Supporting Latina Entrepreneurs on their path to business success

Although Latina entrepreneurs are the fastest-growing segment of entrepreneurs, they receive less than 2% of venture capital funds. As a result, Latina-owned firms tend to start small and stay small, according to one report from Stanford Business.

The Latin American Association (LAA) exists to lower barriers to economic mobility and prosperity that Latinos face and to foster self-sufficiency. As the leading organization in Georgia addressing the needs of Latino families, the LAA works to build a brighter future for all Latinos. At the LAA, Latinas can pursue entrepreneurial training and find a community of fellow businesswomen, and they gain access to seed money. All classes are taught in Spanish by culturally competent mentors and staff.

Our service model for the Women Entrepreneurship Program, Avanzando Juntas, has 4 key components:

1. Introductory classes:

Monthly classes where the entrepreneurs learn: Value Proposition and Financial Literacy

2. “Planifica tu negocio” (8-week)

The 8-week program “Planifica tu negocio” is taught 4 times a year. Entrepreneurs receive over 20 hours of training. At the end of the course, they will have:

✔️ Business Plan

✔️ Cash Flow

✔️ Business Registration

✔️ Microloan options

3. ACCIONA Business Center Accelerator

ACCIONA will assist with:

✔️ Upscale your business

✔️ Technical assistance

✔️ One-on-one mentorships

✔️ Marketing

✔️ Training

✔️ Access to capital

✔️ Networking

4. Business Ecosystem Community Navigators Pilot Program (CNPP)

The Community Navigators Pilot Program (CNPP) is a Latin American Association program, designed to reduce the barriers that underrepresented and underserved entrepreneurs often face in accessing the services they need to recover, grow, or start their businesses. This browser is developed together with the Federal Small Business Agency (SBA) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to provide support to Spanish-speaking microentrepreneurs, through the Department of Economic Empowerment and its aid program for Latino Entrepreneurs in the state of Georgia.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Service model Women Entrepreneurship Program, Avanzado Juntas

Even with all the odds against them, Latinas are driven and committed to obtaining the tools and resources they need to succeed in their entrepreneurship path.

Shirley Paucar, the owner of Sweet Toppings ATL, has been part of the Avanzando Juntas program since September 2020. She started as an assistant manager at IHOP and now is working full-time to pursue her business. Shirley enrolled in the LAA’s CNPP and since then she is a successful business owner living her dream. She now works full-time from home and that allows her the added benefit of being able to stay home with her son. She generates $5,000 per month in profit and saw a 36% salary increase. In the future, Shirley plans to work with her navigator and open a coffee shop in a nearby neighborhood.