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Graduates of Kutztown University's Latino Business Resource Center assembled anxiously for an entrepreneurs course graduation ceremony Thursday night at the Crowne Plaza Reading, Wyomissing.

The 23 aspiring entrepreneurs met in the hotel's wine room for the formal occasion that not only celebrated their completion of the eight-week business course, Programa de Negocios para Empresarios Latinos, or Business Skills for Success for Latino Entrepreneurs, but also announced recipients of awards and startup money for those with the most viable and well-planned business model.

"It gives me a lot of satisfaction to see you all working with your ideas and your businesses," LBRC Director Carolina Martinez said, addressing the graduating class in Spanish. "The best part for us is the development for our Latino entrepreneurs."

On the last day of the class, the students had presented their business plans to six judges: Ernie Post, director of Kutztown's Small Business Development Center; Johanny Cepeda, owner of Mi Casa Su Casa in Reading; representatives from the Community First Fund, a revitalization organization; and the financial services firm Morgan Stanley, which provided more than $2,000 in Business Pitch Awards.

Awards were presented to six students who had developed strong business models. READ MORE

As financial institutions urge their customers to bank anywhere anytime by using their phones and tablets, a new survey finds that Latinos don’t trust a mobile device to keep their funds and personal information secure.

Some 44 percent of Latinos said they don’t turn to mobile banking because they are worried about information security, data released on Tuesday by Zpryme and ThinkNow Research shows.

The online survey, which included 500 adult Latinos between the ages of 18 and 70, was conducted in October. Participants were asked about their overall use and experience of mobile banking.

Another 21 percent of Latinos said they don’t have smartphones, cell phones, or tablets, while 16 percent said they don’t have Internet access on their mobile gadgets. Those who used mobile banking, about 69 percent used a smartphone and 47 percent used a tablet.

Latinos, the nation’s largest ethnic group, is impacting the nation culturally, economically, and politically. Their purchasing power, at $1.2 trillion a year, is larger than the economies of all but 13 countries, according to Jeff Humphreys, director of the Selig Center and author of the annual report “Multicultural Economy.” READ MORE

The first thing you might notice when walking into Mi Pueblo Mexican Bakery is the aroma of freshly baked breads and burritos.

The next thing: laughter or friendly conversation coming from the store’s dining area, where friends gather for lunch or a quick snack after work.

On a recent Friday, two Spanish-speaking men sat at a table eating their lunch and laughing, while a woman ordered her meal in English and customers from various backgrounds shopped the market.

While Mi Pueblo sells a variety of Mexican foods, you’ll find this Twin Falls store has become a gathering place for many cultures. You’ll likely see longtime Magic Valley residents, Russians, Bhutanese and any number of other immigrant groups shopping or eating here for one of at least three reasons, said manager Aaron Nieto: because they like the food, come to share a meal with friends, or are trying to find ingredients similar to their own culture’s.

“We get a lot of Asians who come in,” he said. “We carry rare spices, so a lot of Bosnians and Russians will come in. They’re trying to bring back some of their culture. We get a lot of refugees, some from Ethiopia.”

Mi Pueblo, owned by Nieto and his family, has been doing business in their 11,000-square-foot store near Filer Avenue and Washington Street North since 2007. Before that, they owned a 700-square-foot store downtown Twin Falls, he said. The family also operates stores in Bellevue, Buhl and Jerome.

Though the economy has sometimes slowed business, Nieto said, Mi Pueblo still retains a following of returning and new customers.

Twin Falls resident Rick Dykes, who was at the store July 13 looking for a spice, is one of them.

“If anyone has it, it’ll be Mi Pueblo,” he said. READ MORE

A tax on soda would carry the greatest health benefits for black and Latino Californians, who face the highest risks of diabetes and heart disease, according to recent research findings.

