must put your plan into action to achieve results and reach your goals! Action + Passion + Vision = GOAL! You must continually develop new clients, cultivate new business from past clients and all the while provide homeownership services for your present clients. It is a continuous process and essential to your success. The art and science of business development is called prospecting. It is the nuts and bolts of real estate. Prospecting is what you actively do to get business. The goal is to get an appointment with people with present homeownership needs and people with future homeownership needs. All other things being equal, the size of a real estate market or any sales business is directly proportional to the number of prospects who can affordably be contacted. Therefore, a business can achieve its full potential only by maximizing this prospect quantity. And, the way to do this is to systematically calculate customer lifetime value. For every real estate agent, the prospect universe can be divided into two groups, proven and unproven. The proven universe is all sources from which customers are being acquired at or above a pre defined breakeven. The unproven universe, by definition, is everything else. Reaching your prospecting goal rests with your ability to build a relationship. Consumers want to do business with people they know and trust. Relationship building is a process that takes both time and planning. The steps to building effective business relationships are: 1. Establish rapport 2. Determine Needs 3. Create value. After these three steps have been completed, you can then close for the appointment. Successful sales associates use a combination of the following four methods to contact potential clients: Face to face, Telephone, Mail and technology. Prospecting opportunities: This is also known as farming or geographic marketing. An area of approximately 200-300 homes is selected by/for or with you. By accepting this farm area you agree to systematically contact the homeowner to provide market updates and offer free market analysis along with promoting all of our homeownership services. Business development with your sphere of influence, people you know is often underutilized. Remember family, friends, accountant, doctors, past clients, just to name a few who have need of homeownership services. Stay in touch. Remind them of the services you can provide. Ask for their business. Ask for their referrals. Use a contact system for follow-up and follow through. Establishing name recognition in your community is important to your success. Get involved in local clubs and organizations. Participate in or sponsor community programs. Wear your name badge. Distribute business cards daily. Use name riders on your listings. Wear professional attire. The way you dress tells the customer a lot about how you do business. Your office and automobile appearance also contribute to your overall image. Most of all stay in frequent touch with everybody you know.



Lifetime value is a vehicle for summing the profits from all of a customer's purchase and comparing this sum with the cost of acquiring the customer. With this approach, future profits are weighed against current cost, and allow you to keep customer for the long cycle of their real estate needs. This can be the basis for formulating and implementing customer specific strategies for maximizing their lifetime profits and increasing their lifetime duration. In other words, it helps the firm to treat each customer differently based on their contribution rather than treating all the customers same. Calculating customer lifetime value helps the firm to know how much it can invest in retaining the customer so as to achieve positive return on investment. A firm has limited resources and ideally wants to invest in those customers who bring maximum return to the firm. This is possible only by knowing the cumulated cash flow of a customer over his or her entire lifetime with the company or the lifetime value of the customers. Once the firm has calculated customer lifetime value of their customers, it can optimally allocate its limited resources to achieve maximum return. Customer lifetime value framework is also the basis for purchase sequence analysis and customer specific communication strategies. Conducting a thorough interview gives you a clear picture of the Buyer and Seller's needs and wants. During the interview, you can also determine the customer's readiness and ability to buy or sell. Know your objectives before going into the interview. This way you will know what questions to ask. Each seller's circumstance is different. Take your notes from the telephone conversation and develop your questions in advance. Buying a home is a process not an event. Whether they are first-time or experienced buyers, explaining the home buying process will set the stage for the road ahead. If they find the home of their dreams today, it will likely be a six to eight week process before they move in. To initiate or create a sales relationship, mutual interest and value must be present. Likewise, for a relationship to continue, an ongoing exchange of value is included in the program. In short, a desirable balance of what you can do for me and I can do for you. You build relationships with an initial exchange that sets the stage for them to grow or discontinue if no longer needed. A key ingredient in the real estate industry is to always initiate new relationships as if they have long-term potential, because your congenial and fair-minded approach will serve you well even if you never interact with that customer again. You never know when your business style leaves a positive or negative impression that is passed to others in a way that helps or hurts your business reputation. Build relationships every day with this in mind and conclude interactions on a value based, positive note whenever possible. Opportunities to initiate relationships are everywhere. Join a trade association, an industry networking or mastermind group, and attend their meetings, conferences or trade shows. Pick up the phone, send a brochure, e-mail and connect with current or potential customers and partners, let them know who you are and what you bring to the table. And, yes, all your marketing efforts fall into this area as well. Remember to actively initiate relationships on at least a monthly basis and keep calendar reminders to make it happen. Once relationships are initiated, how you grow or maintain them is where the meat is stacked in the rapport development. Your approach to grow relationships with existing customers, for sale by owners, your farming area, your circle of influence and any other individual you relate with. Consistency, integrity and honesty will generate the basis in your relationships, along with the rapport that develops and the direction they take. How do you grow and maintain your business connections? With customers, your service reminders, follow-up, thank you, and promotions come into play. That’s growing the bond and rapport. Your relationships need to grow with partners and suppliers on a consistent basis, too. Pay



them on time; keep your commitments. If you’re running late, give them a courtesy call. Also consider growing relationships and staying in touch with like-minded professionals and clients via the Internet through virtual networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn or other Social Media. As a Real Estate Broker with 25year of experience in Rhode Island state and Massachusetts, I have been putting into practice the learning outcomes of the BUSN-1110 Sales class in my profession and business in servicing the needs of my clients. Duties included conducting detail research of local real industry, to produce comparable market analysis, pre-qualifying and consulting with buyers about homeownership and mortgage qualification. I have been helping buyers and sellers transact their purchase and sales of Real Estate and have found it to be a very gratifying and rewarding career experience. In addition, my previous experience as Regional Sales Manager in Caracas Venezuela managing a $3.5 million, quarterly budget where I started as Inside Sales associate and my professional development and training activities have offered me opportunities for my professional growth and the promotion of my career. Within the past 25 years I have risen through the ranks of the Real Estate Industry starting as a Sales Associate in Boston, MA with the Century 21 Park Realty company, where I was a part time associate that became 2 highest producer within a year of my start, by provide the highest quality customer service to my clients in prequalifying them to an appropriate and sustainable mortgage that allowed them to live and improve their socio economic standards. After practicing Real Estate in Boston for six years, I transferred to Rhode Island and continue my career initially with DeWolfe Real Estate and continuing with Coldwel Banker after its purchase DeWolfe in 2004 and after obtaining my Real Estate Broker’s license decided to strike on my own Real Estate business and founded Milenio Real Estate Group initially, managing 10 Sales Associates at the peak of the market. Professional growth has always been a priority, and I have taken eighteen continue credit hours annually in compliance with state regulations, to keep abreast of current theory and practice of Real Estate and plan to certify such experience with an Associate Degree at CCRI, and plan to continue my collegiate education further. My professionalism has been furthered through my service in local organizations, the community and my Management consulting business Milenio Associates, administration and facilitation of sales strategic planning and development at the Small Business Development Center. I have been honored with the publication of several articles about Real Estate in the Providence Journal and local ethnic newspapers such as the Providence En Español, Providence American News, and Siglo 21. In 2007, I graduated from the Graduate Real Estate Institute, and in 2009 completed the National Association of REALTORS Green Designation and in 2004 became certified as the first Bilingual (English/Spanish) Administrator and Facilitator of the Kauffman Foundation FastTrac Entrepreneur Program. The above experiences have been into practical benefit through the following professional interactions: Century 21 Park Realty Boston, MA 1986-1993 Completed the CENTURY 21® career development programs that combines skill-set development, business planning, coaching, mentoring, and continuing education. The CENTURY 21 Learning System platform is designed to help agents cultivate the skills and business plan necessary to realize success. Developed sound community relationship image through quality service plus personal efforts in civic and realtor association activities. Conducted detail research of local real estate industry, to produce comparable market analysis of listings obtained. Generated and manage 2 million dollars annual in residential sales during four years as an associate.



Cabletron Systems de Venezuela C.A., Caracas, Venezuela 1993-1997 Organized, motivate and lead sales teams in the sale of corporate networking equipment throughout Latin America. Also responsible for the combined performance of the team and for ensuring that everyone within the team reaches their target quarterly budget. Directed the development, implementation and coordination of sales, technical and customer service activities to existing and new customers throughout Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador while overseeing the efficient operation of 15 staff regional office. Responsible of managing and monitoring territory’s $3.5 million quarterly sales quota and establishing quarterly revenue projections. Actively pursue new accounts, generate new business, and effectively manage current accounts/relationships to grow the region at agreed upon levels. This position allowed me to, manage, and follow the sales cycle from beginning to end. DeWolfe/Coldwell Banker 2001- 2004 Coldwell Banker Sales Associates are supported with access to leading education programs, systems and tools that will provide you and your customers an advantage throughout the real estate process. Here, you will be more than just a real estate agent, you'll be a well-trained real estate professional. Training programs enable Sales Associates to position and market themselves as certified experts in vacation properties, new construction and military markets. It's through providing a rich suite of training opportunities and customizable marketing materials that enable our Brokers to concentrate their efforts in one of these segments without spending a lot of money. Conduct detail research of local real estate industry, to produce comparable market analysis of listings obtained. Pre-qualify and consul buyers about homeownership and mortgage qualification. Generated and manage 3.5 million dollars annual in residential sales during first years as associate. Small Business Development Center Program Manager 2003-2005 Directed consulting operations at the RISBDC satellite offices through: meeting with business clients to assess their consulting needs/requirements; determining which consultant can best meet the client's needs; and reviewing all reports regarding individual consulting services and hours to ensure appropriateness of reports, and that services offered were within standards established in initial agreements between the client and the RISBDC. Conducted ongoing review and assessment of the RISBDC satellite offices case load and programs to ensure that operations are in compliance with SBDC annual plans/goals. He/she is also responsible to hire and direct consultants, and coordinate the assigned consulting pool. Also responsible to effectively monitor and manage the satellite office's budget and perform administrative and clerical functions as required. Coordinated the development and implementation of training programs for small businesses which are offered/sponsored by various RISBDC satellite offices; selected topics, arranges co-sponsorship when appropriate; obtained speakers, makes arrangements for facilities, and develops marketing literature; evaluates the success of programs offered. Developed positive relationships in a multi-cultural community to promote the center as a business and training resource for local community members who are interested in developing or expanding their own businesses and help existing business owners improve their sales market place in the local economy.



Milenio Real Estate Group, LLC Providence, RI 2004-Present Founded on the belief that selling or buying a home can be faster, easier and more efficient, Avila turned his idea into a reality when he launched Milenio Real Estate Group. Provides full-service real estate brokerage services to homebuyers and sellers in across the state. Responsible for the agency’s Licensees’ compliance with Rhode Island Commercial Real Estate Licensure Act and regulations. Milenio Real Estate Group, LLC, is a Limited Liability Corporation domiciled in the state of Rhode Island. Milenio Real Estate Group is a full service residential real estate brokerage firm. Our company uses efficient business processes to provide home buyers and sellers with high-quality service and value. Founded in 2001 we operate in Rhode Island, Southeaster Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut. Our client-centric business strategy utilizes our sophisticated web strategy that enables homebuyers and sellers to access local Multiple Listing Services, home listings data and other relevant information. Credibility and reputation excel with the broker of this firm, with a stellar community participation track record, and a dedication to empowering the community members through education; the broker brings high value to the company. The founder has published several articles about Latino homebuyers, and has been featured in many articles in the local media Objectives The primary objectives of our organization are to:

• Recruit and hire self-motivated, success-oriented, and hardworking sales agents. • Maintain an office of at least 15 sales agents who meet the previous requirements. • Develop a solid, corporate identity in our specified targeted market area. • Become one of the top brokerage firms in operation in the Providence area by our third

year of operation, or before. • Realize a positive return on investment within the first 12 months.

Mission Statement To create an enjoyable, convenient, and affordable bilingual home buying and selling experience to our clients. Our Services Our neighborhood Agents have years of experience in the areas they serve and are active members of local, state and national real estate and MLS associations. In addition, our website provides a step-by-step approach to guide our clients through the home selling and buying processes.

Milenio Associates, LLC Milenio Associates, LLC was established as a Rhode Island based LLC with two principal partners, each of whom owns a 50% share in the company. Mr. Tomás Ávila has extensive experience in business planning and finance, including extensive consulting services through the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center. Mrs. Eva Hulse brings in experience in the area of marketing, advertising, and communications.



Milenio Associates, LLC is a team of business consultants specializing in diverse discipline, including finance, sales and marketing, technology, management, operations, and human resources. It offers a list of services for business owners to choose from, depending on their particular business needs. This includes; business and marketing plan preparation, financial search and procurement, IT consulting services, management development, human resources advising, and etc. It is focus on start-up businesses, preferably in the earlier stages of operation. Small and mid-sized businesses make up a sizable majority of U.S. and international markets. We prefer to establish a relationship with a younger operation and continue to nurture that relationship over the long term.

