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Sunday, November 18, 2007

'Gap' Should Be Filled

By Leveo Sanchez
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    There has been some discussion within the community recently regarding the development of the Santa Fe Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Some have undoubtedly asked, why start another chamber of commerce? Aren't there existing entities that address the issue of business development? Some will see this as a divisive action. As the incorporating board of directors of this organization, we felt it appropriate to respond to those who will question the pursuit of such a chamber.
    The primary objective of those working to establish a Santa Fe Hispanic Chamber is to actively promote the establishment and development of Hispanic-owned businesses within the greater Santa Fe area, and more specifically, to promote more Hispanic ownership and promote the development of existing Hispanic owned businesses. Why?
    The answer lies in the statistics— there is an "achievement gap" that applies to Hispanics today, not only in Santa Fe, but throughout New Mexico and the United States. In a country where the distinguishing and beneficial ingredient of entrepreneurial capitalism has made us the most progressive and prosperous country in the world, Hispanics are not on par with others in our society. This "entrepreneurial gap" exists within the Hispanic population and is evident when one scans the lists of business owners within the community. There are many reasons why this situation exists, but we believe it is more important to focus on a solution than to re-hash the rationale of why such disparities exist.
    The primary reason for establishing the Hispanic Chamber is to:
   

Actively promote the development of more Hispanic business owners.
   

Promote existing Hispanic businesses.
   

Pursue the objective of enhancing existing programs and developing additional programs that will help improve the employability of Hispanic youth.
    These three objectives differentiate our goals from the more traditional chambers, in that the focus will produce a more intense concentration of efforts and hopefully, a commensurately greater success.
    In addition to the primary focus of promoting the establishment and development of Hispanic enterprises, we will addressing workforce development, which will be high on our list of priorities. It is not enough to promote Hispanic businesses. We must improve the employability of our Hispanic youth. We will add our collective will to that of so many others within the community that are seeking this kind of improvement. Developing and enhancing the work ethic, work standards, and financial literacy are examples of needs that exist within the Hispanic student community and we intend to add our efforts to those currently engaged in such improvement. In addition, we hope to stimulate and inspire more lofty aspirations of our youth through exposure to successful mentors and their personal interactions and encouragements. Establishment of mentoring and internships along with the traditional focus on scholarships are areas in particular that require focus and resources that we intend to highlight. Ultimately, stimulating Hispanic businesses that employ our local youth is a good thing.
    In addressing these needs, we are envisioning a process which will be inclusive, in that all are invited to help address this need. The organization will not be just for Hispanics, but that is our focus and we invite others to join us, regardless of ethnicity. We plan on developing a "niche" of expertise that will be a model for the promotion of Hispanic entrepreneurial accomplishment. A successful effort will raise all boats— a worthwhile goal.
    This is not a competitive initiative, but rather a complimentary one to the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce. We have visited with Simon Brackley, the head of the Santa Fe Chamber and his Board of Directors and with Cathy Zacher, head of the Santa Fe Economic Development Inc. and briefed them on our motivations and objectives. Certainly, their groups are doing some things to address the needs of Hispanic businesses, but it is our belief that overcoming the entrepreneurial achievement gap requires a laser-like focus and a strong dose of effort to overcome the existing statistics. We have invited their support and participation. Clearly, many of the resources utilized by these two organizations will be utilized as we attempt to close the gap. Our intent is to work collaboratively with all organizations that share a common interest.
    While we identified the problem, we don't pretend to have all the answers; however, we do believe that there are strategies that will assist us in reaching our goals. They include the following general initiatives, which will form the foundation of our specific efforts: local support and networking, entrepreneur capacity and leadership development; access to education and business development capital; youth entrepreneurship training; procurement-business workforce development; technology support and infrastructure development, and preserving and promoting the Hispanic culture, language and traditions.
    We invite the entire community to join us as we embark on this effort.
   
Leveo Sanchez is president of the Santa Fe Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. To join, please call Lynette Montoya at 660-3277 or members of the Board of Directors: David P. Garcia, David Salazar, Asenath Kepler, Roman Maes, Audrey Valdez, Domingo Sanchez and Fernando Olea Caballero.