The study found that if a penny-per-ounce tax was applied to soda, cuts in consumption would result in an 8 percent decline in diabetes cases among blacks and Latinos. The statewide reduction in new diabetes cases is projected at 3 to 5.6 percent, according to researchers from UC San Francisco, Columbia University and Oregon State University, who released their findings at last week's American Public Health Association annual meeting in San Francisco.

The study was unveiled as a sugar-sweetened beverage tax faces votes in El Monte, in Los Angeles County, and Richmond, in the Bay Area. A statewide excise tax was proposed but died in the California Legislature in 2010.

Harold Goldstein, executive director of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, said he has visited Richmond to urge support for the measure. He said he heard residents speak of loved ones who’ve been affected by diabetes complications – such as limb amputations and blindness – during a recent town hall meeting at a Richmond church. READ MORE

AHAA: The Voice of Hispanic Marketing has released its third study in its Revenue Growth series revealing a positive connection between corporate Hispanic marketing and revenue growth specific for the Technology, Telecommunications and Entertainment categories. In fact, the data showed that Hispanic allocation alone explains about 30 percent of change in topline revenue growth among manufacturers of consumer hardware, software, content, and connectivity providers.

While other factors, such as product innovation, user experience, brand equity, price and distribution, among others, are at play, the AHAA study found that for every one point increase in Hispanic marketing focus yielded a boost of about two-thirds of a point in average annual growth. In other words, if a company were to allocate 10 percent of ad resources to Hispanic media over five years, an average increase of 6.8 percent in organic revenue would be expected.

One unexpected finding was that for the tech sector, an average investment of six percent in Hispanic is yielding 30 percent of the corporate growth.

"This is a compelling figure because it means that Hispanics are primary drivers of growth among technology companies, and there is still a huge growth opportunity ahead as Hispanics continue to lead adoption and usage – think about the growth potential if technology companies were to increase that figure to 10 or even 15 percent," said Roberto Orci, chair of AHAA and CEO of Acento Advertising. "Brand loyalties are increasingly at stake as Hispanics dominate segment growth. In fact, many brands may be falling short of their optimal revenue generation while opening the door to their competitors who boast higher allocation figures and cohesive Hispanic-centric strategies." READ MORE

January can be a game-changer for workers looking for a career break and moving on to (hopefully) greener pastures.

A U.K. study estimates that 25% of the British workforce calls January the best month for a "fresh start" to leave one job and start a new one.

That process usually starts late in the previous year, when workers feeling unsatisfied over their jobs start networking by sending feelers out on LinkedIn, reshaping their resumes and cover letters and scheduling job interviews. The executive search firm ExecuNet says November and December are highly active months for job changes too, with 62% of recruiters saying hiring decisions and hiring budgets are made in the last two months of the year.

To the in-house recruiters at Progressive Insurance, that means employers who want to change teams have to be ready to roll before the New Year. Progressive's job-search team offers the following New Year's tips for job hunters at year-end: READ MORE

Andrew Sund, President, St. Augustine College

Andrew Sund is the President of St. Augustine College (Chicago), which for over 30 years has been serving the higher education needs of the Hispanic community. He assumed office on July 1, 2008.

During his five years as president, St. Augustine College’s enrollment has increased by 39%. Additionally, under his leadership the college opened a new site in Southeast Chicago, developed new programs, strengthened accreditation and has guided St. Augustine from a period of turbulence into one of stability and success. President Sund has raised the level of recognition and prestige of St. Augustine, making it a respected advocate and player in the Hispanic and general community in the Chicagoland area.

He was born in Venezuela and lived in Chile, Mexico, Mozambique, Swaziland and Tanzania before settling in the United States. In addition to English and Spanish, Sund is fluent in three other languages.

President Sund began his career at St. Augustine College where he served in various functions, including faculty, Director of Institutional Research, Associate Dean for Curriculum and Assessment, Associate Dean for Student Services, and Interim Dean of Academic Affairs. He also worked at Olive-Harvey College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago, as Assistant Dean for Research and Planning and Dean of Workforce and Community Education.