InterWeb Prior to starting INTERWEB, he served as Regional Manager of Cabletron Systems Inc. subsidiary in Venezuela. Tomas began his association with Cabletron Systems as Inside Sales Representative in charge of the South American market. In his first year, he increased sales by 35% and his second year by 42%. Because of these sales he was named "Sales Person of the year" in 1995. Tomas assumed the role of Regional Manager in 1995. In that position, he was responsible for the company's strategic development for Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. His duties included the day to day administration of the regional office and regional sales. Cabletron is the leading networking manufacturer and seller in the world. Tomas's association with Cabletron coupled with fifteen years as Mechanical Engineer for General Electric's Engine Business Affiliate in Boston Massachusetts, has given him extensive experience in selling technological services and in line management. In preparation of operating InterWeb, Tomas has recently completed the Entrepreneurship Training Program at Bryant College in Smithfield Rhode Island. InterWeb Consulting will assist a wide variety of businesses and institutions around the country in establishing a successful Web presence. Our first contact may be to provide a general explanation of what the internet is and how our new client can benefit from being part of it. Most clients, at this point, are quite "Net-illiterate", and need direction and guidance. They are simply aware of the enormous impact of the Web, and do not want to miss out! Our first step is determining the message that a Web Site should send to our client's customer base, and how our client is expecting to interact with his customers. What are the client's goals? How can the Internet complement or- replace existing advertising? Using our large selection of Templates, we can show the new client how we have serviced similar businesses around the country.

Rhode Island Small Business Development Center 2006-2009 As Director of Latino Entrepreneurship planned, organized, marketed and managed the FastTrac® programs based upon their approved Marketing Plan. Training and skill development services - Services supported the acquisition of knowledge on managing a small business, personnel and accounting issues, marketing and production. These items will develop fundamental skills needed to successfully establish and grow businesses. Consultation – Expertise provided to secure the support services needed by individual businesses to develop effective strategies to develop their business and to make use of the experience of colleagues



who can help to avoid mistakes and dead-end pursuits that result in failure. These consultations can be done at the convenience of the individual or be scheduled as a group discussion on a particular subject matter. Access to capital – Development of collaborative approaches to create greater and more flexible access to capital for new business startups, inventory, expansion and market development for existing small businesses. Collaboration between lenders and government institutions should result in resource availability for businesses to use in order to capitalize on emerging opportunities. New markets - Serve as an advocate to ensure that businesses can take advantages of bidding opportunities with municipal, state, and federal contracting opportunities as well as to develop new marketing and publicity targeting new populations and geographical markets. While at the center since 2006, I performed a variety of duties, including instructor, Primer Paso Administrator, Business Counselor and Minority Business Specialist. Tomas was selected for his outstanding accomplishments and contributions to his region’s SBDC and to the entire Rhode Island SBDC’s network. I was s described management as “engaging, forward thinking, thoughtful and progressive” by his network colleagues. Proactive in bringing business development services to the growing Hispanic clients in the region; assisted in meeting training and participation goals for the program; facilitated the Primer Paso FastTrac feasibility planning program, that targets citizens of the state’s Hispanic business community and provided assistance to entrepreneurs interested in developing the skills necessary to successfully form a business; and has been vital in the implementation of this program in the in Rhode Island SBDC. His hard work and dedication is an asset to his community, colleagues and the entire Rhode Island SBDC network. With his guidance and knowledge, he has effectively helped countless entrepreneurs in managing their small businesses, starting new businesses, increasing sales and creating new jobs for Rhode Island. The Association of Small Business Development Centers, with the 2007 ASBDC Rhode Island State Star, honored me. The award, for what the group called “his outstanding contribution and creative excellence,” was presented at the ASBDC’s 2007 National Conference in Denver, Colorado. The State Star Award is presented annually to one employee in the SBDC network. The Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) annually awards a State Star to outstanding SBDC employees who are exemplary performers, make significant contributions to their state or region and show a strong commitment to small business. The Apeiron Institute of Sustainable Living 2009-2010 As Director of Sustainable Business Development, tested, refined and implemented the Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island (SBNR) a network of locally owned businesses, service providers and community organizations committed to building a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable Rhode Island for future generations strategic plans to successfully achieve commercialization opportunities for SBNRI’s developing membership, and contribute to the economic development of Rhode Island Green Economy. These activities included primary research, industry, market and competitive analysis, and customer needs assessment. Defined the roadmap in terms of short, mid and long-term goals.



80 Percent of Hispanic Families are First-time

Home Buyers

BY AVIS GUNTHER-ROSENBERG Journal Staff Writer

06/23/2002

In 1969, at age 15, Tomas Avila moved with his family to the U.S. from Honduras. Thirteen years later, he purchased his first home after seeing his parents save for and buy a house.

"Because I saw my parents do it, I knew it was a step I was going to take," says Avila, an agent with DeWolfe, North Providence, who lives on Tappan Street in Providence's North End.

At the time, none of Avila's friends owned their own homes, but he began to notice a ripple effect. "I gave them the incentive that yes, they could be home owners. From that decision, about 60 percent of my relatives, friends and coworkers became home owners."

While more than two thirds of American families own their own homes, fewer than half of Hispanic families are home owners, despite record highs in minority home ownership.



Last year, a record-breaking 48.8 percent of minority families owned their own homes, still significantly lower than the national average of 67.7 percent, according to a Housing and Urban Development report. The fastest growing population of home owners are Latinos at 45.5 percent.

The Census Bureau does not break down Latino home ownership rates for each state.

The HUD report notes that home owners accumulate wealth as their investment in their house grows, that they enjoy better living conditions and are often more involved in their communities. It cites educational studies that have shown children in families that own their own home do better in school and are less likely to be involved in crime.

Recently, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals did a survey of the top five barriers to Hispanic home ownership. The largest barrier, according to the poll, was lack of education regarding the home-buying process, followed by lack of a down payment, lack of affordable housing, language fluency or comprehension and unverifiable income.

Other issues noted included trust (fear of being "ripped off"), consumer confidence and prejudice/racism.

Surprisingly, most of the agents who responded felt that income and job stability were not significant barriers. Rather, they felt that many Latinos who would qualify for mortgages lacked understanding of mortgage-lending dynamics and did not consider themselves candidates for owning their own homes.

One of the people Avila inspired to buy a house is Margarita Guedes, executive director of Southside Broad Street (a nonprofit agency founded to revitalize the Broad Street area). Guedes, 33, bought her first home -- on Burns Street off Douglas Avenue -- in December.

Guedes moved to the U.S. in 1982 from Columbia. She is divorced, and has a 7-year-old daughter. Like Avila, Guedes has seen more of her friends buying houses now that she's made that step. "I'm a walking commercial," Guedes says. "If I can do it, you can do it."

Buying your first house can be intimidating, Guedes says. There is a fear of where the money will come from each month to pay the mortgage, whether there is enough in the bank to cover a down payment, and if your credit history is good enough to even qualify.

"I wanted to buy a house for a while, but I was engrossed in survival mode," Guedes says. "Then I met Tomas and he prompted me to explore. I want to invest in something more than a bank account. I want to give my child a safe future." Guedes looked for the same things most parents seek: a safe neighborhood, places for her child to play. The quality of local schools was not an issue, because Guedes's daughter attends private school.

"It felt so good to sign the papers," Guedes says proudly. "This house is mine!"

Sebastian Nac, 38, bought his first house in April. Nac, who works for a paper company in Mansfield, Mass., bought a house off Webster Avenue in Cranston. He has been in the U.S. for 16 years, moving here from Guatemala. He and his wife have four small children.



Guedes and Nac represent two very different segments of the Latino market, Avila says. "Margarita is someone who pretty much grew up and was educated here. Sebastian is what I call the 'new wave of immigrant.' He's lived in the same neighborhood for nine years, has been at the same job 14 years. He never really thought about buying a house until a mutual friend referred him to me. We looked at his credit, at his savings, and he was surprised that he could buy a house. He started as a very green person, and today he is a happy home owner."

Nac, who has not yet begun the naturalization process, speaks very little English and spoke through a translator. Asked why he chose to purchase a house rather than continuing to rent, Nac said, "I felt we weren't doing anything for ourselves. We wanted to live in a safer area with a good school system."

Because Nac has a Social Security number and a work permit, he was able to purchase a house in this country, Avila says. "You do not need to be a citizen or to speak English."

However, most of the information about real estate and mortgages is in English. Lenders like Fannie Mae and Fleet Bank have begun to offer translations in Spanish.

Avila, who became a U.S. citizen in 1979, is the former executive director of Progreso Latino. He is addressing the issues of discrimination and dissemination of information through a series of seminars geared at increasing Latino home ownership in South Providence. The seminars are planned in conjunction with Providence En Espanol -- a weekly Spanish-language newspaper -- and Fannie Mae. The mortage lender has pledged $2 trillion in flexible financing for 18 million families who historically have been underserved in housing finance, including $420 million slated to finance three million minority households. Fannie Mae's participation is part of a $3 billion Rhode Island investment plan destined to finance affordable housing for 24,000 Rhode Island families.

"The Latino community has doubled in the state since the '90s," Avila says. From 1990 to 2000, census figures showed that Rhode Island's Hispanic community grew from 45,752 to 90,820. Hispanic children make up 50 percent of the school population in Providence, and Hispanics account for about 30 percent of the city's total population. And, for the first time, the 2000 census showed that in Central Falls and Providence, minority groups outnumber non-Hispanic whites.

"Eighty percent of Hispanic families are first-time home buyers, and we want to make the home buying process easier for them," Avila says. "The most effective way to improve Hispanic home ownership rates is to empower the first-time buyer with information."

Interestingly, one thing that holds Latinos back from buying their own homes is a cultural perception of what it takes to be a home owner.

"When you buy a home in my native country, you die in that house," Guedes says. "It's so unaffordable."

In many Latin American countries, the idea of accumulating equity to save for your dream house does not exist, Avila explains. There is no such thing as a "starter home."

"I know people who have been here 20, 30 years, and I ask them why didn't they buy a house 20, 30 years ago," Avila says. "They don't understand the equity concept and how much it would be worth today. In this country, the idea is that your first house is what's going to give you your dream home.



That's been part of my education process." Avila coaches clients with steady jobs, an average salary of $25,000 and savings of $5,000 to take advantage of incentive programs for first-time home buyers.

"I have worked with people who make $18,000 a year, even $15,000, who qualified to be home buyers," he says. "I work with them on building a credit history. If they have no credit history, we use alternatives like utility bills, insurance, even your cellphone bill. There's very little that can't be fixed regarding credit."

According to recent report from the Homeownership Alliance -- a Washington, D.C.-based coalition of more than a dozen organizations committed to ensuring support for the American housing system -- the increase in minority families onto the home-buying scene has helped to fuel the strong housing market.

"The future of the housing market in Providence-Fall River-Warwick depends on minority populations succeeding in today's economy," Homeownership Alliance chairman Bob Mitchell, a past president of the National Association of Homebuilders, said. "Expanding home ownership among minorities is good for the housing market, and therefore good for the economy."

In the Rhode Island area, the minority population is projected to increase 13 percent in the next several years with the largest increase expected in the Hispanic population. The Homeownership Alliance projects that the Hispanic population will increase 16.4 percent from 71,501 in 2000 to approximately 83,225 by 2005.

In contrast, only 2 percent to 3 percent of real estate agents are part of a minority group. But having a Latino Realtor does not insure that the client will get the best service.

"A couple I know was looking for a house, and their Latino Realtor showed them the worst houses, assuming they couldn't afford better," Guedes says.

Avila has seen it, too. "People have come to me, and said that the Realtor looked at them and decided they don't qualify for much," just from their accents or features. "As Realtors, we're not supposed to be discriminating. We're supposed to deal with everyone."

Avila, who has dark skin, has also experienced the other side of discrimination. "Someone will call the office to list or buy a house, and I'll meet with them for the first time, and they'll call the office and say, 'That's not what I expected.' I was given one referral to a potential seller, and when I met with them, I saw their reaction. The next day, they called the office and asked for someone else."

How did Avila handle that?

"You deal with what comes to you," he says. "The Latino and the immigrant community is the market I am called to serve. It just encouraged me to do more."



Today Renters: Tomorrow’s Homeowners, Increasing Latino Homeownership

By Tomás Alberto Avila

REALTOR 04/13/02

America's minority homeownership rate set a new all-time record of 48.8 percent in the second quarter of 2001, with 13.2 million minority families owning their homes, according to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez. The overall homeownership rate of 67.7 percent tied the all-time record high. A total of 72.3 million American families owned their homes in the second quarter of this year the most at any time in American history. The new 67.7 percent homeownership rate ties the previous all-time record set in the third quarter of 2000. Even with this new record, minority homeownership continues to lag significantly behind the near-historic national average. While more than two- thirds of Americans own their own home, fewer than half of African-American and Hispanic families are homeowners, we must do more. According to former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, “the Latino homeownership rate is the fastest increasing homeownership rate of any segment in America”, and that is a great thing. It is a great thing because homeownership in our nation is the way in which people tap in to the American dream. Home-ownership and homes are lot more than just physical structures. It is a lot more than just framing and walls and plumbing and providing shelter. Now it is that and that is very important. But in my opinion what it means for people to have a home in America is access to the levers of wealth. Homeownership is a building block of this nation, bringing wealth, pride, and prosperity to families and communities. For most Americans, the sum total of their net worth, if you did an analysis and actually calculated what Americans have as their net worth, for the majority of Americans it is the equity they have in their home. That is what they are worth. The rest of what we have is credit card debt and school loans and cash that goes out for all kinds of sources. The major instrument of building some kind of personal assets is what people have in the equity in their home. The difference between renting and watching that money go out to somebody else's account versus being able to create equity in a banking institution, a mortgage institution that then can be leveraged into a loan for college, for children, or a loan to start a new business, or any other, the step up to the second home, is hugely important. So what this represents is a strategy for providing Americans the first taste of the American dream in the form of wealth. For those Americans who are denied homeownership, it is just that many people who are locked out, at least temporarily, of the American dream of the ability to put some money away and begin to create wealth. In this country there is a vast difference between income and wealth. Income is what we earn in a paycheck and it goes right back out in monthly expenditures. Wealth is what we begin to put away and have an estate to be able to pass on to our children, have something to build up, and that is what homeownership represents to the first time homebuyer.



