The Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit will partner with the Multicultural Entrepreneurial Center at Black Hawk College to host a one-day summit for aspiring business owners on Thursday, Sept. 7.
The 2023 Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit and Multicultural Open House will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Vibrant Arena at the Mark in downtown Moline. The IES event is open to immigrants, entrepreneurs and existing minority business owners who want to engage and support entrepreneurship. Registration is $35 and includes lunch.
The IES event will include opening and closing ceremonies as well as three sessions of workshops and a pitch competition at 2:15 p.m. The keynote speaker will be LaDrina Wilson, CEO of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce.
The workshops will cover a myriad of topics for startup businesses. The topics and speakers include:
- 3D Tax Saving Strategies presented by Ying Sa, Community CPA.
- Leadership Development: Discovering your strength for your business, Jack Chimbetete, executive producer of Jack’s Shack International LLC.
- Small Business Financing, Igor Cavlovic, Two Rivers Bank & Trust.
- Starting up a Business Step by Step, Tom Trone, SCORE.
- Legal Business Basics: Thinking about basic steps in business, James Greenwood, Greenwood Law LLC.
- Creating the Perfect Lead Magnet: Grow your business by using the right bait, Maurice Davis, Marketing Growth Strategy.
In addition, a luncheon panel will discuss “How do I keep my workforce engaged?” The IES panel will include: Ms. Sa, CEO and managing partner, Community CPA; Mitch Thomas, executive director, MRA, Western Illinois and Iowa; and Ms. Wilson, who is also founder and CEO of Iman Consulting.
Other participating organizations include America’s SBDC (Small Business Development Center Iowa), CIRAS and Life Advisors, COWORKQC.
The IES event at Black Hawk College is sponsored by these corporate sponsors: Ascentra Credit Union, WVIK Quad Cities NPR, IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union, SCORE Quad Cities and State Farm, Javier Gonzalez, Agent.
Organizers with IES said the organization recognizes the work and impact of immigrant entrepreneurs and aims to bring down barriers to business opportunities. The IES workshop will provide an opportunity to connect with fellow immigrants, entrepreneurs and business resources with its networking sessions and exhibitor booths.
To register for the 2023 Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit Regional and Multicultural Open House, visit here. For more information, visit here or contact Catherine Tran, IES executive director, at (515) 796-5140 or catherine@iesusa.org, or Loredana Cooper, Black Hawk College multicultural entrepreneurial advisor at (309) 796-5140 or cooperl@bhc.edu.
