DENVER – The Latino Leadership Institute recently announced the first cohort of entrepreneurs for a new Colorado-based Latino-led business incubator program focused on helping Latino and BIPOC entrepreneurs grow their businesses.
LEAP, or the Latino Entrepreneur Access Program, will be a free one-year program where 11 entrepreneurs will be mentored by a paid CEO Advisory Board of 47.
“LEAP is about growth and balance. We want to be able to help these business owners double their employees, double their revenue, and double their wealth and contributions. LEAP said. “If you look at growing wealth, there are three ways you do it. You grow it through home ownership, building a growing business as an entrepreneur, or, you know, investments and inheritance. Well, we can’t get up the ladder without the first two. Entrepreneurship is the key to wealth creation in our society.”
Martinez said that while LEAP helps business owners navigate unique challenges, it also helps them learn how to sustain their businesses.
“LEAP is not just here to help you deal with challenges. “LEAP is helping big, sustainable businesses grow so that we’re not vulnerable to things like a pandemic or a recession,” said Martinez.
Marisol Solarte-Ehrlacher, owner of Marisol Solarte-Ehrlacher, MA, LPC & Associates, is a LEAP participant.
“I was primarily in private practice. I’m a psychologist and trauma specialist by profession. Most of my work has been working individually with clients and then working with other therapists who want to build their skills around trauma. But now we’re making a big transition. Doing more counseling education.” I am, working with businesses around mental health and wellness,” Solarte-Ehrlacher said.
Solarte-Ehrlacher started her career in 2007. She said she is confident that participating in LEAP will help her grow her business.
I think the smart part of this kind of acceleration program is that a lot of small businesses, especially BIPOC, Latinx, small businesses don’t have the opportunity to scale because they don’t have the resources they need. And they don’t have the network to do that,” Solarte-Ehrlacher said.
Click here for more information about LEAP.
