Houston Community College Launches Open for Business Program for Women Entrepreneurs

Houston Community College (HCC) has launched the Open for Business Program designed to empower and accelerate successful and creative strategies of HCC’s Entrepreneurial Initiatives Department with a unique focus on Hispanic, Black, Indo-American and Asian women. The agenda includes business, financial and marketing programs, business plan preparation, business advising, credit counseling and connections to Houston’s business ecosystem.

This extraordinary opportunity enables HCC to dismantle historic and existing barriers while offering creative solutions to build wealth and prosperity for businesses owned by women. The initiative is funded by a $750,000, 18-month grant from the Wells Fargo Open for Business Fund.

The program launches Nov. 2 with the Small Business Success Series. The Open for Business Program includes classes and workshops with industry experts as well as credit counseling for those who need it. HCC is also partnering with the Mexican consulate to provide a series of the programs in Spanish.

HCC Chief Entrepreneurial Officer Dr. Maya Durnovo said the Open for Business program offers a full package of knowledge and expertise for women entrepreneurs looking to launch a business or grow their existing business.

“This is an amazing opportunity for women entrepreneurs to learn all of those basic skills,” Dr. Durnovo said. “We’ve invited a variety of expert speakers to talk about what it takes to run a business and provide courses on finance, marketing and strategies. And it’s all at no cost to the participants.”

Wells Fargo’s Open for Business Fund is a $420-million small business recovery effort created to help entrepreneurs stay open, maintain jobs and grow. Through the initiative, Wells Fargo is deploying grants to nonprofits and community development financial institutions to provide small business owners with greater access to capital, technical expertise and recovery resources, with an emphasis on supporting small businesses disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

The Houston Community College Foundation supports HCC in its efforts to attract and educate Houston-area students with the desire and the dedication to learn, including many nontraditional students and those facing barriers to higher education.

For more information, visit hccs.edu/smallbusiness.