President Sund received his Bachelor’s Degree in History and Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master’s Degree in History from Northwestern University. He is preparing to defend his doctoral dissertation in higher education policy and administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

David Gomez, CE0 & President - David Gomez & Associates Inc., Convention Chair, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) National Conference

David Gomez — the award-winning founder, C.E.O, and President of David Gomez & Associates, Inc — demands excellence across the areas of executive search and corporate board placement. His expertise in diversity consulting also has earned him a consistent and prominent presence in the pages of national and trade publications including the Wall Street Journal as well as Latino Leaders and Dinero magazines.

Under Gomez's leadership, DG&A has established strategic relationships with the nation’s leading companies, providing them with the talent critical to continued business success. Gomez and his team have assisted organizations -- spanning the Fortune 1000 -- with tough-to-fill assignments in Healthcare, Government, Consumer Goods, and Non-Profit organizations. Recently, with the Healthcare System reform, Gomez has been instrumental in helping billion-dollar healthcare organizations take advantage of our Inclusive Methodology platform to deliver diversity at the most senior level to represent the patient population they serve.
David was appointed as the Chair of Board Nominations on the Board of the Directors for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce after identifying its new CEO, Javier Palomarez. David also helped the formation of the New America Alliance (NAA), an organization of Latino business leaders, and co-founded the United Community Bank of Lisle, which, since its inception in 2002, had grown into a $400-million organization.
David Gomez received his Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Arts at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, Illinois in 1974. Gomez has also completed University of Chicago’s Corporate Responsibility Program and Harvard Business School’s Best Practices in Corporate Governance curriculum. Also, as the Corporate Board Chairman of the New American Alliance, Gomez was instrumental in the joint venture between HACR and NAA to create the first Board of Directors Program at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.

Edna Shmidt, Journalist & Co - Anchor, Noticiero Telemundo Chicago

Edna Schmidt has been recognized for her versatility, professionalism, and dedication as a news correspondent and anchor throughout a professional career that spans more than 20 years. During this time, she has covered several historic events, including the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York, the anthrax attacks, and the execution of Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber. Schmidt has also covered two World Cups, as well as the 5th Summit of the Americas, where leaders of the region had their first encounter with the President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Telemundo Chicago announced on July 29 that Edna Schmidt has been named co-anchor for “Noticiero Telemundo Chicago” 5pm and 10 pm editions, effective immediately. Edna brings more than 20 years of journalistic experience, in-depth reporting and professionalism to the award winning news team.

Simon Lopez, President, Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE)

With over 20 years of serving the Latino community through organizing, capacity-building, and economic mobility program and policy work, Simon has advocated for equal opportunities for Latinos to contribute to and benefit from our nation’s economy. He has helped establish innovative programs and partnerships across the country that prepare current and future Latino workers for high-demand career opportunities, designed national initiatives that promote education achievement and skills attainment, and worked with policy-makers, elected officials, and other key stakeholders to improve public workforce and education systems.

Simon has served on numerous local and national advisory groups that strive to ensure that Latino workers have access to meaningful education and training leading to economic stability. He continues to be actively engaged in dialogue and collaboration efforts with the White House, federal agencies, corporations, and nonprofits to shape national strategies around education and workforce development.

Time is running out to secure your ticket for the Hispanic Heritage
Month Kick-Off Networking Celebration this Friday. Don't miss out!

It's true that working women earn far less than their male counterparts: roughly 77 cents on the dollar. But try being a working Latina. Their situation is even more dire.

Latina women in the United States make just 55 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men, and only 60 cents for every dollar paid to men overall, according to an analysis of Census data by the National Partnership for Women and Families. The left-leaning advocacy group came to these findings by examining the 20 states with the most full-time working Latinas.

Talking in mere cents can sound abstract, but the money adds up over time. Compare a working Latina to a working man in Florida, for example. Latinas in the Sunshine State are relatively lucky. They earn 68 cents for every dollar paid to men, the highest of any of the states surveyed. But over the course of a year, they still end up earning about $13,000 less than men. READ MORE

USHLI & HispanicPro Latino Professionals Conference Networking Reception & Entertainment Night Enjoy an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, comedy, live music, and dancing!!!

