Nineteen emerging Hispanic businesses were featured at this year’s CAPA ¡Festival Latino! at Genoa Park in downtown Columbus, Aug. 10-11, 2024.
The aspiring entrepreneurs from Columbia, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic are participants in the six-month-long small business incubator program, Mercadito Raices, offered by Catholic Social Services (CSS) through its Our Lady of Guadalupe Center in partnership with Ohio Small Business Development Center.
“Coming to the United States as an immigrant is both exciting and challenging. As these new neighbors assimilate into our community and establish themselves in business to support their families, Catholic Social Services provides training in all aspects of starting and launching a new business to guide the business owners to success,” S. Kelley Henderson, president and CEO of CSS, said.
Over the last 10 years, the number of Latino business owners has grown by 44%, compared to 4% for all other business owners. In 2023, the Ohio Small Business Development Center (SBDC) partnered with the Our Lady of Guadalupe Center (OLGC), a program of Catholic Social Services (CSS), to offer El Mercadito Raices.
The curriculum consists of 12 workshops and 60 hours of one-on-one coaching that helps participants secure a business license, branding, marketing, packaging, presentation, food delivery, menu development, pricing, and on-site support on the day of the event to ensure success. This year’s program will launch nineteen businesses that have met all the requirements.
“We are grateful to our partners and for the support of Accelerate Columbus and our Columbus City Council that helped us provide this program to the Latino community. We are launching 19 new Latino entrepreneurs providing products and services that highlight the rich diversity of our culture in the Columbus community,” said Ramona Reyes, V.P. of Community Engagement at CSS.
“On behalf of everyone at CAPA, I’d like to congratulate this new class of entrepreneurs on their completion of the Mercadito Raices program,” CAPA President & CEO Chad Whittington said. “We’ve been fortunate to have been a part of Festival Latino since 2009, celebrating the wide spectrum of Latino culture. We’re proud to be part of both celebrating and building community, and increasing local business involvement both in the Festival and throughout Central Ohio is an important part of that celebration. One of the keys to having a strong and thriving city is a healthy and vibrant small business community, especially among minority entrepreneurs.”
Columbus City Councilwoman Lourdes Barroso de Padilla said, “Our small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities, and they are part of what makes Columbus great. As the daughter of a small business owner, I saw firsthand the sacrifices, long hours and hard work my father put into his dreams. That dream–his store, fed our family and took care of our community. Our support of Mercadito Raices is a belief in the dreams of others and an investment in our people, families and communities.”
Mercadito Raices businesses that participated in Festival Latino include:
Coffee Family’, LLC
Antojitos Típicos, LLC
Las Berracas Colombian Food, LLC
T21 Scented Candles, LLC
Rendon Landscaping, LLC
J&J Creations Ohio
Empty Space Cleaning Services, LLC
Que como Jackson
Pro Cleaning Commercial Services
Rivero Commercial Cleaning, LLC
Sweet Nirvana, LLC
Los pasteles de Tita, LLC
La patrona multiservicios, LLC
Churros
El Rinconcito Criollo, LLC
La Casa Montessori, LLC
Dream Cleaning 2024, LLC
USA2, LLC
Fight Solutions, LLC
“The key to building a successful business is having a product or service that people want and knowing how to sell it. Mercadito Raices provides the knowledge and skills for Latino entrepreneurs to make their dream of business ownership a reality in the exciting setting of the Festival Latino. ‘” said Mike Bowers, Ohio Center Director, Small Business Development Center at Columbus State.
“Columbus prides itself in making sure all families choosing to live here feel welcome. We are excited to be a part of this program that supports our Latine community in achieving the American dream of entrepreneurship,” said Ariana Ulloa-Olavarrieta, Small Business Coordinator Economic Development Division.
The SBA collaboration in the Mercadito Raices program, is a testament to our agency’s dedication to help Hispanic small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream.” Said Everett Woodel, Small Business Administration District Director.
Catholic Social Services’ (CSS) Our Lady of Guadalupe Center (OLGC) works to reduce poverty in the rapidly growing Hispanic population in Central Ohio. We do this by providing access to professional social services, emergency assistance, and social connectedness. The OLGC is the only center of its kind in Franklin County offering the full services of a food pantry and case management to the Hispanic population.
El Mercadito Raices, a program developed with SBDC to assist Latino businesses through all the steps needed to prepare and have successful sales in community events and open the doors to a wider market.