In 2017, Lynn University leadership identified a need and shared a vision for the third floor of the Christine E. Lynn University Center—that it would be a Social Impact Lab providing young startups and nonprofits the necessary tools to help students, faculty, alumni and community organizations collaborate to solve challenges. Today, the Hispanic Entrepreneur Initiative (HEI) is one of several social enterprises bringing that vision to life. Madison Slate, director of special projects at Lynn, played a vital role in welcoming HEI to the Social Impact Lab with the support of President Kevin M. Ross.
"HEI was one of the first bright organizations to join us when we opened the coworking space for nonprofits in 2019," said Slate. "HEI is not only impacting the lives of Hispanic entrepreneurs, but they are also guiding and mentoring Hispanic students at the university through internships that provide real-life business experience and the opportunity to develop future business leaders."
HEI supports diverse, sustainable Hispanic small businesses in South Florida and offers a valuable head start by teaching American business principles and best practices. The organization utilizes Lynn's coworking space to conduct business in a supportive environment with affordable market rental fees. Through a collaboration with Proximity, a coworking management software, Lynn provides office space and services for socially conscious organizations like HEI to do their good work.
Mapping
As a young high school girl in her native country of Venezuela, Mary Sol Gonzalez, CEO and co-founder of HEI, was already involved with nonprofits. "I've had many work experiences throughout my life, and nonprofits are always the ones that live close to my heart," said Gonzalez. "But as an immigrant, there's an overwhelming level of uncertainty and doubt that plays into decisions sometimes. I didn't know where to start—I needed guidance."
When Gonzalez first reached out to Lynn, she still didn't have all the answers but knew she wanted to develop a mentoring program to help minorities thrive in an ever-changing South Florida business environment. Ross connected her with the late Jerry Hildebrand, former Social Impact Lab director. Hildebrand was a social impact pioneer who helped build the program while mentoring students and socially conscious entrepreneurs like Gonzalez.
"It was his life's work to be involved and know social issues," said Gonzalez. "But he also had experience with women micro-entrepreneurship in Latin America and knew finances very well. Jerry was filled with knowledge and heart."
Hildebrand guided Gonzalez as she registered to become a nonprofit. This move was a pivotal stepping stone in helping HEI get off the ground.
The initiative
Now in its fourth year, HEI continues to bridge the gap between entrepreneurs raised in the U.S. and those emigrating from Latin America. The team's rallying cry helps nurture a new generation of Hispanic entrepreneurs capable of understanding and developing sustainable, high-impact businesses in global markets and benefiting the social development of their community on a large scale.
Yulimar Trumbo, co-founder of HEI and director of education and training, oversees the development of programs built on business culture, economic development, capacity building and advocacy to help achieve HEI's vision.
These programs include, Empowering the American Dream, assisting entrepreneurs to become funding-ready; Dreambuilders, a self-guided program for entrepreneurs; and 100 Hats, a well-being program for women.
"Being able to understand a culture will directly impact business," said Trumbo. "Creating the Empowering the American Dream program allows us to close the cultural gap and train entrepreneurs from Latin America to understand the financial and marketing strategies of setting up a business in the United States. We have seen the difference we're making for the entrepreneurs we train and their families."
The organization also offers specialization workshops in finance, operations, certifications, digital marketing and more. In addition, entrepreneurs can also receive business support ranging from professional references to consultations.
To help accomplish the monumental feat of servicing and operating a diverse nonprofit organization, the team at HEI leverages the coworking space and collaborates with Lynn's Social Impact Lab and its students.
Preparing for the future
Since its inception in 2019, HEI has been consistently in action, yielding results that speak to the young organization’s potential:
- 60+ training sessions
- 1,000+ entrepreneurs trained annually
- 17 business forums and special events
- 98% women entrepreneurs
Gonzalez is actively networking, applying for grants, and nurturing new relationships to expand HEI's reach and help increase resources to provide even better results for the minorities it serves. Despite the everyday challenges and limited bandwidth of operating such an ambitious project, Gonzalez stays grounded by never losing sight of HEI's mission and cherishing the relationships she cultivated in the coworking space with Lynn's faculty, staff and Ross.
"President Ross is doing exactly what we hoped he would do to support our project when we first reached out," said Gonzalez. "There's such a feeling of gratification when you see the president of Lynn believe in what you are doing as an organization—a belief that empowered us to fulfill our entrepreneurial dreams."
On Sept. 29, 2023, HEI hosted the Hispanic Business Impact Symposium at the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center. The event was an educational and networking opportunity for South Florida entrepreneurs and small business owners, showcasing the impact of Hispanic and Latino businesses. During the event, Lynn University was presented with the 2023 Empowering the American Dream Award, recognizing the university's unwavering commitment to fostering the growth and success of Hispanic entrepreneurs and other minorities.
