Houston Community College Foundation

Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs

Houston Community College has implemented a comprehensive program designed to empower women entrepreneurs with the skills, knowledge, and vision to be successful. The program has three key components:

1.) Business Skills: finance, operations, banking, marketing/digital;

2.) Access to Capital: connections to banks and financial institutions;

3.) Leadership skills: identifying a vision, the process, and leadership styles.

What makes this program unique is that it addresses and dismantles historic and existing barriers, while offering creative solutions to build wealth and prosperity for businesses owned by women. This program utilizes the successful and creative strategies of HCC’s Entrepreneurial Initiatives Department with a focus on African American, Asian, Hispanic, Indo-American, and women from all corners of Houston- the nation’s most diverse city.

To ensure the inclusion of Houston’s large Hispanic population -- the greater Houston area is home to one of the nation's largest Hispanic populations (2.3 million people) -- the program is also offered in Spanish.

What further distinguishes this initiative is the Leadership Program that was designed by women entrepreneurs for women entrepreneurs, using personal experiences and expertise to bolster women’s confidence. The 16-week Leadership Program begins with defining a vision: each woman identifies her own vision and converts it onto a Vision Board with specific deliverables. The journey to self-empowerment begins with a clear understanding of where one is going, followed by understanding one’s leadership style, understanding one’s level of confidence, one’s strength; imagining success, realigning boundaries; capacity building, capacity statement, story-telling and becoming financially fierce. 

The specific problem we are addressing is the lack of growth and prosperity of businesses owned by women, particularly women of color. Women and people of color have long faced barriers starting their own businesses and raising capital to fund them. According to Seek Capital (seekcapital.com), one persistent issue is the entrepreneurship gender gap or the business startup space.

In Texas, while Houston is generally “business friendly,” it is not the best place to start a business for women and especially for Women of Color. When Business.Org, an online business assessment firm, ranked the best cities in the US for Women to Start a Business, Houston, Texas came in at number 27. A 2019 study, titled Minority and Women Business Ecosystem Assessment, commissioned by City of Houston Council Member Amanda Edwards, found that women and minorities in particular still face barriers to starting and sustaining businesses. The study found that minority owned businesses are still denied loans at three times the rate of non-minority firms. Women are also impacted by lack of business and financial knowledge.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) identifies the reasons why 70% of businesses fail in the first 10 years: lack of skills in finances, marketing, sales; communication, negotiation, leadership, project management; delegation, networking, and insufficient market for the product or service.

HCC’s entrepreneurial signature program addresses all these issues.

Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs facilitates growth and success through its award-winning Entrepreneurial Initiatives Program that targets underrepresented communities.

Eight Signature Programs target underrepresented businesses: 1) Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, 2) HCC-Minority Business Development Agency, 3) HCC-Business Plan Competition, 4) Small Business Success Series, 6) Student Pitch Competitions, 7) Bi-lingual Business Programs, and 8) Open for Business for Women Entrepreneurs.

The leaders of these programs are themselves successful ethnically diverse women and men business leaders who have led a business and who serve as powerful role models because they reflect and mirror the population they serve. This provides a formidable alignment to the challenge and the solution. In addition, the comprehensive nature of the program provides the needed skills and tools.

HCC’s entrepreneurial mission is to help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses and to bolster the local economy, create jobs, and build Houston’s ecosystem by starting and growing small businesses, including minority, micro, veteran, LGBT, and women-owned businesses.

The Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs program offers academies for women entrepreneurs: 1) to sharpen business skills; 2) to provide pathways to financing and financial expertise; and  3) a Leadership Program to address confidence, aspirations, capacities, etc.

• Business Success Academy: a 40-hour program designed to sharpen business skills, financial expertise, credit ratings, and business certifications.

• Finance Academy: a 40-hour program provides access to funding through a unique collaboration with lending institutions. 
  
• Leadership Circle: 16-hour program.

Each program is offered in English and Spanish.

Houston is the most diverse city in the country with 38.8% Anglo; 35.9% Hispanic, 16.7% African American; and 6.7% Asian/Other.

HCC, the 2nd largest community college in the country, is an open-admission, public institution of higher education to prepare individuals in our diverse communities. The staff, faculty and student body are a mirror image of the city’s rich cultural representation. This is a purposeful and mindful inclusion that makes HCC a great institution.