According to the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals “Top 5 Barriers to Hispanic Homeownership Survey” Not, affordable housing and down payment shortcomings finished near the top of the survey as barriers to the Hispanic Community. However, perhaps the biggest surprise was that the large majority of survey respondents did not feel that income and job stability was a significant barrier. While many felt that traditional methods to verify income or determine credit worthiness presented a significant challenge, most respondents believe that the majority of their prospective clients possess the necessary income to own a home. Lenders, HUD and the GSE's should continue their efforts in understanding how Hispanic culture influences financial behavior, and work to integrate theses practices to create alternative underwriting models. Respondents expressed the belief that many Latinos do not believe that owning a home is possible, mostly because of a lack of understanding of mortgage lending dynamics. Additionally, some members felt that many Latinos are apprehensive about revealing personal financial data to strangers. However, very few respondents believe that Latinos do not possess a general desire to become homeowners. It is very difficult to help people with any other need they have in their life, whether it is getting a better education or getting a better job or stabilizing their children if they don't have a place to stay. If they haven't settled the question of where those babies are going to put their head on the pillow at night, and that is what a home is all about. Hispanics will soon become the nations largest minority group, increasing from a little over 11 percent of the population to approximately 15 percent in 2010. This growing Hispanic population is poised to significantly contribute to the economic progress of our nation. I believe the shear size of the Hispanic market and the $454 billion dollars spent by Hispanics should be impetus enough for the creation of a comprehensive home buying education that is specifically targeted to Hispanics and the incorporation of the Spanish language in all real estate documents. With the Hispanic population growing faster than any other ethnic group in this nation, Hispanic consumers are becoming increasingly important to the real estate industry. Lower interest rates, better housing programs, and the realization that homeownership is the cornerstone of a family's wealth are all factors that contribute to greater participation of Hispanics. According to projections by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Hispanic population will triple from 35 million in 2000 to 98.2 million in 2050. Under this scenario, the percentage of Hispanics in the total population will rise from 12% to 24% over this period. Tomás Alberto Avila, 61 Tappan Street Providence, RI 02908 Phone 401-274-5204 Email: [email protected]



Housing market for minorities a priority

By Bethany Costello Providence Business News

04/22/02

There is a wide gap in the national and local housing market, but it is one Rhode Island Realtors have made a priority to close.

According to a recent study conducted by the Research Institute for Housing America, an independent research trust fund of the Mortgage Brokers of America, in 2000 the homeownership rate was 67 percent of native-born households but only 47 percent for immigrant households.

It’s a startling statistic that could change the face of the housing market both locally and nationally over the next decade.

"This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for mortgage lenders who will be seeking this important source of business as well as homebuilders and policy makers concerned with stimulating the production of affordable housing," said Douglas Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at MBA.

Clara Galvan tours a prospectivehome with Tomas Avila of DeWolfeRealtors.



It’s a challenge the Rhode Island market seems to be embracing.

Last year the Rhode Island Housing Mortgage Finance Corporation, the state’s principal housing agency, loaned $27 million to local homebuyers. More than 27 percent of the agency’s borrowers were members of minority groups, up from 23 percent in 2000, 20.1 percent in 1999 and 9.8 percent in 1993, the first year for which statistics are available.

"Right now I would say that 75 percent of the customers I deal with and that call the office are new immigrants," said Tomas Avila, a real estate agent with the DeWolfe Company in North Providence. "It’s a phenomenon in the real estate business right now."

"This is definitely part of the American dream," said Verouschka Capellan, director of Cities Count!, a program designed to highlight issues impacting the state’s urban areas. "Many people are coming here and trying to get good jobs so they can begin to set roots. What’s going in the market is proof that we aren’t a migrant community."

But it’s not easy.

Within the state’s Hispanic community, which according to the US Census is the fastest growing, only 24 percent are homeowners. In contrast, homeownership among whites is 71 percent.

"Low incomes, discrimination, and culture among other factors combine to complicate homeownership for persons of color," said Chris Barnett, a spokesperson for Rhode Island Housing. "The first step in overcoming these obstacles is convincing people that buying a home is not as difficult as they think."

For Avila, who offers seminars to new immigrants interested in buying a home, the statistics are a source of inspiration.

"Because it’s a new market, we need to do due diligence to help them," he said. "They require a lot more attention, and we need to give it to them."

In recent years, Rhode Island Housing and other local lenders have tried different methods in an effort to reach the local minority housing market.

"We’re casting the net even wider than ever," Barnett said. "Offering community housing fairs, bi-lingual applications and other services targeting the community of color is really paying off."

Avila said two of the greatest hurtles for immigrant homebuyers are understanding they can own a home, and overcoming the language barrier.

"Based on my experience, and what I have heard from the National Association of Hispanic Realtors, lack of information is the number one challenge," he said. "At first I thought the problem was financing, but with all the programs out there for first time homebuyers I realize that it’s not. It’s just getting the information to these people and in a way they can understand."



According to Capellan, who recently bought a new home, the minority population faces the additional challenge of trying to find affordable housing.

"We see a real shortage right now," she said. "There are organizations that are renovating housing or building housing that have waiting lists that go from 60 to 400 people long in certain communities. Short from being an obstacle it’s a wake up call that is telling us to pay attention to the immigrant pattern in our communities."

It’s a shortage, Avila, said the entire market is feeling.

"As far as the market is concerned with new immigrants and all other buyers right now the supply doesn’t meet the demand," he said.

And it’s only going to grow. MBA estimates that nationally, immigrants now in the United States could create the demand for more than four million new homes over the next decade.

Immigration to the United States has surged during the past two decades, with the annual influx of legal entrants more than doubling in the 1990s when compared to the 1970s. The composition of immigration has also changed with nearly half of all foreign-born households estimated to have come from Latin America and almost one-third from Asia in the 1990s.

"What I am finding now is the mix of immigrants that have been buying homes have been here between five and 10 years," Avila said. "These are the people that have been renting, and with the market the way it is, with rents going up, it’s like a light bulb goes off in their head. They are seeing that they can own a home. What I find is that when I start working with one individual, they spread the word. I think that the trend is definitely going to continue."



Our Neighborhoods Economies (ONE)

One Providence Community/One Economic Development Strategy

By Tomás Alberto Avila

09/25/97

Executive Summary Just as our economic difficulties stem from more than the effects of single factors such as defense down-sizing or selected high taxes, fixing our economic problems will require more than developing a single program here, or passing single legislation there. The New Economy is characterized by political institutions and cultures that are more participatory and collaborative. In the new global economy, "an infrastructure for collaboration" is a key component of success. As Harvard Business School Professor Rosabeth Moss Kantor states in World Class, "politics involves battles over distribution: who gets which slices of the pie. A community's social infrastructure, m contrast, offers the prospect for expanding the pie. Yet, the social infrastructure (for collaboration) is too often neglected, allowing the area to remain fragmented and balkanized1.

This social capital, the ability of people to work together for a common purpose in groups and organizations, is a characteristic of successful regional economies around the world, from Silicon Valley in California to the Emilia-Romanga region in Italy.9 These places have begun to work collectively and to see their competition as coming not from another part of the state, but from outside the state, region, and nation. In this environment, the biggest threat becomes the lack of change itself. For example, Silicon Valley, a region most would consider as being free from economic difficulties, was so concerned about the effect of its "culture of blame" on economic development that it made a commitment to work together to develop the "Silicon Valley, Joint Venture Way" a partnership of business, government and community-based organizations to collectively address and solve pressing issues that were holding back the communities' economic future.

In fact, successful communities and states are those that are better at responding to economic change -- at developing a shared understanding of changes, at crafting innovative solutions, and most importantly, at coming together to place the collective interest of the community above a narrow interest in maintaining the status quo.

Yet, Rhode Island's industrial, political and social legacy has made the development of a more collaborative civic culture difficult. The Rhode Island historian William McLoughlin argued that in the 1800s and early 1900s the legacy of industrialization and patterns of immigration meant that economic and social divisions were magnified by religious and political antipathies. He states: "by 1923, Rhode Island was a bitterly divided state, socially, economically, and politically." In the 1950s, there was

1 Rosabeth Moss Kantor, World Class (New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1995). Francis Fukuyama, Trust (New York, NY: The Free Press,

1995).



"factionalism preventing the consistency and long range planning that might have helped the state out of its economic decline."" In 1977, the Providence Journal wrote "if the people of Rhode Island conclude that 'free for all' individualism must give way to more cooperation, more balance and sharing, more planning in economic, political, and social affairs, the state may be on the brink of a major shift in its patterns of thought and behavior. In that breakthrough may lie Rhode Island's real 'Hope."'2 In spite of the recent progress, this legacy of division and mistrust remains a central barrier to Rhode Island's economic rejuvenation.

These divisions occur at all levels. Business blames government. Government distrusts business and all too often assumes the worst of intentions. Citizens distrust political leaders and the political process. Aquidneck Islanders distrust Capital City interests. But perhaps the largest division is between labor and business. Too many workers see business as selfish, focused only on profit and exploitation of the workingman and woman, and are quick to call up the conflict-ridden history of exploitative mill owners as an illustration of business practices today. For their part, too many business leaders blame unions for all economic and political ills. Yet, both clearly have a stake in a healthy and prosperous Rhode Island economy that generates good jobs, high profits, and a more healthy state fiscal condition. Yet, compared to some other states, such as Pennsylvania and Michigan, that have also had a history of contentious labor management relations, Rhode Island has not done enough to put this behind us and begin an era of cooperation."

In general, we frame issues too often as win-lose, rather than win-win. Too often valuable political and institutional energies are spent fighting over pieces of a shrinking pie, instead of building a larger pie of more jobs, better wages, and higher profits. Such divisiveness may have been acceptable years ago when there was little interstate competition and when change was slow. Now, it gets in the way of the serious task of building our economy.

Developing the sense that all Rhode Islanders -- rich and poor, white and minority, labor and management, north and south, -- are in this together, is a critical first step in the process of beginning to compete in the New Economy. Recent efforts suggest that we have taken steps in the right direction. But we need to do more. We need to create a culture in which people "come to the table" looking for a collaborative solution, not to stake out an adversarial position." We need to cast off the culture of blame and divisiveness and embrace a culture of responsibility and partnership. Building on the shared vision of all sectors of the Rhode Island economy, we must begin the process of healing the divisions of the old economy, and working together to build hope in the New Economy. Goals Becoming promoters and participants of our community economic development. Creation of investment group, capable of investing in the development of our communities. Empowering our community to envision ourselves becoming economically empowered in order to be able to create wealth in our neighborhoods.

2 Ibid, p. 204.



Teach community residents to overcome the social mentality and transform such mentality to an economic development mentality. To take control of our economic future, Rhode Island needs to put in place a competitive business climate and a comprehensive and innovative economic development system. Achieving these goals will require a concerted effort on the part of all Rhode Islanders: business, government, workers, and citizens. Economic Development Consultancy Business Incubator Development Venture Capital Funding Services Real Estate Investment Partnership Technological Economic Development (TED) ONE economic strategy should be based on a comprehensive plan for community-controlled revitalization crafted by community stakeholders. This plan should outline the blueprint for a locally based economic development strategy based on the concept of an Urban Village. Other initiatives around the country have demonstrated that community-based planning and organizing can produce quality affordable housing and a network of social services increasingly responsive to residents’ needs. The Board of Directors need to develop a series of Urban Village Visioning sessions to convey the organization’s intention in the neighborhood. One of these visioning sessions should be Community Economic Power, which should identify the key leverage points to move from our vision to the reality of a vibrant multicultural urban village. ONE basic approach is to create an environment of opportunity that encourages and supports sustainable business development and asset accumulation, and increases the purchasing power of ONE neighborhood residents. We need to build on the community’s many strengths, and rely on residents to set the direction. This community’s many assets, include its unique ethnic composition (African American, Latino, Cape Verdean, and white), a widespread interest in gardening and agriculture, the richness of its colonial history as well as the current interest in its revitalization efforts, point the way to certain assets-based approaches. This bottom-up, integrated community approach often puts us at odds with the conventional wisdom in community economic development. A number of observers, most notably Melvin Oliver and Thomas Shapiro in Black Wealth/White Wealth: A New Perspective on Racial Inequality and Michael Sherraden in Assets and the Poor: A New American Welfare Policy explained that many previous attempts to spur the economic revitalization of central cities have fallen short of expectations because they do not address barriers to wealth creation or create asset building mechanisms. They note that in order to truly escape poverty, the so-called economically disadvantaged must not only raise their incomes, but acquire wealth through asset accumulation as well. Conventional wisdom has fostered strategies for urban revitalization that focus on job creation. ONE economic power strategy places the emphasis on both jobs and the creation of wealth.

To date no organization has developed a coherent strategy for building both community and individual assets. More importantly, local institutions have given little guidance to communities



on how to manage their existing and emerging assets in a way that will stabilize their communities and encourage individual wealth.

