Workshop – Puente Cultural Integration

2022: A Year to Remember!

January 16, 2023

Puente Annual Report 2022

puente-annual-report-2022 Download

Eventos 2022

Durante el año 2022 tuvimos un índice de participación en nuestros eventos que nos sorprendió. Nos gustaría agradecer a quienes nos invitaron a su(s) evento(s), nos acompañaron, a los dueños de negocios que nos permitieron ser anfitriones en sus locales, a los panelistas que participaron y, sobre todo, a nuestros patrocinadores. Esto no hubiera sido posible sin todos ustedes. A continuación se muestran imágenes y un pequeño resúmen de algunos de los eventos del año anterior.

¡Estamos emocionados por lo que vendrá en 2023!

During 2022 we had an outstanding participation rate in our events. We would like to thank those who invited us to their event(s), joined us, the business owners who allowed us to host at their establishments, the panelists who participated, and most of all our sponsors. This would not have been possible without all of you. Below are pictures and link recaps of a few of the events from this previous year.

We are excited for what is to come in 2023!

Chelas & Cheers con Contratistas

Empezó con la idea de reunir a los contratistas y celebrar a aquellos que reciben su certificación en reducción de plomo, junto con los empleados de la ciudad que pueden ayudarlos. Sin embargo, este evento lo organizamos para reunir a todo tipo de emprendedores para establecer contactos y forjar nuevas relaciones mientras disfrutan de una bebida y comparten ideas.

¡Felicitaciones a los participantes de la reducción de plomo que recibieron su certificado en 2022!

May 3rd, 2022 at Los Altos Restaurant

October 4th, 2022 at La Palapa del Parian

December 21st, 2022 at La Posada Mexican Restaurant

Initiated in an attempt to bring contractors together and to celebrate those who receive their certification in Lead Abatement as well as city employees who can assist them. We hosts these to bring together every kind of entrepreneur to network and forge new relationships while enjoying a drink and sharing ideas.

Congratulations to the Lead Abatement partcipants who received their certificate in 2022!

Cheers! with Business Alianzas

El propósito es reunir a los miembros de Business Alianzas, así como a otros empresarios, para conocer dónde se encuentra su negocio y cómo podemos ayudarlos. Este es un buen momento para tomar un descanso y pasar el rato con otros. A veces tenemos invitados especiales quienes comparten información valiosa para los emprendedores.

January 18, 2022
at La Posada

August 24, 2022
Cheers to 50 Years!

Is meant to bring together Business Alianzas members as well as other entrepreneurs to learn about where their business stands and how we can help. This is a great time to take a break and hangout with others. Some times we have guest speakers who share predominant information with the entrepreneurs.

Cafecito with Business Alianzas

Cafecito con Business Alianzas es un evento trimestral de networking en la mañana para dueños de pequeñas empresas y líderes comunitarios en el suroeste de Detroit. Los eventos de Cafecito han sido patrocinados por Alliance Catholic Credit Union desde 2021. Estamos agradecidos por su continua coperación. Los Cafecitos trimestrales ya están programados para 2023: el primero se realizará el 24 de enero.

February • May • November

2022

Cafecito with Business Alianzas is a quarterly AM networking event for small business owners and community leaders in Southwest Detroit. Cafecito events have been sponsored by Alliance Catholic Credit Union since 2021. We are grateful for their continued partnership. Quarterly Cafecitos are scheduled for 2023 – the first one is coming up on January 24th.

Mercadito

A finales de 2021 iniciamos un evento en colaboración con El Artesano llamado Mercadito para promover las pequeñas empresas y ayudarlas a hacer crecer su negocio. En 2022 organizamos 2 Mercaditos y asistieron más de 30 vendedores. Planeamos continuar con estas ventanas para ayudar a otros proveedores.

Toward the end of 2021 we initiated a pop-up event in collaboration with El Artesano called Mercadito to promote small businesses and help them grow their business. In 2022 we hosted 2 Mercaditos & had more than 30 vendors who attended. We plan to continue these pop-ups to help other vendors.

Develop with Business Alianzas /
Bilingual Bootcamp Credito Commercial

El propósito de este evento bilingüe es ayudar a los dueños de negocios a conocer las diferentes formas en que pueden aumentar su crédito comercial. Los panelistas, banqueros y prestamistas se unen a nosotros durante estos eventos para brindar más información sobre cómo pueden ayudar o cómo y por qué es importante el crédito comercial.