 The HCC strategic agenda includes Community Investment with the goal to serve as an economic engine for the Greater Houston Region by creating equitable access and opportunity.

The bolstering of small businesses through the Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives builds economic equity and fosters a strong workforce that provides prosperity and opportunity.

The target population is reflected in HCC’s Entrepreneurial mission to help entrepreneurs start and grow their business and to bolster the local economy, create jobs, and build Houston’s ecosystem by starting and growing minority, micro, veteran, LGBT, and women-owned businesses.

HCC’s Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives has three Centers for Entrepreneurship located in Black, Hispanic, Asian and Indo-American communities to serve those communities. Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs to date has served 705 women, 61.5% are African American, 27.5% are Hispanic and 11% are Asian/middle eastern and mixed.

HCC’s impact has been significant:

• HCC’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center provided $570 million in new contracts, and $645 in financing;
• HCC Business Plan Competition graduated 571 contestants with a business plan;
• Small Business Success Series by HCC graduated 2,129 participants with 70% minority owned businesses;
• Bi-lingual programming helped Hispanic businesses survive and thrive during the 2019 Pandemic;
• Student Pitch Competitions have served 1,400 HCC students;
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business graduated 835 small businesses from underserved communities.
• HCC’s Mattress Mack School of Marketing has graduated over 2,000 students.

Texas

HCC’s entrepreneurial mission is to help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses and to bolster the local economy, create jobs, and build Houston’s ecosystem by starting and growing small businesses, including minority, micro, veteran, LGBT, and women-owned businesses.

Our theory of change is centered on practical education (access to information) as the pathway to prosperity and equity. We believe through practical education with mentoring and a supportive environment, leads to understanding and the ability to address complex businesses issues. Armed with understanding,  businesses can start and grow to be successful.

Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs has served 700 women to date.  Our goal is to serve:

In One Year: 1,500 women
In five Years: 7,500 women

The HCC-Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives was created 12 years ago as the college became strategically focused on helping to start and grow small businesses. 

HCC’s Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives has three Centers for Entrepreneurship located in Black, Hispanic, Asian and Indo-American communities to serve those communities. Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs to date has served 705 women, 61.5% are African American, 27.5% are Hispanic and 11% are Asian/middle eastern and mixed.

We are focused on scaling our Women Entrepreneurs program in line with our track record of growth of other program areas. HCC’s impact has been significant:

• HCC’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center provided $570 million in new contracts, and $645 in financing;
• HCC Business Plan Competition graduated 571 contestants with a business plan;
• Small Business Success Series by HCC graduated 2,129 participants with 70% minority owned businesses;
• Bi-lingual programming helped Hispanic businesses survive and thrive during the 2019 Pandemic;
• Student Pitch Competitions have served 1,400 HCC students;
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business graduated 835 small businesses from underserved communities.
• HCC’s Mattress Mack School of Marketing has graduated over 2,000 students

HCC's Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives has served 8,700 small business in the past 12 years!

HCC, the 2nd largest community college in the country, is an open-admission, public institution of higher education. The HCC service area spans more than 600 square miles throughout Houston.  HCC's student population represents the diversity of Houston, and our students are: 

15% Asian
31% Black
35% Hispanic/Latino
1% Native American Indian Indigenous peoples, or Alaska Native
1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI)
15% White
2% Multiracial (Individuals that identify as two or more races)

The HCC Strategic Agenda is driven by our elected Board of Trustees and includes a focus on Community Investment, with the goal to serve as an economic engine for the Greater Houston Region by creating equitable access and opportunity.

Bolstering small businesses through the Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives builds economic equity and fosters a strong workforce that provides prosperity and opportunity.