"Revitalize Communities Through Asset Building" by Ben Hecht. The construction of affordable housing was a critically important strategic decision for ONE. While asset accumulation is crucial to long-term community viability and sustainability, income derived from employment is what families need in order to purchase groceries and pay the bills. A series of surveys conducted by the Harvard School of Business under the direction of Michael Porter estimate that the purchasing power of the residents of Greater Providence is more than $3 billion. Porter’s study also shows that overall; Providence’s urban neighborhoods are currently experiencing a $1 billion trade deficit. That is to say, $1 billion that residents spend on goods and services currently flows out of their neighborhoods. ONE residents shall be willing to take their time and build a sustainable economy whose foundation is composed principally of local businesses owned and operated by residents employing residents. They shall opt to devote the bulk of their energy and resources to generating homegrown economic power as opposed to attempting to import economic development from beyond their boundaries. Following the identification of Community Economic Power as a key leverage point, we shall design a community thinking process to do contingency planning around economic development. In these "What If…?" sessions, we tested various strategies against possible scenarios in order to identify "resilient elements" that helped approaches and projects survive many possibilities. These elements were summarized as:

• build on community diversity • local/community ownership and control • circulate dollars locally • community cooperation • more good jobs / livable wage • community education • personal development • political clout • organizational infrastructure • harnessing outside resources • diverse economic activities • sustainability

These resilient elements are now being crafted into a community assessment tool so that residents can examine and design projects that have the best chances of survival and the greatest community benefit. We have started to look at our own ideas, as well as other proposals, with this lens. The ultimate goal of ONE sustainable economic development strategy is to create a healthy, safe and secure neighborhood and to create real wealth within the community. Real wealth is created through the development and nurturing of individual and community assets. Economic development is thus seen as a means to an end, not the end itself. The ONE Street strategy for sustainable development is resident-directed and will build upon the community's inherent and acquired strengths and assets which include: its strategic location with respect



to Providence and major transportation routes, available labor force, vacant land, a comprehensive revitalization plan, location within Enhanced Enterprise Community (EEC), strong community partners including CDCs, philanthropies, historic landmarks and sites, cultural diversity, and a business base. Implementation One’s Sustainable Economic Development Strategy is a comprehensive approach to create an environment of opportunity that encourages and supports sustainable business development and increases the purchasing power of One’s neighborhood residents. Although we recognize that this plan and the initiatives to support the strategies described above are ambitious, they strategically build on the area's strengths and resources and ONE's capacity to undertake the needed organizing and leveraging of resources to address the needs we have identified through our work in the community. While the bulk of the initial planning and ongoing organizing work associated with this effort will be coordinated and carried out by ONE staff, the successful implementation of our Strategy for Sustainable Economic Development will require the assistance of many others. For example, our community partners -- particularly our local community development corporations -- will have key roles to play. We will also continue our work with various levels of government, university-based, and community environmental agencies/organizations to package technical assistance and resources for both existing businesses and to possibly redevelop brownfields for productive use. Wherever possible, graduate students from local business schools and policy and planning programs will assist us with market studies, business planning, and related research. However, we expect that specialists may be required on a contract basis to support implementation of a number of the objectives described in the above plan (for example, to develop ownership structures should we identify worker-owned business opportunities). In addition, the Resident Development Institute (RDI) that is being developed as the cornerstone of ONE's participation in the Annie E. Casey Rebuilding Communities Initiative (RCI) will be the primary vehicle for encouraging resident participation. Currently two RCI staff members and organizing staff are focusing their work on our strategy to help develop resident economic power.



Development of First Step FastTrac at Johnson &

Wales University

Source: 12/02/2004 Progreso Latino Economic Development Center Press Release During the Spring of 2004, the Progreso Latino Economic Development Center partnered with Milenio Associates to co-sponsor a 12 part technical business program at Johnson and Wales University, in cooperation with the students from that University’s Larry Friedman’s International Center for Entrepreneurship. The “Primer Paso, FastTrack” training aims to facilitate the small business planning process by providing an initial overview, assessment and mapping plan for the potential entrepreneur and/or small business loan applicant. Students from the University’s Center for Entrepreneurship were to provide one on one technical support and business coaching to program graduates. The program used many local partners to effectively direct qualified referrals to the proper resources and providing documented follow up. Attendees received a certificate of achievement when they complete the twelve classes and have access to ongoing support and services. "I am pleased that Johnson & Wales University's initiatives will provide start-up seminars and mentoring support for aspiring entrepreneurs utilizing both JWU business students and faculty," said Larry Bennett, director of the Larry Friedman International Center for Entrepreneurship at the University's College of Business. Bennett added that, "A major objective in planning and implementing this initiative is to provide economic development support for aspiring business people. Our primary and initial emphasis revolves around linking business enterprises with the mainstream economies of both the private and public sectors in our area while involving Johnson & Wales University business/entrepreneurship students in the process.” “With the launch of el Primer Paso, Progreso Latino will spearhead the creation of many community-based for profit economic development enterprise established to employ and train constituents, set industry excellence standards, and promote socially responsible entrepreneurs”, said Tomás Ávila, President, Milenio Associates. Progreso Latino is a multi-service, non-profit, community based organization, whose mission is to provide comprehensive and quality services that promote education, economic development, leadership and social progress for Latinos and other immigrants.

“Thanks to the commitment of our many wonderful partners and advisory committee members, we’ll make sure The Center is “the one stop center” for business in search of available resources as well as developing and coordinating new programs not currently available in the state of Rhode Island,” said Edwin Cancel, Executive Director, Progreso Latino. In July 2006, JWU acquired the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center and Executive Director John Cronin incorporated the Primer Paso program as one of its premiere business planning program for the fast growing Hispanic business community. Since then the program has quadruple in growth, due to the effectiveness of the program in helping local Latino entrepreneurs plan their business ventures and existing Latino business owners better manage and grow their businesses. To date over 200 Latino have graduated from the program, but while this growth has had a positive effect in our Latino



business community, funding sources have been difficult to obtain and the organization funding from the state has been cut by 25%, creating a need to reevaluate our programs and seek alternative funding to secure the continuation of the Primer Paso FastTrac program. Johnson & Wales University, in partnership with the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center Association, proposes the following services for Latino constituents:

1) Training and skill development services - Services will support the acquisition of knowledge on managing a small business, personnel and accounting issues, marketing and production. These items will develop fundamental skills needed to successfully establish and grow businesses.

2) Consultation – Expertise provided to secure the support services needed by individual businesses to develop effective strategies to develop their business and to make use of the experience of colleagues who can help to avoid mistakes and dead-end pursuits that result in failure. These consultations can be done at the convenience of the individual or be scheduled as a group discussion on a particular subject matter.

3) Access to capital – Development of collaborative approaches to create greater and more flexible access to capital for new business startups, inventory, expansion and market development for existing small businesses. Collaboration between lenders and government institutions should result in resource availability for businesses to use in order to capitalize on emerging opportunities.

4) New markets - Serve as an advocate to ensure that businesses can take advantages of bidding opportunities with municipal, state, and federal contracting opportunities as well as to develop new marketing and publicity targeting new populations and geographical markets.

5) Bilingual JWU students (Spanish/English) will be used, when possible, to help facilitate the program for limited English speaking participants and non-Spanish speaking JWU students. Paid training facilitators (see budget) will provide the majority of the content delivery in a combination of Spanish and English.



First Step FastTrac First Step FastTrac is an education program created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Taught by seasoned entrepreneurs in your community, FastTrac's hands-on program uses your business concept as a case study - giving you an opportunity to evaluate and perfect your idea in a safe and supportive environment. In class and in coaching sessions, you'll explore issues such as: What additional opportunities exist for entrepreneurs? How can I market my new business? How do I price my products and services? How do I begin developing a budget? By the time you finish the program, you'll know whether your idea has "legs" and if starting a business is the right decision for you. In First Step FastTrac, you will: Explore strengths and opportunities for personal and professional development. Develop a feasibility plan so you can evaluate your business concept. This plan will include: An Executive Summary; Product and Services; Market Analysis; Price and Profitability Analysis; Plan for Further Action. Before you quit your job or invest your life savings, wouldn't it be nice to know whether your business idea has merit? In First Step FastTrac, you'll write a feasibility plan that examines your business idea from every angle. This plan helps you decide if your business is a "go" or a "no go" before you spend too much time or money. Designed for entrepreneurs with low- to moderate-incomes who are starting or expanding a small business, First Step FastTrac incorporates materials from the award-winning FastTrac program. You'll work closely with other entrepreneurs, sharing ideas and experiences, and laying the foundation for future business relationships. Through the program, you'll discover whether the life of an entrepreneur is right for you. FastTrac® is a comprehensive entrepreneurship-educational program that provides entrepreneurs with business insights, leadership skills and professional networking connections so they are prepared to create a new business or expand an existing enterprise. The FastTrac program includes practical, hands-on business development programs and workshops for existing entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, as well as entrepreneurship curriculum for college students. FastTrac is designed to help entrepreneurs hone the skills needed to create, manage and/or grow successful businesses. Participants don't just learn about business, they live it! They work on their own business ideas or ventures throughout the program - moving their venture to reality or new levels of growth. FastTrac programs are resources for entrepreneurs that have been developed by and with hundreds of successful entrepreneurs who have shared their knowledge, insights, and stories so that others might learn from them. In 1998 FastTrac won the Small Business Administration's Model of Excellence Award for Entrepreneurial Education. Simply put, FastTrac is one of America's leading entrepreneurial training programs and remains on the cutting edge by providing programs that are written by entrepreneurs...taught by entrepreneurs...for entrepreneurs.



FastTrac programs are currently provided by over 300 organizations in 49 states. FastTrac programs are also being offered outside the U.S. in Australia and Russia. More than 165,000 aspiring and existing entrepreneurs have been reached through FastTrac programs in the United States since 1993. FastTrac programs were first launched through the University of Southern California's Entrepreneurship Program in Los Angeles in 1986. In an effort to launch the FastTrac program nationally and continue accelerating entrepreneurship in America, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation became the major funder and supporter of FastTrac in 1993. Today the various FastTrac programs are offered in both urban and rural settings through organizations and colleges/universities that, like FastTrac, are "helping people pursue their entrepreneurial dreams." FastTrac is a success because of the strong partnerships with local organizations that have a passion for serving the entrepreneurs in their community. First Step FastTrac: The program outline Class 1 Introduction to First Step FastTrac-Define personal vision and goals and introduction to the Model Business Reality Check Class 2 Getting Ready to Write the Feasibility Plan Transform business ideas into business concept statements Class 3 Gathering Information for Feasibility-Receive feedback on business concept statements and consider personal financials Class 4 Products and Service-Describe product/services including features, benefits, and uniqueness Class 5 Market Analysis: Industry and Competition Focus on opportunities in the industry and evaluate competition Class 6 Market Analysis: Market Segments and Strategies-Define target markets and develop marketing strategies Class 7 Price and Profitability: Pricing and Product/Service Costs-Pricing strategies and the affect prices have on profitability Class 8 Price and Profitability: Profits-Difference between profits and cash and determining financial feasibility through cash flow Class 9 Price and Profitability: Cash Flow-Using the Cash Flow Report to evaluate feasibility and key legal issues for success



Class 10 Plan for Further Action: Resources for Success Finalizing the Cash Flow Report and key accounting issues for success Class 11 Plan for Further Action: Next Steps-Tools to complete the feasibility plan and key financial resources for success Class 12 Feasibility Plan!-Tell personal entrepreneurial story and turn in feasibility plan



FastTrac® GrowthVenture™ This 10-week program with 40+ hours of instruction is for established small business owners and/or upper management personnel who have been in business at least 2 years and are looking to take their business to the next level. FastTrac® GrowthVenture™

An entrepreneurial program that assists entrepreneurs in evaluating their current business framework and determine the changes needed to improve performance and grow the business.

FastTrac® GrowthVenture™ focuses on helping entrepreneurs take a step back, look at the big picture, and work ON their business, not just IN their business. Through this program, you can strengthen your ability to make critical decisions and equip yourselves with the knowledge and skills needed to improve the performance of the business. With FastTrac® GrowthVenture™, you'll create a framework to determine the best way to grow your business. The primary objectives are to help entrepreneurs effectively evaluate and improve their

• Overall business strategy and vision for the future. • Ability to maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. • Changing role in managing the business. • Focus and alignment of all aspects of the business.

FastTrac® GrowthVenture™ introduces practicing entrepreneurs to the key elements necessary to build the knowledge and skills necessary to continue to grow the business and be profitable. You will think strategically about your business. Developed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, FastTrac® GrowthVenture™ focuses on the specific needs of these entrepreneurs:

• Thinking more strategically and critically in all aspects of the business. • Focusing on the planning process-not a start-up plan-rather a business plan to grow the business

and increase revenue and profitability. • Reflecting on how they really want to manage the work, highlighting proven leadership

strategies and providing insights into healthy organizational management. • Structuring or operating the business with more efficiency. • Realigning the strategic goals and the critical functions of the business. • Outline specific action steps that will be taken to achieve their business' vision and goals.

The program is grounded in the proven, proprietary business-planning process used in FastTrac® programs. Through readings and research, activities and action steps, peer-to-peer interaction, coaching, and facilitated discussions, each participating entrepreneur will work on the key aspects of assessing where the business is now and exploring opportunities for sustainability and growth. FastTrac® offers non-traditional, experiential learning with hands-on coaching sessions. Opportunities to network and learn from peers as well as the facilitator, business coach, and guest speakers-seasoned entrepreneurs and professionals who work with entrepreneurs-are a key part of the experience.