As USHLI celebrates its 30th National Conference, join USHLI and HispanicPro for the largest networking event of the year for Chicago's Latino professional community, and a fun-filled night of spirits, comedy, music, and dancing! The Celebration will be sponsored by Wells Fargo. Product will be provided by MillerCoors and Quaker Oats.

Comedian Shayla Rivera will be the host of the night and will share her 8-year career at NASA and her transition from rocket scientist to the comedy stage. Together, a highly talented eleven member band with diversified musical styles from pop to rhythm and blues to big band and Latin rock, will perform for the audience, showcasing an extraordinary and unique sound that is all their own.

Our Special Celebrity Guest will be Tejano Music Hall of Fame Inductee Johnny Hernandez.  For nearly five decades this music legend has entertained millions of fans along with his brother Little Joe, and their band La Familia.  He has also performed with other music greats including Santana, Los Tigres del Norte, and Willie Nelson.

Thursday, February 16
6 pm – 8 pm: Networking Reception – Open bar and hors d'oeuvres
8 pm – 9 pm: Together – Open bar and snacks
9 pm – 10 pm: Shayla Rivera Performance – Open bar and snacks
10 pm – 12 am: Together – Open bar and snacks

Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
River Exhibit Hall
301 E. North Water St., Chicago IL 60611 

RSVP is required to attend. Please RSVP here: http://2012ushlinetworking.eventbrite.com/

A suggested $10 minimum donation, at the door, is requested to support the USHLI Scholarship Fund.

Click here for full conference registration. Discounted registration ends February 3, 2012.

It's been a few years since the big collapse and slowly the economy is starting to recover. Now that a few more companies are hiring and banks are lending again, it's a perfect time to play the blame game. Every week it seems as though there's a new study pointing the finger at someone else for the collapsed housing market.

This one's interesting. According to the Center for American Progress, Latinos are bearing the brunt of mortgage foreclosures. Nearly 12 percent compared to 9.8 for African Americans and 5 percent for whites.

That is troubling. So who's to blame? The greedy money-grubbing banks of course.

According to the report, Latinos and other people of color were, "disproportionately targeted for risky subprime loans and were victims of predatory lending practices."

And while that may be true, you could argue that the banks would have been just as "discriminating" had they denied risky mortgages for the same people altogether.

We may never know who's truly to blame for the recession, or if anyone is to blame at all. But one thing's for sure: when the economy goes south, everyone feels it, and when it comes to the banks, there's no way around it. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't. READ MORE

Buying a home has long been a way for immigrant groups to signal that they have “made it.”
For Hispanic Americans, a mega-boom in homeownership is revving up.

With U.S. Census data reporting that more than half of all infants born in the United States last year were minorities or multiracial, with whites having 1.1 births for every death and Hispanics counting 8.9 births for every death, it stands to reason that the profile of home buyers is also undergoing a change that may accelerate in years to come. The folks at Movoto.com, a full service real estate brokerage based in San Mateo, CA, decided to figure out just how much.

Using data on the race/ethnicity of first time and repeat home buyers from the National Association of Realtor’s annual “Profile of Buyers and Sellers,” on its blog Movoto.com noted that whites accounted for about 85 percent of home purchases.

Last year, the other 15 percent of buyers included six percent Black/African-Americans, six percent Hispanic/Latino home buyers and four percent Asians or Pacific Islanders, with other ethnicities/races comprising up to two percent. READ MORE

Many of the Latino baby boomers born from 1946 through 1964 are moving into elder years without the possibility of retiring. For instance, Patricia Aristizábal started her business of promotional products two years ago.

Although many of Aristizábal’s contemporaries are about to retire, the Colombian immigrant began a new career. For her, retirement is not around the corner.