Our initiative, Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs, as part of the HCC Entrepreneurial Initiative office, is rooted in community involvement and economy. We are deeply linked and connected to our community through our 32 strategic partnerships:

• SCORE
• Houston-Small Business Administration
• City of Houston-Office of Business Opportunity
• City of Houston-Liftoff Houston Startup Competition
• Houston Area Urban League (HAUL)
• University of Houston SURE Program
• U of H Small Business Development Center
• Silver Fox Advisors
• Kingdom Builders
• Houston Association of Business Brokers
• Wallis Bank
• Wells Fargo Bank
• Amegy Bank
• BBVA Bank
• LiftFund
• Allegiance Bank
• ProVideo Systems
• The Cannon
• Indo-American Chamber of Commerce
• Houston West Chamber of Commerce
• Asian Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce
• Black Chamber of Commerce
• East Chamber of Commerce
• Camara Empresarios Latinos de Houston
• TIE
• Greater Houston Partnership
• University of St Thomas
• Target Evolution
• Impact Hub
• Black Girls Code
• Junior Achievement
• BakerRipley
• Hello Alice
• Lemonade Day

These are active membership that enable us to co-sponsor meaningful and timely events and address critical issues in a timely manner. In 2020, during the COVID 19 Pandemic, our area grew because we identified a critical need for small businesses and with our partners addressed those needs through virtual webinars and zoom meetings. We kept the information flow active so that businesses could learn the virtual tools to communicate and keep their businesses open. We co-sponsor events on a monthly basis with our partners and together build an active and effective eco-system.

The key to building trust is developing and sustaining relationships. What makes our programs effective and impactful is the long-term relationships we have nurtured with our stakeholders: Chambers of Commerce, City of Houston-Office of Business Opportunity, Houston-SBA, Houston Minority Supplier Development Agency, SCORE, and others listed above. We engage those partnerships in our daily entrepreneurial work through invitations to serve on panels (financial, digital, networking, contracting opportunities, etc.) and through co-sponsoring events.

In 2021, we were awarded the Houston Business Journal “Diversity in Business Award” for the success in serving the Houston minority business community. In 2020, the National Association of Community College Entrepreneurship awarded us the “Entrepreneurial College of the Year”, and in 2022 we won the coveted Bellwether Award for developing Entrepreneurial Signature Programs. 

The most effective outreach is our three Centers for Entrepreneurship which are located in Black, Hispanic, Asian and Indo-American communities.

Our goals for the next five years:

• Increase the number of women owned small business who launch their business;
• Increase the revenue of women owned businesses by 10% in year one
• Increase the revenue of women owned businesses by 25% in year 2-5
• Increase the number of business trainings to serve the women owned businesses
• Increase the number of new jobs created by women owned businesses.

We will achieve these goals through the programming we have in place:  

• Business Success Academy: a 40-hour program designed to sharpen business skills, financial expertise, credit ratings, and business certifications: offered in English and Spanish.
• Finance Academy: a 40-hour program provides access to funding through a unique collaboration with lending institutions. Offered in English and Spanish.
• Leadership Circle: 16-hour program offered in English and Spanish.

 We will continue to build our community relations to further strengthen our eco-system and integrate more women-owned businesses into that system.

HCC has a long history of supporting and developing programs for Women of Color. In 1984, Maya Durnovo, then Director of Women’s Support Services, led the Women’s Support Services and Women in Transition programs to help Women of Color gain an education and develop non-traditional careers. HCC continues to offer programs and services for women through its administrative leadership and student services. The college has six Women of Color who serve in key leadership positions: HCC College Presidents and Vice Chancellors, and they are exemplary role models and strategic contributors to programs for women. In addition, the HCC Board of Trustees has seven women of color out of its nine-member elected board!

HCC began its Entrepreneurial Initiatives programs through an Export Academy that drew unexpected attention from the business community who was eager for training in exporting. The academy evolved into the first HCC Center for Entrepreneurship and from the beginning, business programs for women were emphasized. HCC’s entrepreneurial programs have also been acknowledged nationally and locally:

• October 12, 2020: HCC Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives won the coveted “Entrepreneurial College of the Year Award” from the National Association of Community College Entrepreneurs;
• For seven years in a row, the HCC/Houston-MBDA Business Center has won the Department of Commerce’s Century Club Award for meeting and exceeding business metrics;
• Maya Durnovo served on Council member Amanda Edwards City of Houston Task Force: Houston Women and Minority Task Force.

At HCC we truly believe that we have an amazing program that is serving our community, and we would love the opportunity to expand, spread the word, and grow to serve more women.  At the same time, we recognize that there is incredible work going on throughout the US in this area, and we are thrilled at the opportunity to brainstorm and learn from others through this process.

We would welcome additional support to hone our program delivery and maximize the impact to our stakeholders.