Module 1: Sizing Up Your Business Create a framework to improve the performance of your business and build a structure for future growth. Sharpen your strategic thinking skills to begin making decisions based upon facts. Learn to push beyond the status quo to answer the strategic question “Is this business ready for a goals-based plan?” Module 2: Exploring Growth Opportunities The most successful entrepreneurs don’t question whether or not they should grow their businesses, but rather how, when and how much. Making decisions about growth requires careful analysis, as well as clarity in personal values, vision and goals. Learn how to set your business on a trajectory for growth. Module 3: Making Strategic Decisions Strengthen your ability to make strategic decisions as work continues on a strategic plan. The plan will describe how you will accomplish desired goals and achieve your business vision. Module 4: Using Financial Tools Achieve your goals by focusing on the financial aspects of the business. Understand how all parts of the business work together to support your vision. Examine each area in the business—products or services, market, management, operations, and finances—to create a financial plan. Module 5: Strengthening the Product/Service Think through ways to improve your products and services based on market needs. Learn how to protect the business from competition and to adjust pricing in response to competitive changes. Module 6: Seizing the Market Develop a marketing plan that will encompass your industry, your customers and your competitive advantages and weaknesses. Module 7: Leading the Organization Think about your changing roles as you lead the organization. Work on your Management and Organization Plan to explore proven leadership strategies and ideas for hiring, compensating and motivating your team. Module 8: Managing Operations and Growth Do current operating systems allow you to fulfill your vision and goals? Concentrate on implementing the best processes needed to monitor and manage the business. Module 9: Charting Financial Performance Make specific changes to improve profitability and increase the overall wealth of the business. Once you have determined how much money it will take to grow the business, learn how to maximize internal cash, as well as how to find external sources of cash. Module 10: Making it Happen Review the strategies you’ve developed for business success and identify immediate priorities. You will identify specific actions, the person responsible and deadlines for key strategies to be completed. You will finish with a completed business plan and venture presentation.



Latinos Taking New Entrepreneurial Skills To Market

By JULIETTE WALLACK

Special to the Journal The Providence Journal

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Editor's note: Students in an advanced feature writing class at Brown University were assigned to write a feature story about a street that conveys a sense of place. The project, in its seventh year, presents aspects of city life from the perspective of college journalism students.

PROVIDENCE -- Tomorrow, 12 Rhode Island residents and their families will gather at Johnson & Wales University for a graduation. But they won't be there for JWU's traditional ceremony.

The 12 adults who will be graduating want to start their own businesses, and for weeks, they've gathered at JWU for a new class designed to teach members of the Latino community how to do that. The commencement will herald the end of the course and the skills the budding business owners have gained.

Some are in their 20s; others are middle-aged. Every Wednesday night since the beginning of the year, they have come to class at the Larry Friedman International Center for Entrepreneurship.

The large, airy center is used during the day by JWU students.

Just before 6 p.m. on this class night, the Latino students begin to trickle into the center, carrying binders and bags. Greeting each other, "Hola, buenos tardes," and shaking hands, the students settle down at tables. .

Located in an old mill building that echoes Providence's former industrial economy, the center at 10 Abbott Park Place is nestled at the edge of a tiny park abutting Weybosset Street, tucked between JWU's administration building and Beneficent Congregational Church.

In a building in which jewelry was once manufactured, students formulate business plans and work with Rhode Island businesses to gain practical experience, integrating technology with their endeavors. Computer kiosks sit near industrial-style support columns, where machinery likely once sat, providing a portal to the Internet. Pipes and ducts in the exposed ceiling hang above stylish light wood floors.

The 12-week course -- known as First Step FastTrac -- teaches the entrepreneurs how to make a business plan and could help them secure start-up financing, according to Margarita Guedes, director of economic development for Progreso Latino, the Central Falls-based organization that is sponsoring the course. .

An English version of the course is available around the country, but this is the only one in New England in Spanish, Guedes said. This class will be the first to graduate from what Guedes hopes will become a twice-yearly offering.



"Buenos tardes," Javier Brown says as he walks in. He's a stocky man who comes in smiling every week and is known as the student who always asks a lot of questions. Tonight, he carries a duffel bag and a small red picnic cooler.

"Buenos tardes," responds Tomas Avila from the front of the classroom. Avila works as a consultant to small Latino-owned and operated businesses and is teaching the course.

Brown, a 38-year-old who owns and runs a successful Pawtucket-based jewelry packaging business, sits at a table toward the back of the classroom. The class is given at the dinner hour, and some participants arrive with takeout food, but Brown doesn't open the cooler. Instead, he leafs through his binder of course material.

Tonight's class will feature a guest speaker: JWU's entrepreneurship center director Larry Bennett. Bennett doesn't speak Spanish, so a JWU student will translate.

But before Bennett takes the podium, Brown raises his hand and tells Avila he needs to make a presentation. Standing up, he strides to the front of the room, carrying his red cooler.

As he speaks, Brown pulls little plastic containers from his cooler with evident pride. The contents of these containers are what his business idea is based on. . Inside is a simple mixture -- instant pudding, canned fruit and lady fingers -- and Brown wants to get the sweet treat on grocery shelves. This is the first time the class has seen or tried Brown's product. He passes around plastic spoons, and class members dig in.

"Bueno," nods one class member. "Si," another murmurs after his first bite. "Es muy bueno," another one cries. Brown grins, hands out the remaining samples and settles back into his seat.

Brown, who emigrated from Venezuela five years ago, has high hopes for the pudding concoction. The mixture was one of his wife's staple recipes, but when friends and relatives started requesting it at get-togethers and events, Brown got an idea.

"My plan is to sell this stuff," he said, though he doesn't know when it will be on grocery store shelves. "That's why I'm here," learning how to start a business oriented around a product. Brown, who lives in Cumberland, has business experience, but making and marketing a product is new for him.

The product will be called Anna Brown, he said, which is his wife's name. It's a nondescript name because he hopes to expand into other products. "Like Sara Lee," he proclaimed. "She started with cake, and now she has everything!"

About 30 people applied for the 12 spots in this class, and they were selected after interviews. Those whose business ideas weren't mature enough were directed toward other resources, Guedes said. Those who were admitted have some business experience, either in the United States or in their previous country of residence. The students hope to open businesses that include a hair salon, a construction company, a clothing store, a recording studio and a consulting firm.

"It was a detailed application process," Guedes said. "We wanted to get the right profile of people who will follow through."



One of those selected was Zulimar Vidal, 21, who has arrived early to talk with Avila about ordering business cards. Vidal, who is Puerto Rican, is the youngest in the class.

Her youth is deceiving. She's already run a business out of her Providence home, selling costume jewelry to friends, relatives and others who heard about her through word of mouth. She called her business Lady Cartel Fashions but after some success, she started losing money.

She's wants to get things back on track. She hopes to eventually expand to sell a clothing line integrated with popular music styles. She thinks there's a niche for people who want to "dress hip-hop or dress rock."

Vidal is one of the class's more advanced students. She already has a business portfolio, several months in business behind her, and she's thinking about designing clothing and opening a store in Rhode Island.

She says she's learning new things in the class that will be helpful. "It's a great opportunity, especially for the Latino community," she said, her long hair bouncing as she spoke. "They don't even know what the resources are out there."

Latinos are a significant part of the Rhode Island economy. According to the Census Bureau, almost 9 percent of state residents in 2000 were Hispanic -- a number that is expected to grow over the next 15 years, according to JWU's Bennett. And in 2002, Rhode Island was among five states with the fastest growing number of Hispanic-owned businesses.

In 1997, the latest year for which statistics are available, 2,186 Rhode Island businesses, or 7.7 percent of all businesses in the state, were Latino-owned and operated. Avila said that number has increased. ,

But people of Hispanic descent still have a hard time securing loans from banks and investors, says Guedes, and that's something she hopes will change with this course. As the entrepreneurs educate themselves, they realize what they need to have to impress financial backers, she says.

Avila said he sees a common trait among his students. They're much like the "typical small business owner," who "start businesses with what they have. In many cases, they're not familiar with the different laws, structures."

Liandra Martinez, 31, wants to open a consulting firm that caters to Latinos and nonprofit organizations. As an Olneyville community organizer, she's been toying with the idea of going into business for a while.

"As far as the consulting, there are not a lot [of firms] that are Latino-based," says Martinez.

But her idea is changing as the course progresses; because of the course, she's thinking about her potential clients and about whether she should have an office or work out of her home.

Martinez said she's "excited about the help we're going to get. We don't have support networks."

When she was planning the course last fall, Guedes approached several colleges, but JWU seemed like the best fit, largely because of Bennett's eagerness to involve students in the process. During the last few



weeks of the course, JWU students helped the Latino entrepreneurs research their businesses and write business plans.

"The students get the real life experience," Guedes said, and the "bicultural experience that the students have" is particularly valuable. "They're there for a common goal."

Tonight, JWU senior Silvano Grego, a 25-year-old native of Argentina, is serving as an interpreter for Bennett, who is teaching the class about different types of marketing and advertising.

Many Latino entrepreneurs have trouble defining and expanding their market, according to Guedes. Many find it easiest to sell to a Latino clientele. But to make a business grow, any entrepreneur needs to consider selling to multiple communities.

"So here, through this exercise, they spend time really researching," Guedes said, gesturing at the center's main room.

"If you're thinking of just a Latino market as your customer base are you satisfied?" Bennett asks the class. The students shake their heads no --they've learned that they need to draw a large number of customers, regardless of ethnicity.

The students are attentive while Bennett speaks, taking notes and peppering him with questions. One, who wants to expand his appliance sales business, pesters Bennett about what type of advertising is better -- radio or newspaper.

After an hour and a half of lecture and discussion, Bennett wraps things up; it's already past 8 p.m. But the students don't rush out. Some pack their items slowly, talking to their classmates about what was discussed in class. Others stop to compliment Brown on his dessert.

"Gracias. Gracias," he says, smiling.



Primer Paso Three Year Review Interview How has Primer Paso grown as a program since last year? I think last year when I covered the program it was only offered at J&W? Now it is offered at Progreso Latino as well? Was it offered only in the winter last year? Did you add a spring program this year?

Yes indeed the program has grown 70% compare to last year and as you remembered when we started last year we only had the program at Johnson & Wales in Providence and due to increased of interested participants we were force to expanded. As part of the expansion of the program we made the decision to expanded it to Progreso Latino in Central Falls due to the large number of individuals from the Blackstone Valley region interested in participating in the program, as well as a rejuvenated partnership with Progreso Latino under the leadership of Ramon Martinez and the establishment of a satellite office in their site.

How much has participation increased from 2006 to 2007? How many participated in 2005, 2006, 2007? Since the program was first offered the program in the fall of 2004 with self imposed limit of 15 participants, the interest and participation has been increasing constantly having had to start a Spring program in 2005, with the same number of 15, but the demand kept increasing as word spread around the community and the decision was made to increase the attendance to 25 participants starting in the Fall of 2006, which was the first year under the umbrella of the SBDC which once again force us to develop parallel programs in the Spring of 2007 when we started the additional program at Progreso Latino increasing the participants to 50 per term for a total of 100 participants per year.

If participation has grown, why do you think it has grown? The reason the program has grown so much is due to positive word of mouth the graduates of the program have shared with members of the community of their positive learning experience as participants of the program and the results in changing the way they go about planning and starting their business and in the case of existing business owners, they share having learn many business related strategies that they were not aware of during the start of their business, and have been provided with new tools manage and grow their business. And the obvious reason for such spreading of the success of the program is the great need that exist in the Latino business community and a reflection of why Rhode Island tied Georgia for second place with a 56% growth in the 2002 Economic Census, second only to New York state.

Has the program increased participant’s access to capital? How does the class help them get access to capital? After 4 years and 150 graduates we have began to see the participants starting to have access to capital on a more consistent fashion. The program helps the participants understand in order to improve their capital accessibility, they must begin with a feasibility analysis of their business ideas or their existing business and eventually transform their feasibility analysis into a fundable business plan and in order to accomplish that, they have become aware that they need to become more verse in business and financial planning. The other way the program is helping the participants increase their access to capital, is by involving some of the more successful participants of the program with the opportunity to be presenters and our Business to Business Investment Forums started back in March and introducing them to the Venture Capital world via this event and starting in 2008 they will have the option to strengthened their possibilities through and Investor Ready training seminar that has been develop by the SBDC



How much capital were participants in the winter 2006 class able to get access to? The graduates of the 2006 class have been able to obtain about $200,000 in total capital; the biggest chunk of it having been Miriam Garcia who obtained a total of $85,000 in capital from Navigant Credit Union, Andres Almonte received $20,000 in a micro loan from the RIEDC Micro Loan program.

Why did SBDC decide to work with Progreso Latino to have another program there? I know when you originally started Primer Paso it was with Progreso Latino.

Originally when Primer Paso FastTrac started as partnership between Johnson & Wales University and the Progreso Latino Economic Development Center, in cooperation with the students from that University’s International Center for Entrepreneurship. The training aims were to facilitate the small business planning process by providing an initial overview, assessment and mapping plan for the potential entrepreneur and/or small business loan applicant.

Coincidently in 2006 Progreso Latino went through a change of leadership as well as the Larry Friedman Entrepreneur Center which put the program of jeopardy but fortunately at the same time Johnson & Wales University won the bid for the Small Business Development Center and once John Cronin became the Executive Director, he made the decision to incorporate Primer Paso as a program of the SBDC and to strengthen the relationship with Progreso Latino under the new leadership of Ramon Martinez and thereby expansion of the Program to Central Falls

Has the class changed since last year? Have you added anything to it? The curriculum of the program is very much standardize by the Kauffman Foundation, therefore the content remains the same through out. Where I have the flexibility to change is the facilitators of the 12 different modules, and I have invited a diverse group of local professionals to facilitate some of the classes, as well as adding more local information to the mix.