“I don’t want to think that tomorrow I'm going to retire, or even in five or 10 years. I think I started to work late and still have much energy and time to continue doing it,” she said.

In the United States there are about 8 million Hispanic boomers, almost10 percent of all who make up that generation, said Fernando Torres-Gil, vice president of the National Council on Disability and director of the Center for Policy Research on Aging at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Recent U.S. Census data show that Georgia has a total of 2.5 million boomers. Of those, almost 80,000 are Latino.

Gaps Between Latino, White Boomers

Torres-Gil, who also headed the U.S. Administration on Aging under President Clinton,has researched this generation. He explained that Latinos boomers have made more progress than their parents, who made sacrifices for their children to enjoy a better life.

According to Torres-Gil, these sacrifices have helped many Latinos reach for the American dream. However, the situation of this generation cannot be compared with their peers of other ethnicities. READ MORE

The U.S. unemployment rate for Latinos fell to 9.9 percent in September, the lowest jobless rate in nearly four years, and the lowest level since President Barack Obama first took office.

Latino unemployment has hit a 45 month low as September marks the first time the Latino jobless rate has fallen below 10 percent since December of 2008, when it was 9.4 percent.

The number of unemployed Hispanics has dropped by nearly 20 percent since the number of unemployed Latinos hit its peak at over 3 million in November 2010.

If not for all the people who have simply dropped out of the labor force, the real unemployment rate would be closer to 11 percent.

- Mitt Romney, Republican Nominee

According to the report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, September's Latino unemployment rate declined from 10.2 percent in August and is in line with the overall downward national trend for the jobless rate, which fell to 7.8 percent, down from 8.1 percent,--a 44-month low. The number of unemployed Americans is now 12.1 million, the fewest since January 2009. READ MORE

When broadcast television and Internet data streams out of the Democratic National Convention this week, Louis Romero will be “feeling really good” about his company, Network Cabling Systems in Charlotte. That’s because the $8 million, 55-employee venture spent two months this year upgrading cable systems at one of the convention’s venues to accommodate coverage. “When we look at our president and the other political figures, we’ll know we had something to do with that,” says Romero, 50.

As a Hispanic entrepreneur, Romero has “just as much opportunity as any other business does,” and has faced obstacles with cash flow and administration, similar to many business owners. His goal this year is to “grow organically and smart” and draw up a succession plan for his 22-year-old venture.

Hispanic entrepreneurs opened twice as many businesses as the national average in the 2000s, according to U.S. Census data. But a new study shows that Hispanic employers are outperformed by white employers, generating lower revenue and employing fewer workers over time. Nearly half employ one to four workers; even after 16 years in business, 66 percent report fewer than 10 employees, according to the University of Texas at Austin’s Bureau of Business Research study (PDF). READ MORE

September 15th marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. With a population that has reached over 50 million, Hispanics are the fastest growing class of citizens in the United States. Accordingly, they also represent the most significant growth pattern of small business owners in the country. Hispanic-owned businesses comprised 59.8 % of all businesses in El Paso, followed by San Antonio, (39.4%), Houston (23.3%), Albuquerque, N.M. (23.1%) and Los Angeles (21%).

A 2010 survey of business owners conducted by the Census Bureau found that Hispanic-owned companies comprise 2.3 million of the 27.1 million U.S. businesses. Further, Hispanic-owned businesses have increased by 43.7% since 2002. Hispanic-owned businesses generated $345.2 billion in sales in 2007, up 55.5% when compared with 2002, while the number of Hispanic-owned companies with receipts of $1 million or more increased 51.6 percent -- from 29,168 to 44,206 businesses -- between 2002 and 2007. READ MORE

As we approach the second half of 2012, we’ve been looking at how consumers are feeling about their lives. What excites them, what they’re afraid of and what they think about the whirlwind political environment that ceaselessly dominates the conversation in America – be it mainstream news media, the blogosphere or social engagement.

