Prairie View A&M University to celebrate Entrepreneurship Month in November

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (November 1, 2022) – In this season of Thanksgiving, it is vital for customers and consumers to give thanks and show appreciation for the spirit of entrepreneurship. Individuals with big ideas or innovations and small businesses continue to be the largest employers across the nation. Two years ago, hundreds of thousands of small businesses closed, while others struggled to find workers and stock their shelves.  But as recovered, Americans have responded with entrepreneurial spirit, seizing the opportunity to build new businesses and launch new careers. A record 5.4 million new businesses were started in 2021, over 20 percent more than any year on record, according to the U.S. Labor Statistics. New entrepreneurship rates have increased the most among minorities, particularly in Hispanic and Black communities.

Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension CED unit is kicking off Entrepreneurship Month November 10 at Mercedes TX. PVAMU will host a small business mixer at Bliss at 6pm. Every business owner is invited to attend. During the event, all attendees will be able to learn about the Prairie View A&M services offered to small businesses, network and share stories sponsored by AT&T. If interested in attending, RSVP at https://bit.ly/pvamu_mixer

On November 15, a youth business pitch contest will be held at the Boys & Girls Club in Edinburg. An 8-week program was taught to a group of students on how to start a business which includes topics such as: structure of a business, marketing, financials, and operations of a business. The program was designed to empower young people to become social entrepreneurs who solve important problems such as poverty, injustice, health crisis, and climate change by guiding them to find local solutions and global issues. The pitch contest is sponsored by AT&T.

On November 30, A Women in Agriculture Online workshop will be held from 9AM-12PM. Topics for the Women in Ag includes Heirs Property, Estate Planning, Basics of Agriculture Business and FSA Loans. For more information contact Megan Rodriguez or Ronnie Zamora at 956-689-2412. Register at  https://bit.ly/3yhc07b

"Supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs is important for the health of our communities and for restoring the Rio Grande Valley economy following the COVID-19 pandemic," said Rina Castillo, PVAMU Economic Development Agent. During Entrepreneurship Month, and throughout the year, I encourage all RGVians to join us in supporting small businesses/entrepreneurs and celebrating the immeasurable contributions and the critical role they play in our economy."

About Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Community & Economic Development Unit

The Community and Economic Development Unit serves as a resource and assistance center for limited resource families and individuals in pursuit of increasing their standard of living through entrepreneurship, community program participation, home ownership, workforce development and government assistance programs. Primarily the Community & Economic Development (CED) staff offers professional consultation and technical assistance for entrepreneurs and community organizations looking to start or expand their operations. If you are interested in support services with small businesses, homeownership, or workforce development, contact Rina Castillo 956-383-1026 for Hidalgo County and Megan Rodriguez 956-689-2412 for Willacy County.