Have you noticed a difference in the types of entrepreneurs you’re seeing in the classroom? Are they coming more prepared than previous classes? What kinds of business ideas are you seeing most? Regarding differences in the participants since the start of the program, just like the growth of the program the type of participants has evolved with time and their eagerness to learn and develop their business plan has also evolve. One of the big differences that I have notice in that evolution is the increase participation of resident immigrants that have been in the country for a long period of time and bee educated here, but did consider starting a business or if they did, they did not know where to start, as well the increase participation of Latin American Professionals that previously did not participated in the program, creating a very good mix of individuals with the same goals of starting or growing their business.

As far as ideas relates, it’s another change that has taken place. Initially the majority of the participants were in the retail business sector and restaurants were a very large segment of ideas among participants. Starting with the spring program I have witness an increase in professional services such as Accounting, Interpreting and Financial to name a few as well event planning, gourmet food and tutoring services.



Do you see more cohesion among Latino entrepreneurs since the classes are becoming more popular, meaning are you seeing greater networking between entrepreneurs? Are they sharing best business practices? Are they joint-marketing their businesses? Are they doing cross promotions? Yes indeed. It’s quite interesting receiving comments from some the presenters about seeing many of the program participant in their networking circles and seeing their increase interest to network with other business people. One of the advises that I give every class is that in order to improve our communities, we need make sure that the rotation of a dollar in our community increase by sharing best practices and it has had a positive acceptance among the participants and therefore they have establish relationships that allows them to share best practices. Joint marketing and promotion is one of the areas that need to be develop. There’s been some of it at the grass root level such as the sponsoring of entertainment events.

Also, do you see these entrepreneurs expanding outside of their comfort zone? Are they seeking customers outside the Latino community to expand their business? If so, why and How/why does the program encourage them to do that? Interestingly enough one of the graduates from the spring class who started a natural medicines boutique was surprised to find out that the majority of his clientele were from the general community instead of the Latino community, and was forced to change his marketing material to be bilingual. One of the goals of the program is to help the entrepreneurs get out of their comfort zone and venture into other general community. As you may recall from last years program one of advise to participants is that they need to evolve from being “Latino business” to being “business owners” the reason being that the Latino community is only 12% of the Rhode Island population, therefore by remaining in their comfort zone they are only exploiting 12 cents out of every dollar worth of business and in order to compete for the other 88 cents, they need to venture outside of their comfort zone. The other compelling reason that we encourage them to do it is because the major corporations are now vying for the business base which is the Latino community and therefore they need to expand their territory.



2008 Providence Business Expo Former Students

Ronald Lurssen La Paz Wholesale (2007 Primer Paso), 2008 HACCRI Hispanic Business of the Year

Erick & Nuris Romero, Erick R. Photo Studio (2002 Latino Business Initiative Alumni)

Alexandra Izurrieta, Le Zulec Salon (2005 Primer Paso Alumni)

Ronald Lurssen La Paz Whole Food (2007 Primer Paso), Oscar Mejias, HITEP (2006 Primer Paso), Tomás Ávila, Wilfredo Chirinos, PC Repair (2006 Primer Paso, Latino Business Initiative 2002

Victor Cuenca, Providence En Español and next generation, (1999 consulting initiative). Today largest Latino newspaper in Rhode Island



Immigrant Startups Are Maturing In Nature

Posted Dec. 24, 2007 PBN EDITORIAL

It is a well-established pattern played out in every new wave of immigration – the first generation opens businesses to serve their countrymen. And the easiest businesses to get started and keep going are those that address the basics – groceries, cleaners, retail shops. But the next generation becomes the connective tissue that helps to integrate the new Americans with the rest of the country and unlock the full potential of those who came here looking for a better life. As Providence Business News’ Focus on Minority Business this week shows, the second generation from the immigrant community is reaching out and serving as a bridge to the wider culture – and the broader business community. And they are doing it with professional services such as accounting firms, marketing businesses and the like. Thankfully, the state’s economic-development agencies are very active in reaching out to these new businesses and providing guidance and capital. It won’t be long before today’s immigrants are tomorrow’s successful entrepreneurs and leaders. •



Workshop Draws Fledgling Hispanic Entrepreneurs

By Natalie Myers PBN Staff Writer

Posted Dec. 10, 2007 SMALL BUSINESS

In this follow-up to a 2006 PBN series on the R.I. Small Business Development Center’s Primer Paso business planning workshop for Latino entrepreneurs, we see how participants are doing a year later and how the workshop has grown. ECAS Theater, the state’s only Latino theater group, has taken great financial strides since taking the Primer Paso workshop last winter, artistic director Francis Parra says. The theater is still waiting to receive nonprofit status from the Internal Revenue Service, a process that can take two years, Parra said. But the volunteer-based group has received a $130,000 grant from Hispanics in Philanthropy, a global nonprofit dedicated to strengthening Latino communities by increasing resources for the Latino and Latin American civil sector. About $20,000 is being used to hire a consultant to develop a plan to raise funds for a permanent location for educational classes and performances, Parra said. The rest will be used for the theater’s first-ever salaried staff and for technology improvements, such as development of a better Web site. The theater group uses space at Rhode Island College to conduct theater classes and perform plays and this year began performing at the Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theater in Pawtucket. “From Primer Paso we understood that we definitely needed a strategic plan,” she said. “Having the consultant is good. We don’t have time to be writing the plan in good English.” In addition, through contacts at the R.I. Small Business Development Center at Johnson & Wales University, which facilitates the Primer Paso business planning workshops taught in Spanish, Parra was able to get help organizing ECAS Theater’s first fundraising gala dinner in October. “We never realized we had the tools to have a gala dinner,” she said. “This is very important for public relations.” Though the theater didn’t raise much money from the actual event, Parra said, 200 people attended and as a result new institutions are supporting the theater. While ECAS Theater is growing, results have been mixed for the rest of the 12 graduates from the 2006 Primer Paso class. Some have opened and closed businesses, others are struggling to survive. And most are still trying to raise money. Tomás Ávila, Latino business developer at the RISBDC and instructor for the classes, says that’s not a bad thing because it saved them from going into debt. The 12 graduates together gained access to more than $200,000 in capital, Avila said.



Miriam Garcia, who opened Fiesta Meat Place, a meat market in Central Falls, received $85,000 in loans from Navigant Credit Union, he said. But she and her business partners have since closed the business because interest on the debt financing they received was more than the revenue they were generating. Andres Almonte, owner of ABC Insurance on Atlantic Avenue in South Providence, was able to secure a $20,000 micro-enterprise loan from the R.I. Economic Development Center, which helped purchase new equipment, such as a fax machine, copier and three computers. The money also helped upgrade software on existing computers and open a second office for his son, also a licensed insurance agent, on Manton Avenue in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence, he said. But his business is suffering this year compared to last year, Almonte said. “The economy is a little bit down,” he said. “So many of my clients are moving out of state … People say because we are the smallest state we are feeling the economy more … this year less people are buying new cars and getting insurance.” As for the workshop itself, it has expanded since last year, he said. It is now offered in two locations – at Johnson & Wales University downtown and Progreso Latino in Central Falls – and it is offered in the spring and the fall, rather than just the latter. Demand necessitated the expansion, Avila said. On Dec. 12, 47 Latino entrepreneurs were to graduate from the latest Primer Paso workshop. Total participation has grown 70 percent since last year. Oscar Mejias, a 2006 Primer Paso graduate, says the program helped him develop confidence and a plan for his business. He’s launching tour operator software he developed at the Travel Industry Association of America’s International Pow Wow May 2008 in Las Vegas. “Definitely the knowledge I got from Primer Paso led me to have a better vision about the future of my business,” he said.



Tomas Alberto Avila Awarded 2007 Rhode Island SBDC State Star at the National Conference of the Association of

SBDCs Providence - During the National Conference of the Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) held in Denver, Colorado, September 17-19, Tomas Avila was recognized as the 2007 Rhode Island State Star for his outstanding contribution and creative excellence with the Small Business Development Center www.risbdc.org at the Johnson & Wales University www.jwu.edu. "Tomas's commitment to his clients and the minority business community of Rhode Island is nothing less than extraordinary,” said State Director John Cronin. “He's a valued asset of our organization and I'm thrilled to have him as a network member of the Rhode Island SBDC." Rhode Island’s “State Star” was selected from among the entire state’s Small Business Development Network. A “State Star” must demonstrate exemplary performance in assisting Rhode Island’s Small Business Development customers; and show a strong commitment to the small business community they serve.

The State Star Award is presented annually to one employee in the SBDC network. The Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) annually awards a State Star to outstanding SBDC employees who are exemplary performers, make significant contributions to their state or region and show a strong commitment to small business. "It is an honor to accept this award," said Avila, "and to have the opportunity to help so many people achieve the dream of starting and succeeding in their own business." Avila has been with the center since 2006, performing a variety of duties, including

instructor, Primer Paso Administrator, Business Counselor and Minority Business Specialist. Tomas was selected for his outstanding accomplishments and contributions to his region’s SBDC and to the entire Rhode Island SBDC’s network. Avila is described as “engaging, forward thinking, thoughtful and progressive” by his network colleagues. He has been proactive in bringing business development services to the growing Hispanic clients in his region; assisted in meeting training and participation goals for the program; facilitated in the Primer Paso FastTrac feasibility planning program, which targets citizens of the state’s Hispanic business community and provides assistance to entrepreneurs interested in developing the skills necessary to successfully form a business; and has been vital in the implementation of this program in the in Rhode Island SBDC. Tomas Avila’s hard work and dedication is an asset to his community, colleagues and the entire Rhode Island SBDC network. With his guidance and knowledge, he has effectively helped countless entrepreneurs in managing their small businesses, starting new businesses, increasing sales and creating new jobs for Rhode Island.



Avila Honored For Bringing SBDC Services To Latinos

Providence Business News Posted Oct. 16, 2007

DENVER – Tomas Alberto Avila, of the R.I. Small Business Development Center at Johnson & Wales University, has been honored by the Association of Small Business Development Centers, with the 2007 ASBDC Rhode Island State Star. The award, for what the group called “his outstanding contribution and creative excellence,” was presented at the ASBDC’s 2007 National Conference in Denver. Avila is the administrator of the R.I. SBDC’s Primer Paso FasTrac business-feasibility planning program, which was the subject last year of an award-winning series by Providence Business News staff writer Natalie Myers Since joining the SBDC last year, he also has served as an instructor, business counselor and minority business specialist. Network colleagues describe him as “engaging, forward thinking, thoughtful and progressive,” the local SBDC said. “Tomas’ commitment to his clients and the minority business community of Rhode Island is nothing

less than extraordinary,” state SBDC Director John Cronin said in a statement. “He’s a valued asset of our organization, and I’m thrilled to have him as a network member.” The State Star is presented annually to one employee in each state’s SBDC network. The ASBDC says it presents the awards to “exemplary performers [who] make significant contributions to their state or region and show a strong commitment to small business.”

With Primer Paso and other programs, Avila “has been proactive in bringing business-development services to the growing Hispanic clients in his region,” the SBDC said. “It is an honor to accept this award,” Avila replied, “and to have the opportunity to help so many people achieve the dream of starting and succeeding in their own business.”



Tomás Ávila Certified as Fast Track New & Growth Venture Facilitator, Business Coach and Administrator

Providence, RI. September 20, 2007 – Tomás Ávila Business Counselor at Rhode Island Small Business Development Center became Certified Fast Track New and Growth Venture Facilitator, Business Coach and Administrator. Designed to provide entrepreneurs with business insights, leadership skills and professional networking connections so they are prepared to create a new business or expand an existing enterprise. FastTrac is a program of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the country’s leading philanthropic organization focused on entrepreneurship. Avila successfully completed FastTrac Administrator Orientation and Certification at the 2007 Association of Small Business Conference in Denver, Colorado, last week. He was also trained as a facilitator for FastTrac Growth Venture Administrator, designed to support entrepreneurs. Avila was first certified as First Step FastTrac Primer Paso program in 2004, and has been administering and facilitating the program since then. This program guides entrepreneurs as they develop a business concept and learn how to obtain the funding necessary to launch or grow their venture. Expert business consultants and staff at the RISBDC have already been helping entrepreneurs launch and grow companies for more than 23 years. RISBDC will soon schedule FastTrac workshops, providing local business owners with new entrepreneurial education opportunities. More than 165,000 participants have completed FastTrac classes in the United States alone. Today, FastTrac programs are being provided by 300 partner organizations in 49 states domestically, as well as in Canada, Australia and Russia. FastTrac was first offered 20 years ago in Los Angeles by the University of Southern California’s Entrepreneurship Program. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation became a major supporter and funder in 1993. FastTrac is a comprehensive entrepreneurship-educational program that provides entrepreneurs with business insights, leadership skills and professional networking connections so they are prepared to create a new business or expand an existing enterprise. The Rhode Island SBDC offers one-on-one business management counseling to existing and prospective small business owners and managers; training on business topics; loan packaging, and access to business information. Services are offered through regional centers located throughout Rhode Island.



Rhode Island Small Business Development Center (RISBDC)

Front Row – Elizabeth Priote, Maureen Stenberg, Lelani Bomer, Douglas Jobling, & Tomás Alberto Ávila. Back Row – Larry Gadsby, Adriana Dawson, Sixcia Devine, John Cronin, Ardeana Lee-Fleming, Michael Franklin and Stacey Carter.



RISBDC Program Manager POSITION: Program Manager Date: 03/01/2003 INCUMBENT: Tomas Avila Analyst: C. Currie REPORTS TO: Assistant Director, RISBDC

Approvals:___________

DEPARTMENT: Rhode Island Small Business Development Center ___________ (RISBDC) DIVISION: Academic Affairs ___________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ POSITION SUMMARY: This position is accountable to successfully provide and manage consulting operations to the Providence and Northern Rhode Island region. DIMENSIONS: FY 2000-2002 South Providence Office RISBDC Budget: $149,990 Consulting services for approximately 200 businesses annually. NATURE AND SCOPE: The Program Manager reports to the Assistant Director. Reporting to the incumbent are part time consultants. While the incumbent is primarily assigned to the Providence and Northern Rhode Island area, he/she may also provide part-time program manager functions at other RISBDC satellite offices as necessary. The RISBDC is supported by Bryant College, the US Small Business Administration, and the State of Rhode Island, and provides the Rhode Island Small Business Community with technical assistance necessary to advance the small business climate through individual consulting and training programs. RISBDC provides support to small businesses through six satellite offices which coordinate the services of approximately 75 consultants. Satellite Office Management: The Program Manager directs consulting operations at the RISBDC satellite offices through: meeting with business clients to assess their consulting needs/requirements; determining which consultant can best meet the client's needs; and reviewing all reports regarding individual consulting services and hours to ensure appropriateness of reports, and that services offered are within standards established in initial agreements between the client and the SBDC. The Program Manager conducts ongoing review and assessment of the RISBDC satellite offices case load and programs to ensure that operations are in compliance with SBDC annual plans/goals. He/she is also responsible to hire and direct consultants, and coordinate the assigned consulting pool. The incumbent is also responsible to effectively monitor and manage the satellite office's budget and perform administrative and clerical functions as required. Training Program Coordination: Coordinates the development and implementation of training programs for small businesses which are offered/sponsored by various RISBDC satellite offices; selects



topics, arranges co-sponsorship when appropriate; obtains speakers, makes arrangements for facilities, and develops marketing literature; evaluates the success of programs offered. The Program Manager meets with small businesses in the area served by the assigned satellite offices to advise them of services and programs offered by the SBDC. Community Liaison: The Program Manager promotes the SBDC satellite office and the BIC to small businesses and organizations within the South Providence community. He/she must develop positive relationships in a multi-cultural community to promote the center as a business and training resource for local community members who are interested in developing or expanding their own businesses. Training/Qualifications: This position is best served by an individual with a Bachelor's degree in business administration or a related field; and demonstrated experience in program management, administration, consulting and training program development. Effective management and negotiation skills are required. It is important that he/she have excellent interpersonal skills to interact skillfully with a variety of constituencies, e.g. small business owners, consultants, government officials, to ensure that all needs are assessed and met successfully. Knowledge and sensitivity to diverse cultures, racial and ethnic groups are required; Bilingual (Spanish speaking) a must. Knowledge of computer-based applications is required. Principal Accountabilities: 1. Effectively and efficiently manage the South Providence SBDC satellite office, to ensure that the

consultation and training provided is of high quality and contributes to the success of the small businesses served.

2. Develop and implement effective training programs which are sponsored by the satellite office,

or co-sponsored with other organizations, to provide training which is responsive to the needs of small businesses.

3. Provide effective administrative management to ensure that consultants provide services in a

manner which meets SBDC annual goals, and comply with government guidelines regarding the administration of SBDC programs.

4. Maintain positive relationships with members of the local community in order to promote the

SBDC training programs, and consulting services. 6. Effectively recruit, oversee, and evaluate the secretary and part-time consultants ensuring that

quality services are provided by consultants to the small business community. 7. Perform related duties as assigned. Certain requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate persons with disabilities.



‘Primer Paso’ A First Step For Hispanic Firms By Natalie Myers, Staff Writer

Published 09/23/2006 Issue 21-24

Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of Rhode Island entrepreneurs. To get a sense of the issues they face, Providence Business News is following 14 people through a 12-week business planning course for Latino entrepreneurs at the R.I. Small Business Development Center. This is the first article in the series. Hector Monzon wants to open a Guatemalan restaurant. Marta Alvisuriz wants to start a laundromat. Miriam Garcia wants to open a meat market. Domingo Tejada wants to start a small construction company. Wilfredo Chirinos owns a computer service and repair company, but he and partner Oscar Mejias want to expand into software development. Fidel Calcagno sells Web-site domains on the Internet, but he’s looking to purchase a water treatment company. Cesar Cuevas wants to expand his restaurant, Papiajo Frituras. Each of these entrepreneurs is a participant in a 12-week program held every Wednesday at the R.I. Small Business Development Center, at Johnson & Wales University. This is the first year the SBDC will sponsor and facilitate the course, entitled Primer Paso (literally “First Step”) FastTrac, which was developed by the Kansas City-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a national organization that supports the creation of an entrepreneurial society through grants and other programs. The course “looks at the whole process of starting a business or growing a business,” said Tomas Avila, an SBDC business counselor and course facilitator. “It gives them the opportunity to analyze themselves and the idea they have.” In 2004, Avila said, he became the first bilingual FastTrac facilitator certified by the Kauffman Foundation. He also was one of the first to translate the course into Spanish two years ago, when it was part of Progreso Latino’s programming. Since then, he’s followed it to the SBDC, which took over the course because Progreso Latino wanted to focus its attention on other areas, Avila said. Over the class’s 12 weeks, the 14 participants will each develop a feasibility plan, based on their business idea and research, he said. That will include gathering information for a market analysis, developing pricing strategies, determining financial feasibility through cash-flow analysis, and finalizing a cash-flow report. The first class was an introduction. “This is your show,” Avila told the class. “Everybody gets the same information,” he said. “But each feasibility plan ends up different.” Avila said he often works with participants one-on-one over the course of the 12-week program.



And he follows up with them, once it’s over. “It’s an eye-opener to the business community,” he said. “Many with an existing business, if they [were to] continue the way they are going, would fail.” It’s important to the state’s federally funded SBDC, which started a Latino initiative four years ago, because the Hispanic population in Rhode Island has grown 27 percent during the past five years, said John Cronin, executive director of the SBDC. The number of Hispanic-owned businesses has grown even more sharply, by 56.2 percent from 1997 to 2002, to 3,415 statewide with about $200 million in annual sales, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Cronin added that the accountants and bank managers he spoke with during a needs assessment of the SBDC’s services and programs noted they are noticing an emerging community of savvy Latino entrepreneurs, who, because of the language, aren’t getting the business training they need. Four years ago, the SBDC started offering a 10-week business planning workshop in Spanish, to address the specific challenges Latino business owners face. About 600 entrepreneurs have attended that workshop since its inception. The addition of Primer Paso, Avila said, “brings with it the whole structure, all the steps necessary to do the feasibility plan prior to going into the business plan.” Avila told the class it is time to disassociate the word “Latino” from their businesses. Many Latino business owners are missing out on 90 percent of the business in Rhode Island, he said, because they migrate to areas dominated by Spanish speakers. Doing so allows them to cater to the Latinos who last year made up about 10.3 percent of the state’s population, according to Census Bureau estimates. But, Avila said, “They are missing out on opportunities to grow outside the Latino community.” Luis Rodriguez won’t have any trouble reaching outside the Latino community. He owns Wayland Bakery, in Wayland Square, on the East Side of Providence. Rodriguez has a business plan in his head, he said, but the day-to-day operations of his bakery have kept him too busy to write it down. Like many others, he didn’t always own a business. An elementary school in Guatemala, Rodriguez had to find a new career upon moving to the United States about eight years ago, he said. He said he got involved in the business by working for Daily Bread for about five years, before it folded. He worked his way up to head baker – then, when the opportunity arose to purchase Daily Bread’s Wayland Square bakery, he took it. Rodriguez said he is taking the class because he wants to learn. “If I want to expand, I’ll need loans,” he explained. And to get loans, he’ll need a business plan.



Apeiron Launches Sustainable Business Network Tomas Avila

January 6, 2010

Providence, RI - The Apeiron Institute launched the Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island (SBNRI). A network of locally owned businesses, service providers and community organizations committed to building a social, environmental, and economic sustainable Rhode Island for future generations.

The objective of this network is to connect, support and promote Rhode Island owned and operated businesses.

The Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island, incorporated in 2008, merged with the Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living in 2009. The Network’s vision is that local economies not only generate community wealth, but also are catalysts for civic action, social diversity, and ecological health for a sustainable Rhode Island. We work with communities and businesses of every size to build community assets like sustainable agriculture, green buildings, renewable energy, community capital, zero-waste manufacturing, and energy independence

By becoming a member of SBNRI, members will expand their business networks, gain access to low-cost professional development workshops, obtain support to help their business become “green” and sustainable, and be offered a variety of marketing opportunities to promote their business to an expanding audience of consumers that want to buy from and support sustainable businesses.

The Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island (SBNRI) stems from the Apeiron Institute’s mission of building a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable Rhode Island. Apeiron believes in the importance of connecting businesses to encourage local buying and producing, and believes in the importance of educating the community of businesses about their role in combating the world’s environmental challenges.

The SBNRI is a membership-based organization of locally owned businesses, service providers and community organizations committed to building a more sustainable Rhode Island for future generations. The SBNRI provides its members with valuable resources and benefits to help them succeed in strengthening their economic, social and environmental sustainability.

The SBNRI believes that by becoming the leader for Sustainable Economic research and development, training/education and business services, it will catalyze businesses to work and learn together to build a sustainable state. According to the 2002 Economic Census, Rhode Island counts approximately 87,000 businesses, which have the potential to bring about substantive change and become an example for other states.

For more information about the Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island, contact: Tomas Alberto Avila, Director of Sustainable Business Development at the Apeiron Institute.



Press Conference January 6, 2010 10:00 AM

17 Gordon Avenue Providence, RI 02905

Topic: Launching of the Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island

AGENDA

Welcome & Introductions Tomás Alberto Ávila

Opening Remarks

Mark Kravatz

Senator Juan Pichardo RI State Senate, District 2

Representative Joseph Almeida

RI House of Representatives

Mayor David Cicilline City of Providence

Mayor Allan Fung City of Cranston

Councilman Terrence Hasseth

Majority Leader, Providence City Council

Fred Unger Heartwood Group, Inc.

Questions & Answers Closing Remarks

Brad Hyson

Executive Director The Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living



February 1, 2010

Dear Member

Welcome the Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island (SBNRI) and thank you for your joining the SBNRI. Your success is important to us, and we serve our membership by offering programs and services that will enhance our member’s ability to conduct their individual business successfully. The Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island is an organization of locally owned businesses, service providers and community organizations committed to building socially, environmental, and economic sustainable Rhode Island for future generations

By catalyzing and connecting local business networks dedicated to Sustainable Economy principles and practices into their businesses, we are movement builders, growing an ever-expanding constituency for sustainable businesses and sustainable communities.

By becoming a due paying member of SBNRI you will be expanding your networks, low-cost professional or no cost development workshops and support to help your business become Green and sustainable, have your voice heard, a variety of marketing opportunities to promote your business to an expanding and captive audience of sustainability. If you have any further questions please contact me at (401) 228.7930 x20. Sincerely, Tomás Alberto Ávila Director Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island (SBNRI)



Welcome to the Rhode Island Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island! As a new SBNRI member, you will enjoy these benefits as well as many others: § Business networking opportunities. § Professional sustainable development workshops. § Listings in the SBNRI publications and on the SBNRI's web site www.SBNRI.org. § Members-Only invitations to SBNRI programs and events. § News on what's happening in the sustainable business community. § Opportunities to market your product or service to other SBNRI members.

Benefits

eNewsletter a bi-monthly e-newsletter of premium information about the latest ideas, resources, and case studies from the front lines of the field, featuring updates on the latest network innovations, guest essays, and occasional podcasts. Speaker Bureau SBNRI’s speakers’ bureau and a Who’s Who of Sustainable Economy presenters line-up will inspire, provoke, and incite any audience. SBNRI Guides Publish How-To Guides for sustainable community economic development. Focusing on specific business sectors, the guides provide easy-to-use advice and case studies for members who want to expand their programming and accelerate their impact. Think Local First The proven how-to manual for organizing, incorporating, funding, and sustaining a Local First campaign, often a community's first step on the path to a Living Economy. SBNRI Roundtables Lively monthly discussion of specific subjects of interest to network members at both the regional and national levels, featuring guest experts. Calls are held the second Tuesday of each month and are open to representatives of SBNRI networks. Conference Our annual conference, will bring together hundreds of business owners, entrepreneurs, economic development professionals, network leaders, and community leaders as we charted the next phase in the expansion and success of sustainable local economies.



Vision The Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island, incorporated in 2008, merged with the Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living in 2009. The Network’s vision is that local businesses not only

generate community wealth, but also are catalysts for civic action, social diversity, and ecological health for a sustainable Rhode Island. We work with communities and businesses of every size to build community assets like sustainable agriculture, green buildings, renewable energy, community capital, zero-waste manufacturing, and energy independence. The SBNRI believes that by becoming the leader for Sustainable Economic research and development, training/education and business services, it will catalyze businesses to work and learn together to build a sustainable state. Rhode Island counts approximately

87,000 businesses, which have the potential to bring about substantive change and to become an example for other states.

Mission The SBNRI’s mission is to connect and empower locally owned businesses, service providers, and community organizations to build a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable Rhode Island for future generations.

Guiding Principles

• Sustainable businesses should measure their success based on the triple bottom line: people, planet, profit.

• The strength of a sustainable business network lies in the collective power of businesses to create a sustainable world that offers opportunity and hope for all.

• Sustainable economy communities produce and exchange locally as many products needed by their citizens as they reasonably can, while reaching out to other communities to trade fairly in those products they cannot reasonably produce at home.

• Sustainable economy citizens appreciate the benefits of buying from sustainable economy businesses and, if necessary, are willing to pay a price premium to secure those personal and community benefits.