Against this backdrop, we asked Hispanics and non-Hispanics across a variety of geographies and segments: Republicans, Democrats and Independents; gender and age cohorts; influencers and non-influencers alike, how they felt about these and other subjects.

Some of the things we learned were surprising, such as that for all the chatter among the pundits, people across the gamut felt that things like immigration were a non-issue in their lives. Based on our findings, here are five things that every marketer who engages Hispanic audiences (which means everyone) should know – and importantly, how to act upon it to win for your business. READ MORE

The number of Latinos who own and operate small businesses in Minnesota is booming. This state-wide trend is spreading to Moorhead.

Express Janitorial Services owner Jesus Gutierrez is making sure Fargo's Family Healthcare is squeaky clean.

Jesus Gutierrez – Express Janitorial Services: "I want to provide to my family whatever they need."

Gutierrez is pretty busy. He's got accounts all over the F-M area, including Moorhead's Menards.

Jesus Gutierrez: "I was an employee a couple years ago, and I got a lot of experience, and in the meantime I decide to be more successful on my own."

The native of Mexico made the Midwest move to take advantage of a thriving economy, and he's not alone. The number of Latino owned businesses has grown a quarter in just 5 years.

Jesus Gutierrez: "Business like food business, cleaning business, any kind of small business pretty much."

Don't forget antique businesses, like Latino-owned and operated Lucia's Vintage Decor, which just opened up in October.

David Miranda – Sister Owns Lucia’s Vintage Decor: "It's just picking up; people are realizing we are here now." READ MORE

Between 2000 and 2009, aggregate spending by Latino consumer units on personal care products and services grew from $5.3 billion to $7.5 billion, an increase of 41%, according to The Latino Health and Beauty Care Market, a just-released report from Packaged Facts. In contrast, spending by non-Latino consumer units on personal care products and services grew by only 15%.

Moreover, the Census Bureau projects that by 2015 Latinos will account for 20% of 18- to 49-year-olds, an age group that is critically important to marketers and advertisers. Growth dynamics in the personal care market, therefore, will increasingly be shaped by the health and beauty care (HBC) usage patterns and product choices of Latino men and Latinas.

According to The Latino Health and Beauty Care Market, Latinas are more likely than women on average to use eye liner and mascara and less likely to use foundation makeup. Latino men are much more likely than men on average to use skin care products such as moisturizers and facial cleansing products. Both Latino men and Latinas are more likely to choose scented products in the deodorant category, and Latino men are more likely to choose scented shaving cream. Frequent tooth brushing and flossing, additionally, is a characteristic of both Latino men and Latinas.

One of the most distinctive features of the Latino consumer market, according to David Sprinkle, publisher of Packaged Facts, is that it includes a substantial segment of high-volume users of HBC products. For example, Latinas are nearly twice as likely as women on average to have used shampoo 12 or more times in the last seven days, such that they account for 26% of all women in this high-frequency usage category. READ MORE

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The "Latin doll" stereotype is getting a makeover, and although stilettos might be part of the new outfit, the smartphone and laptop are essential items.

The digital Latina is taking social media by storm, over-indexing other demographic groups in the growth and use of social media, from twitter to social network sites. Around 2009, the blogosphere witnessed an explosion of Latina bloggers. Today, Blogs by Latina, a blog directory, has over 1,600 entries, since launching in 2009.

This proliferation of Latina blogs makes total sense. Historically, Latinas have been silenced by circumstances or lack of a socialcultural podium. Who she is and what she wants have been defined by caricature archetypes constructed by traditional mass media. She has no diversity on television and print, often existing as either a sexy, loud and passionate girl or an older, submissive, heavy-accented woman.

But the emergence of social media has offered fertile grounds to Latina women craving to self-express and redefine her image. It's become an effective platform to amplify her voice, thoughts, opinions and views. She's creating her own content and writing her own story. Through blogging and online publishing, she's producing a collective of digital voices that is honest, real, smart and empowering. The result? An illumination of the pluralistic identify of Latinas. READ MORE