The purpose of the Bilingual Bootcamp & Develop with Business Alianzas is to help business owners learn about the different ways that they can grow their business credit. Panelists, bankers, and lenders join us during these events to provide more information about how they can help or how/why business credit is important.

Charlas

Estamos ofreciendo Charlas virtuales breves en español o bilingües de temas para emprendimiento durante todo el año. Se puede conectar por zoom a cualquier de las Charlas con este enlace de Zoom: bit.ly/micharla

We also offer short (bilingual or Spanish only) virtual presentations about entrepreneurial topics throughout the year. You can connect by zoom to any of the Charlas with this link: bit.ly/micharla

Learn More

Lead Abatement classes have been a success!

Durante el año tuvimos 70 participantes y ayudamos a certificar a 59 de ellos; esperamos ayudar a certificar más en 2023. Las clases fueron de forma gratuita para los residentes de Detroit y contratistas que trabajan o planean trabajar con la ciudad de Detroit. Aparte de completar todo el papeleo, nuestro equipo se comunicó con la ciudad y el estado para programar las fechas de clases y exámenes. Nos gustaría agradecer a todos los contratistas que participaron en estas clases, los inspectores estatales y los empleados estatales que nos ayudaron a hacer esto posible.

We had 70 participants and helped certify 59 of them and look forward to helping certify more in 2023. Classes were provided free of charge to Detroit residents and to other contractors who are working or planning to work with the city of Detroit. Our team helped fill out all of the paperwork and had communication with the city and state to schedule the class and exam dates. We would like to thank all the contractors who participated in these classes, state inspectors, and the state employees who helped us make this possible.

Keep Reading

Small Business Gala

“The Small Business Ethnic and Minority Media Appreciation Dinner on Wednesday, September 7th, 2022 brought together micro-business owners, Black and Brown community leaders and our Metro Detroit ethnic press together to network and celebrate at one of the most prestigious locations in the midwest, the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Our incredible team spent weeks inviting and confirming the guest list for this free event. Puente is so thrilled to have partnered with the Latino Press Foundation to host this celebration of our small businesses in Southeastern Michigan. I am so proud and grateful for my staff!”… Keep Reading

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU IN OUR 2023 EVENTS

TE ESPERAMOS EN NUESTROS EVENTOS DEL 2023

Recap: Cheers! with Business Alianzas, Chelas con Contratistas and 1 Year Anniversary

February 18, 2022

So far we’ve had two big events this year, Cheers with Business Alianzas and Chelas con Contratistas which took place on January 18th at La Posada restaurant. During both events, besides networking with everyone present, our priority was to register as many contractors as possible for Lead Abatement, a course that explains how to safely work with lead and asbestos. There’s still availability for those interested in this free program.

By the end of the event we registered approximately 10 contractors! Additionally, they were able to exchange contact information between each other. Huge thank you to La Posada Restaurant for allowing us to host this event at their business and to their employees for their attention with us.

Lastly, we want to thank each and every member of the 150 small businesses that form part of Business Alianzas. Our 1 year celebration would not have been possible without all of you! Thank you for allowing us to help you every step of the way. We look forward to continuing working with all of you this year. We enjoyed celebrating with all those who joined us at Los Altos Restaurant, via zoom, and in Puerto Morelos. Thank you to Los Altos for hosting this afternoon with many shared conversations and laughs. Here’s to many more years of assisting entrepreneurs.

Visit our Business Alianzas website to stay up to date with our upcoming events. We hope to see you at our next event!

Business Alianzas – Celebrating One Year!

February 7, 2022

We are thrilled that Business Alianzas has had such a successful first year! We launched on February 7th, 2021 and we currently have 150 members of Business Alianzas as we head into renewals. If you are not a current member, you can register on our membership page.
www.businessalianzas.org/membership

Continued from a previous post: Reflection 2021: Changes & Challenges

Our clients kept calling. On day 2 and 3, we had six clients needing long-term consulting for growth. We let them know that we were still figuring it out and that our services were no longer pro bono. Every one of our clients supported us and let us know that we were worth whatever we needed to charge – they needed our help. That Friday I met with two colleagues/ mentors to brainstorm next steps. It was agreed that for now I would not fight to keep the MI Hispanic Contractors Association, but the need for an organization for ALL entrepreneurs was needed.