What Makes a Business Sustainable

Sustainable Businesses strive to:

• Serve as a model that environmentally and socially responsible businesses can also be profitable.

• Support an inclusive and healthy community, and protect our



natural environment by, among other things, using less-toxic materials, cutting down on waste, and being more energy efficient.

• Provide employees a healthy workplace with meaningful, living-wage jobs. • Offer customers personal service and useful, safe, quality products. • Buy from suppliers with similar values, with a preference for local businesses. Work to ensure

suppliers get a fair price for their products. • Work with other businesses, schools and universities, and municipalities to support projects that

both help their business and fulfill their obligation to the community and future generations. • Recognize their obligations to stockholders and lenders by providing an excellent return on their

investments.

What can the Sustainable Business Network do for Your Business?

By becoming a member of SBNRI, you will expand your business networks, gain access to low-cost professional development workshops, obtain support to help your business become “green” and sustainable, and be offered a variety of marketing opportunities to promote your products and services to an expanding audience of consumers who want to buy from and support sustainable businesses.

In addition, members enjoy the following benefits:

• eNewsletter: A bimonthly e-newsletter of premium information about the latest ideas, resources, and case studies from the front lines of the field, featuring updates on the latest industry innovations, guest essays, and occasional podcasts.

• Speaker Bureau: SBNRI’s speakers’ bureau and a Who’s Who of sustainable economy presenters will inspire, provoke, and incite any audience.

• SBNRI Guides: “How-To” guides for sustainable business practices, focusing on specific business sectors that provide easy-to-use advice and case studies for members who want to grow their business and reduce their impact on the environment.

• Think Local First: A shift of just 10% of your purchases toward local retailers means more people in your community are getting a paycheck, paying their rent and purchasing products and services from other local businesses.

• SBNRI Roundtables: Lively monthly discussions featuring guest experts who will cover specific subjects of interest to network members at both the regional and national levels. Roundtables are held the second Tuesday of each month and are open to members of SBNRI networks.

• Conference: Our annual conference will bring together hundreds of business owners, entrepreneurs, economic development professionals, and network and community leaders as we chart the next phase in the expansion and success of sustainable local economies.



APEIRON INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING DIRECTOR, SUSTAINABLE RI

POSITION DESCRIPTION (Last Updated August 3, 2009)

Director, Sustainable Business Development Introduction This position is responsible for working closely with the Director of Sustainable

Business Development to develop, manage and implement the Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island as well as Green Entrepreneurial Training & Real Estate Training Programs

Duties & Responsibilities PROGRAMS & EVENTS • Manage, coordinate and enhance existing Sustainable Business Network programs • Work with the Director of Sustainable Business Development and staff to assess and create new

SBNRI initiatives/ programs including green entrepreneurial training and real estate trainings • Produce workshops, trainings, networking events, programs and events for business members • Assist with marketing publicity and promotion of SBNRI events utilizing different formats

including: brochures, flyers, e-mail and social web communications • Participate with staff to plan and produce the RI Sustainable Living Festival. Specific responsibility

includes incorporating SBNRI into the festival’s program MEMBERSHIP • Develop, implement, manage and grow Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island (SBNRI)

membership programs for Rhode Island Businesses • Coordinate and align Business membership with membership campaigns for households and

education. Duties include but are not limited to the following: o Developing & producing targeted membership and fundraising campaigns to grow SRI

membership o Maintaining regular membership communications via mailing, e-mailing and social

networking o Coordinating special events o Tabling at specific events o Phone calling and management of phone banks o Canvassing o Managing member renewals and other membership activities o Work with staff to maintain proper member database

BUSINESS LEADERSHIP NETWORKS • Work with the Executive Director and other staff to identify, participate in and monitor key

leadership networks & agencies to bring “sustainable business” thinking to other working groups, coalitions, and stakeholder groups in state. This includes:

o Representing Apeiron at relevant networking meetings, assisting in the development of policy recommendation, and otherwise being responsive to the needs of our communities

MANAGEMENT & OTHER



• Develop and manage strategic work plans for the above • Participate with Director of Sustainable Business Development and other staff to support fundraising

efforts including, but not limited to grants, personal & business donations, major gifts, special events, and other fundraising activities

• Stay abreast of environmental and sustainability issues and relevant trends • Maintain accurate records and preparation of reports to board, grantors, and partners • Assist the Director of Sustainable Business Development, the Executive Director, other staff, and

Board of Directors in any way deemed necessary for the proper growth and management of the organization

• This position may provide supervision of additional staff and/or interns All duties and actions taken by the incumbent of this position while on official duty will be performed in a safe and healthful manner and will be of a nature to reflect favorably on the Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living. Supervision This position is supervised directly by the Director of Sustainable Business

Development Performance Review The performance of each duty will be evaluated against the above requirements.

The Director of Sustainable Business Development, under consultation from the Executive Director and the Board will complete a formal review on a yearly basis. The performance rating is an overall evaluation of performance in the judgment of the supervisor and performance based merit increases are approved by the Apeiron Board of Directors.

Qualifications While all qualifications below are not necessarily required for the candidate, they

are strongly recommended • 10+ years working on environmental, community and/or economic development issues preferred • Bachelor’s required, Master’s preferred; Concentrations include:

o MBA, Entrepreneurship, Urban Studies, Environmental Studies, Community/ Economic Development, Macro Economics

• Multi-lingual preferred • Proven experience working with minority businesses • Experience in Sustainability Issues and concepts such as: Sustainable Business, cradle to cradle,

waste=food, triple-bottom-line, sustainable design, environmental building, sustainable communities, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, sustainable agriculture, transit alternatives, low impact living, etc., preferably of RI and Southeastern New England

• Work experience with fundraising and/or membership development • Strategic planning skills & business case development experience • Basic computer skills including Microsoft Word & Excel, knowledge of E-mail • Excellent People Skills • Person must be professional, dependable, detail oriented, and work well independently • Strong Marketing Communications skills/experience • Highly motivated, positive attitude, works well with others, professional, able to meet deadlines • Kind and a good sense of humor



The selling process varies somewhat among different goods and services, but the general idea is the same. Your goal as a salesperson is to help the buyer buy and make sure that the buyer is satisfied after the sale

Supporting Material



Real Estate Broker License



Real Estate Sales Certificates of Accomplishmnet

Rhode Island Association of Realtors

DeWolfe Real Estate

Century 21

Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salesmen

Lee Institute, Principles of Real Estate Practice

New England Professional Development Committee, Certified Business Counselor Ewing Kaufman Foundation, Certified Business Counselor & Administrator



Providence Business News Articles Featured Latinos eager to start businesses

Dec 20, 2008 Osiris Gonzalez, 37 years old and the father of two young children, works full time. At the same time, for the last few years, he’s been working to grow his own business from home. His company is Prudentia Technology Consultants, specializing in information technology, and he has three clients so far. more

Advanced course planned for Latino entrepreneurs June 7, 2008 For two years, dozens of Latino entrepreneurs looking to launch new businesses have been getting a helping hand from Primer Paso, a 10-week course on startups, sponsored by the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center. more

El Rancho Grande eatery is a true family affair

May 28, 2008 Earlier this month, on Cinco de Mayo, there was an all-day party at El Rancho Grande. It was a celebration not only of the importance of this day to Mexicans, a day of independence, but also of the restaurant’s first year in business. “The place was absolutely jammed. The line for a table went right out the door,” said Joaquin Meza, the proud 27-year-old owner. more

Next generation of entrepreneurs climbs ladder

Dec 22, 2007 Finees Mendez grew up watching his father become the second Latino in the state to earn a master electrician license, and then go on to start his own business, Victor General Electric. more

Workshop draws fledgling Hispanic entrepreneurs Dec 8, 2007 In this follow-up to a 2006 PBN series on the R.I. Small Business Development Center’s Primer Paso business planning workshop for Latino entrepreneurs, we see how participants are doing a year later and how the workshop has grown. more Avila honored for SBDC services to R.I. Latinos Oct 20, 2007 PROVIDENCE – Tomas Alberto Avila of the R.I. Small Business Development Center at Johnson & Wales University has been honored by the Association of Small Business Development Centers with the 2007 ASBDC Rhode Island State Star. more

Avila honored for bringing SBDC services to Latinos Oct 16, 2007 Tomas Alberto Avila – shown leading a Primer Paso class last fall at the R.I. Small Business Development Center at Johnson & Wales University – has been honored by the Association of Small



Business Development Centers, with the 2007 ASBDC Rhode Island State Star “for his outstanding contribution and creative excellence,” the group said. more

A path to the American dream – for the children

May 31, 2007 For years, immigrants with little understanding of U.S. law, custom or languate have been staking their fortunes on restaurants, groceries, liquor stores, laundries, salons and other small, service-oriented businesses. For some, it’s the means of ensuring their children will have more choices than they. But increasingly, says Tomas Avila, a business adviser at the R.I. Small Business Development Center at Johnson & Wales University, these immigrants are building businesses to pass on to future generations. more PBN’s Myers joins 5 others in receiving Metcalf Award May 22, 2007 Providence Business News Staff Writer Natalie Myers was given one of seven Michael Metcalf Awards for Diversity in the Media by Rhode Island for Community & Justice this morning at the Marriott Providence Downtown. more

Primer Paso’s new grads already see improvement Dec 16, 2006 For the entrepreneurs who participated in the R.I. Small Business Development Center’s first Primer Paso FastTrac program, the graduation ceremony was more than just a celebration. more

Theater gains confidence to seek nonprofit status Dec 9, 2006 Francis Parra has been the driving force behind ECAS Theater, the state’s only Latino theater group, since 1997. She says the empowerment of theater is what keeps her going as she runs the volunteer-based group in addition to working full-time as a kindergarten teacher. When she moved to Providence in 1996, there was no theater group performing in Spanish. That’s why she co-founded the Educational Center for the Arts and Sciences, where she says she has watched the actors rediscover themselves. more

Software creator focuses on tour operators’ needs Nov 25, 2006 Oscar Mejias has already developed his software, called TravelSot, to help tour operators manage hotel reservations, travel packages and contracts with vendors and travel agencies. He has tested it with tour operators in Orlando and Puerto Rico, and has gotten positive feedback. Now, he is ready to take his project to the next level. more

An accomplished Latina wants to mentor others Nov 4, 2006 Sandra Lake started the Extraordinary Woman Awards because she admires the many women who, like her, came to the United States from other countries and are improving themselves and their communities here. more

Big dreams begin with Latino plantain treats Oct 28, 2006 Cesar Cuevas has a vision. He would like to have a Papiajo Frituras food vending truck or restaurant in every city and town in Rhode Island. more



Couple want to build their business right this time Oct 21, 2006 Domingo Tejada knows construction. He started building and fixing houses with his uncles and cousins in the Dominican Republic when he was 17. So, when he moved to Providence in 2001, Tejada decided to continue in the business he’s known for 21 years. more

Lead-safety trainer aims to open interpreting firm Oct 14, 2006 Veronica Martinez has been providing translation services and filling out immigration paperwork for people in the Latino community for 10 years now. It is something she does at home at night and on weekends, as a favor. more

An entrepreneur’s dream requires some homework Sept 29, 2006 Miriam Garcia fondly remembers her father’s “social club” in Brooklyn. She can recall the pride he took in maintaining the club’s juke box, pool table, bar and display cases. She remembers the way he interacted with customers. more

‘Primer Paso’ a first step for Hispanic firms

Sept 23, 2006 Hector Monzon wants to open a Guatemalan restaurant. Marta Alvisuriz wants to start a laundromat. Miriam Garcia wants to open a meat market. more

R.I. Latino businesses surge 56%

Aug 13, 2005 Rubén Jaramillo sold a house to open his Piqueteadero Pura Arepa, a Colombian snack bar and restaurant. He searched long and hard for the perfect spot, and finally bought a building on Dexter Street in Central Falls, in the heart of a Latino cluster. Up and down the street, signs beckon in Spanish, offering everything from groceries, to CDs, to computers, to insurance. more

Latinos logging on

May 5, 2003 Two Web sites target an untapped market Two new Providence-based Internet companies that serve Rhode Island’s Spanish-speaking community are changing the media landscape in the state by providing online news and resources in Spanish and selling ads to the many businesses – Hispanic and not – that want to reach Latinos, a growing and untapped demographic. RILatino.com, a comprehensive news Web site for the estimated 100,000 Latinos in Rhode Island who don’t speak English or prefer to speak Spanish, has experienced explosive growth in the past year, and is already planning to expand into other states. Advertisers on the site include big companies like Cox Cable, Amica Insurance Co. and Shaw’s Supermarket, and small businesses and individuals within the Latino community like the El Brillante, a restaurant, and Delia Rodriguez, an immigration consultant. At the same time, another company with a similar name, Rhode Island Latino.com, is a rival Web site that features a local Latino yellow pages and links to resources for Hispanic immigrants. Both Web sites are prospering with a traditional two-pronged media strategy: first, focus on the specific needs of a niche community with buying power. Then convince the larger business community to bankroll the operation by advertising to the niche audience.



Domestic Bank grants Progreso Latino $75K March 7, 2009 A financial-literacy program sponsored by Progreso Latino received a $75,000 grant from Domestic Bank. The grant will fund the 10-week financial-literacy series called Primer Paso, a program aimed at teaching Spanish speaking entrepreneurs personal and business finance matters. more

N.E. Press Association honors PBN

Feb 11, 2009 | 1 comment BOSTON – Providence Business News received two awards this year from the New England Press Association, one for general excellence and another for front-page design for its May 12, 2008, edition, at left.

Avila Real Estate Experience

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