Hispanic chambers support entrepreneurs

The Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, Atlanta chapter, recently met for the first time in either organization’s history to celebrate the ‘Hispanic Business Summit.’

The purpose of the event was to bring together Latino business owners from throughout the state, to offer resources, tools and the opportunity to network and build their companies.

The summit took place at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis and featured information booths and seminars. At least 100 people attended the event, including representatives from UPS, Aflac and The Home Depot, as well as small business owners and contractors.

Attendants were also invited to participate in educational workshops, featuring topics such as ‘How to develop your brand and communicate efficiently with consumers,’ ‘How to prepare a market study and identify potential clients’ and ‘Frequently asked questions and answers about human resources and staffing.’ Other themes included finances, marketing and investments.

“We have been working on this event since last March, but for us, this is our mission. This is why we’re here. To bring these resources and services to small businesses in one place, so they can come and learn. That is why we exist,” explained GHCC President Santiago Márquez.

His message of unity and service was echoed by fellow event organizer Alejandro Coss, president of LACC Georgia.

“We’ve been here for a long time and we’ve always had a good, although distant, relationship. But now we know we have to work together,” said Coss.

Both leaders also agreed upon the importance of the contribu- tions of the Latino community in the U.S., stating that it is vital that business owners and leaders come together to send a clear message to the government and the community.

“Our goal is that for the next elections we can change the rhetoric that exists about our Latino community. Let’s talk about the fact that we create jobs, we are a motor in the economy, and we know how to bring together our ability to create businesses and put our differences aside for the good of our society,” said Márquez.

In addition, both chambers gave a special recognition to Marcela Cortés, owner of Luvaboo, an arti- sanal toy company.

Cortés, who is also a mother and journalist, began her business fromhome,with the intention of creating toys that would pique the curiosity of her children.

“With this award I can work on an order that I have pending,” she said, while thanking the organizations for the recognition.

Both chambers hope to organize more events together in the future, assured Márquez.

Marcela Cortes, owner of Luvaboo, was honored by chambers of commerce at the recently held Hispanic Business Summit.