Business Alianzas was branded that Friday afternoon sitting at El Salpicón over a couple rounds of Modelo Especial. I bought the domains, registered the Facebook page, and registered with the State of Michigan. Lots of brainstorming, dozens of text messages over the weekend with my staff and partners led to the first iteration of what is now BusinessAlianzas.org – a small business membership organization and referral network that specializes in connecting Latinx businesses to resources and opportunities. Puente Cultural Integration, LLC is the umbrella company and continues to provide direct connections, consulting, coaching, and technical assistance to small businesses, nonprofits, banks, and governmental agencies. We relaunched multiple events and workshops series that had been halted including morning networking (Cafecito with Business Alianzas), Happy Hours (Cheers! with Business Alianzas), and reconnected with past partner sponsors such as Alliance Catholic Credit Union, Comerica Bank, Flagstar Bank, and Fifth Third Bank all of whom we hope to work with again in 2022.

We are proud of all we accomplished in 2021. Below you will find our Annual Report for Puente Cultural Integration and Business Alianzas.

annual-report-2021 Download

Recap: Events 2021

January 29, 2022

Business Alianzas is an organization that was launched by the Puente Team on February 7, 2021. The purpose of this organization is to provide entrepreneurs with the help they may need to build a successful business. From assisting them in registering their LLC to filing their EIN to connecting them with other services and resources necessary such as accounting, banking, insurance, and more.

During 2021, Business Alianzas organized a series of virtual and in-person events to promote thriving conversations and the creation of successful business-related collaborations. It was a difficult year for networking; however, we managed to gather with entrepreneurs, always following CDC guidelines.

Entrepreneurial Education

Workshops & Webinars

Our Workshops, Webinars and Cohort events were all designed to contribute with the formation of knowledge around business related topics. For example, our Women Certification Cohort helped women get certified and register their business as women-owned. This will allow them to receive more benefits for their business. Our first session of the Women Certification Cohort took place via Zoom on July 14, 21, & 28. The second session was in-person at Latino Press on August 4, 11, & 18.

In the month of March 2022, we plan to relaunch Serie de Emprendimiento which is a course provided in Spanish made up of workshops that help new entrepreneurs start their business and walks them through the process. Nevertheless, this course is also for those who already have a business as it helps them stabilize or grow their business.

In-Person Networking Events

Some of our biggest networking events yet were Women Alianzas which took place on June 30th and Q3 Develop with Business Alianzas which took place on August 15th. Our Women Alianzas event focused mainly on bringing female entrepreneurs together to create new bonds. This event initiated the Women-Owned Certification Cohort. Our other event was more of a family event. Entrepreneurs were encouraged to bring family and friends to spend time together. We had live music and food for everyone to enjoy. We truly appreciate El Artesano Juice & Café Bar for allowing us to host this and other events at their establishment.

Monthly Events:

Cafecito & Cheers! with Business Alianzas

Our Cafecito and Cheers! with Business Alianzas events were crafted to remove the formality of business meetings, and get to know the humans behind the companies of our community. Furthermore, we updated entrepreneurs on exciting news and other information relevant to their interests. We encourage you to join us at our next Cheers! with Business Alianzas & Chelas con Contratistas which will both take place at La Posada market in Southwest Detroit on January 18th. Our next Cafecito will be on February 25th at Alliance Catholic Credit Union.

We want to thank Latino Press, Alliance Catholic Credit Union , and Chilango’s Bakery for partnering with us for these events.

Launch Events

Corktown Sounds gathered musicians and performers from all different backgrounds in a unique street festival that took place every Thursday afternoon from August 5th – September 23rd. This outdoor event allowed everyone in the city to come out and enjoy the different styles of music in a COVID friendly environment. Corktown Sounds is expected to come back in the summer of 2022 so stay tuned! We would like to thank the Corktown Business Association for partnering with us to make this event possible.

Mercadito opened the possibility to connect amazing vendors with new customers in a familiar environment. Additionally, they were able to create relationships with the other vendors and support each others’ businesses. Big thank you to El Artesano Juice & Café Bar for allowing us to host this event at their establishment.

Business Alianzas is all about forging meaningful connections among the bright spots in our community. Our goal is to help current and upcoming entrepreneurs develop their business by hosting even more valuable events in 2022.

Come and join us, we want to hear from you!

Presenting the BRIDGE Networking MODEL: Detroit Startup Week

June 16, 2019

This will be my second time presenting at Detroit Startup Week! If you’ve never attended DSW, this is the year to start. There is something for everyone – tech companies, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits all join together for a really powerful experience and it’s all FREE! I will presenting my newly launched BRIDGE Networking MODEL workshop.

