Meet Nayeli Gallegos, the President and Co-Founder of Red Carpet Productions, a brand management agency. Nayeli has 15 plus years of experience in marketing, communication, event planning, and business development, through her previous jobs at the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC) and EGBI. Nayeli graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration and holds an MBA on Entrepreneurship from CEPADE Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. A champion of women empowerment, in 2019 Nayeli was recognized as the Hispanic Female Entrepreneur of the year by the GAHCC.
Nayeli Gallegos shares her journey at EGBI, and how you can get involved too.
Hi Nayeli! To get started tell us a fun fact about yourself that many people may not know.
Well, I’m originally from Mexico. In 2002, I did something crazy and married my high school sweetheart. I left my country and moved to Austin, I was only 19 years old. We have grown up together, have two beautiful girls, and co-founded a business in the liquor industry. In this journey, almost 19 years after moving to Austin, I finally became a US citizen this year.
How have you volunteered for EGBI?
I feel like I’ve always been a part of EGBI. When I was Director of Economic Development at the GAHCC, EGBI was an important component of our initiatives. Then, I went to work for EGBI for about 6 years, and when I left my job to focus on my business, I continued to stay involved with the marketing and the Celebrating Success committee.
Why do you think it is important to support and volunteer with EGBI?
I’ve always believed in the importance of giving back to the community, and aside from the financial support, one of the best ways to help is by volunteering time and talent to EGBI.
“ Volunteers are key in helping EGBI accomplish its mission.” Nayeli Gallegos
Why is it important for EGBI to help small businesses in Central Texas?
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, if we have healthy businesses that are producing and creating jobs, families will prosper, and our entire community will benefit from it.
In 2020, volunteers put in more than 130 hours to help EGBI support and serve over 400 small businesses. Volunteers like Nayeli make this possible and continue to help EGBI pursue their mission of training ,coaching, and supporting aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business.
Want to get involved too? Contact us and find out how to get involved.
Meet Amber Kani, a passionate nonprofit executive and corporate citizenship leader. Amber serves as an advocate for financial mobility, and has held past roles with the American Red Cross, Texas Stars Foundation, and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. She works at DreamSpring, a nonprofit community development finance organization that assist underserved entrepreneurs access to their piece of the American Dream. Actively engaged in her community, Amber recently served as Board Chair of the Financial Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, and has volunteered her time with EGBI’s marketing department, Celebrating Success Committee, and as an instructor.
Amber Kani shares her experience as an EGBI volunteer and how you can get involved too.
Hi Amber! To get started tell us a fun fact about yourself that many people may not know.
I am a vegan, but I absolutely adore vegan junk food. I have an instagram account dedicated to my Austin food finds and at-home creations: @vegantrashmonster
How have you volunteered for EGBI?
I’ve served on the marketing and events committees and taught small business workshops. I’ve also participated in matchmaking events where entrepreneurs ask market research questions and learn more about potential clientele.
Why do you think it is important to support and volunteer with EGBI?
Small businesses need help now more than ever. EGBI provides entrepreneurs with the tools and support they need to grow and thrive. Empowered with expertise, mentorship, and access to subject matter experts from EGBI, small business owners can create new jobs and offer critical products and services. Volunteering allows me to connect directly with emerging entrepreneurs and keep my skills fresh while helping create new opportunities in my own backyard.
“EGBI makes the American Dream a reality and you can be a part of helping a neighbor in need. Support for EGBI is support for your favorite small business – the taco shop you couldn’t live without, the mechanic who always fits you in, the hair stylist who gives you the perfect bangs. These businesses make our community vibrant and by supporting EGBI, we are ensuring their success for years to come.“Amber Kani, Volunteer
Why is it important for EGBI to help small businesses in Central Texas?
The pandemic shed light on the enormous challenges small businesses face, but even in a normal environment entrepreneurship is hard. For underserved groups like women, minorities, and low income people, the chance to own a business can seem like a distant dream. It shouldn’t be as difficult as it is, and EGBI provides the boost entrepreneurs need to take that next step. To be a small business owner, you need to be a marketing guru, operations lead, human resources manager, and financial advisor – all in one. EGBI makes it easier to deconstruct the components of a successful business.
In 2020, volunteers put in more than 130 hours to help EGBI support and serve over 400 small businesses. Volunteers like Amber make this possible and continue to help EGBI pursue their mission of training ,coaching, and supporting aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business.
Want to get involved too? Contact us and become an EGBI volunteer!
Join us in San Antonio on November 7 for PeopleTalk with Elijah May of The Experience Firm.
Elijah May is co-founder and managing partner of The Experience Firm, a customer experience consultancy focused on building brands and driving word of mouth. Elijah’s career as a brand strategist spans over two decades and began at his alma mater, the University of Southern California, where he managed the University’s appearance in commercials, TV shows and movies. Since moving to Austin in 2006, he has launched numerous startups, lectured at every college and University in town, and designed customer experiences for some of the world’s most famous brands. His personal mission is to help companies realize the ROI of investing in people.
Certification 101: Overview and Application Forms Review
Thursday, November 15, 2018
The City of Austin’s Small & Minority Business Resources Department (SMBR) invites for-profit business owners interested in working with government contracts are invited to learn more about small and minority business enterprise certifications and how they can be used as a marketing tool for businesses that are qualified.
Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) for City of Austin funded contracts and projects
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) for federally-funded aviation, transportation, and highway projects such as Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Cap Metro), Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
Small Business Enterprise (SBE) which is a race and gender neutral certification for single scoped construction projects.
The City also has an agreement with the State of Texas to review applications for Historically Underutilized Business Enterprise (HUB) certification when application is submitted with MBE/WBE or DBE application. If approved, qualified HUB candidates will receive their certificate from the State of Texas.
Corridor Construction Program Workshop for Businesses
Tue, October 16, 2018 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Mobility, safety and connectivity improvements are planned for nine major Austin roadways. The City of Austin Corridor Program Office and the Austin Chamber of Commerce are hosting workshops for businesses located along those roadways to request their input in preparation for construction. The improvements are funded in part by the voter-approved 2016 Mobility Bond and are part of the Corridor Construction Program that Austin City Council adopted in spring 2018. Attendees will also have an opportunity to review improvements coming to each corridor and speak with project team members.
Join us for one of the three Sessions on October 16. The same information and input opportunities will be available at each of the three times listed below. Please RSVP by selecting the ticket cooridinating to the session you plan to attend so we can adequetly prepare.
SESSION 1: 10-11:30 a.m.
SESSION 2: 2-3:30 p.m.
SESSION 3: 5:30-7 p.m.
The corridors in the Corridor Construction Program are:
North Lamar Boulevard from US 183 to Howard Lane/I-35
Burnet Road from Koenig Lane to Mopac Expressway
Airport Boulevard from North Lamar Boulevard to US 183
East MLK Jr. Boulevard/FM 969 from US Hwy. 183 to Decker Lane
South Lamar Boulevard from Riverside Drive to Ben White Boulevard/US 290
East Riverside Drive from Riverside Drive to SH 71
Guadalupe Street from MLK Jr. Boulevard to West 29th Street
William Cannon Drive from Southwest Parkway to McKinney Falls Parkway
PeopleFund will be hosting a series of free workshops called Financial Education Fridays under BBVA Compass Center’s Pilot Program. The goal of this program is to provide free financial education, which includes classes on small business and personal finance.
We will be offering a series of workshops in different PeopleFund offices, including:
Pricing is the fastest and most effective way for companies to increase profitability. Studies show that a 1% increase in pricing has a greater positive impact on profitability than does a 1% increase in sales volume or a 1% decrease in costs. Unfortunately, too many companies do not think tactically about pricing and do not effectively price for profitability. This workshop is designed to help small business owners and managers to understand common mistakes that companies make in pricing and learn best pricing practices that will enable them to maximize company profitability.
This class is taught by a University of Texas Instructor and counts toward the 6 course requirement needed to earn your Business Skills Certification.