Tuesday June 18th 3-4pm
Happy Hour Immediately Following
2nd Floor of the Madison Building
1420 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226
#DETSW2019

Register on Eventbrite, then create your schedule on Sched. Be sure to do both steps!
*STEP 1) *Sign-up on Eventbrite
*STEP 2) *Sign-up on Sched and build your schedule

Bring your business cards and take a guided lesson on networking. This Ted-X style Interactive Workshop will be led by professional “Connector”, Bridget Espinosa from Puente Cultural Integration.
Effective networking skills is a requirement in this age of digital social interactions. Learn from a from an expert on how to bring value to every networking event. Go beyond the business card exchange and the LinkedIn contacts to truly create a powerful in-person network. This will be a literal hands-on interactive workshop where we will take you step-by-step on how to strengthen your elevator pitch, increase your value, and up your networking game. Grow your network while you learn using the PCI BRIDGE Model for Networking.

M =
O =
D =
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Apply the BRIDGE Networking MODEL to help you remember that networking is not just about collecting business cards and perfecting your elevator pitch.

Come join me this coming Tuesday for a free Networking workshop – Happy Hour immediately following.
Please share widely – this is open to the public, but registration is recommended because of limited capacity. We all know someone who could use a master’s class in how to network!
Using my years of being a professional “Connector”, I have created an interactive Networking MODEL to help you to remember the most effective tips to successful networking – whether you are looking to boost sales, connect to resources, or find a job opportunity.
In addition, there are free workshops, networking events, and opportunities all week long during #DetroitStartUpWeek.
Register using the following links:
Register on Eventbrite, then create your schedule on Sched. Be sure to do both steps!
*STEP 1) *Sign-up on the Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/detroit-startup-week-2019-detsw2019-tickets-61543257540?aff=eac2
*STEP 2) *Sign-up on Sched and build your schedule
https://techstarsstartupweekdetroit2019.sched.com

The PCI BRIDGE Model – Bilingual Entrepreneurship Series

February 10, 2019

We’re excited to launch a the PCI BRIDGE Model program in collaboration with other immigrant and small business support groups.

The Bilingual Entrepreneurship Series will launch at the Greater Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce in both Spanish and English (Se lanza el programa de emprendimiento bilingüe en español e inglés.)

Business Model Canvas (Modelo de Negocio)

Resources (Recursos)

Interactive (Interactivo)

Discovery (Descubrimiento)

Growth (Crecimiento)

Entrepreneurship (Emprendimiento)

Find out more about the content of the small business series and register on the eventbrite links below:

REGISTER TODAY!
businessworkshopseries2.eventbrite.com

En español:

¡Reserva tu lugar HOY!
Haz Clic Aquí: emprendedores-serie1.eventbrite.com

El Modelo BRIDGE, impulsado por Puente Cultural Integration, fue diseñado para estabilizar o hacer crecer un negocio establecido o para lanzar una idea de negocio. Todo tipo de negocio es bienvenido: locales, tiendas con ventas al público, restaurantes, artesanos o contratistas, negocios de servicios o asesores. El emprendimiento no es para todo el mundo, pero los que desembarcan en esta aventura tienen que prepararse. Diferente a los cursos tradicionales de planificación de negocio, esta serie de talleres ayudará a que los propietarios identifiquen su “¿por qué?” y aún más importante, saldrán con un análisis financiero completo para saber cuál es el punto de salir al ras para que aseguren un negocio rentable. Cada semana tendrán un Plan de Acción para adelantar su negocio, paso a paso, mientras cruzamos el PUENTE hacia el Emprendimiento.

Los expertos presentarán temas:

mercadeo
análisis financiero
contabilidad
responsabilidades legales
impuestos
asesoría individual por parte de mentor / asesor(a) de negocio.

El resultado de esta primera etapa del programa BRIDGE será un Modelo de Negocio completo y un entendimiento de su estado financiero para que puedan tomar decisiones informadas en cuestión del futuro de su negocio. Más importante, les proveeremos las herramientas y recursos para que sus ideas se realicen – comenzando el primer día. ¡Empecemos!

Somos miembros orgullosos y agradecemos el apoyo de
la Red Global Mx – Capítulo Detroit y de la Cámara de Comercio de Farmington.

We are appreciative of the support and we’re proud members of
Red Global Mx and the Greater Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce.