WT to Team with Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee to Promote Entrepreneurship

Contact: Teresa Kenedy, President, 806-437-6592, bnpamarillo@gmail.com

Copy by Adam Jiwa, 806-651-8503, adam@wtenterprisecenter.com 

AMARILLO, Texas — The Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee and West Texas A&M University will offer valuable business advice to El Barrio residents who are interested in pursuing entrepreneurship in three upcoming workshops.

The “Start A New Business” series will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesdays of April, May and June. 

The three-part series is presented by the Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee, the West Texas A&M University Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, America’s SBDC at WTAMU, and the WT Enterprise Center. This partnership gathers a mixture of business knowledge, experience and voices from various professionals in our area.

“We want our barrio families to have livable wages and have the resources they need if they choose to pursue that through entrepreneurship,” said Teresa Kenedy, Barrio committee president. “Amarillo has a ton of resources that are available to new entrepreneurs and startups. Events like this help families create generational wealth within the Amarillo community.”

The first event —set for 6 p.m. April 4 in Alamo Community Center, 1502 S. Cleveland St. in Amarillo—will cover “Starting Your New Business” and will be presented in Spanish and English. The purpose of this session is to educate participants to learn the steps needed to start a new business in Texas. This event will be presented by America’s SBDC at WTAMU and cover all aspects of starting a new business including, “Filing a DBA (Doing Business As),” “Understanding How to Collect Sales Tax,” and “How to Market Your Business.”

Dinner will be provided by Teddy Jack’s Armadillo Grill and $450 in door prizes will be given away.

“It’s great to see so many organizations and financial institutions get out and support small businesses in Amarillo,” said Quintin Marquez, community development manager for City Federal Credit Union, one of the event sponsors. “It’s important for organizations like CFCU to go where the people are and show them that they are not alone when they are starting their business.”

The events on May 2 and June 6 will be held at the WT Enterprise Center, 2300 N. Western St. in Amarillo. The May event, “Entrepreneurs Supporting Your Business,” will feature a panel of experts discussing what they learned about starting and running a successful small business. The June event, “Financing for Your Business,” will seven different lenders with experience in banking loans, microloans, access to capital, and building trust with banking partners.

RSVPs are not necessary for the three events, and all are free. For information, contact Makenzie Knipe at America’s SBDC at WTAMU at 806-651-5151, or visit wtsbdc.com/elbarrio.

WT is committed to serving the region and well beyond with successful entrepreneurs and business leaders who are empowered to lead others. Partnering and retaining community businesses to improve the quality of life in the Panhandle and beyond is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021 — has raised more than $120 million.

About WT Enterprise Center

WTEC is a department of WT’s Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business and works side-by-side with America’s SBDC at WTAMU in supporting economic development throughout the Texas Panhandle. WTEC provides Panhandle entrepreneurs business coaching, access to facilities, access to capital, and various other trainings and programs to assist them in growing companies with strong leadership. WTEC also aims to provide opportunities for College of Business students to intern in local businesses showing them the hard work and dedication entrepreneurs must have to be successful. To learn more about the WT Enterprise Center, visit wtenterprisecenter.com or contact info@wtenterprisecenter.com or 806-651-8500.

About America’s SBDC at WTAMU

America's Small Business Development Center at WTAMU provides business consulting, training, and research in all areas of small business operations for both start-ups and existing businesses. Established in 1987, they have been providing no-cost business consulting and low-cost training to new and existing businesses. A department of the Paul & Virginia Engler College of Business at West Texas A&M University, the SBDC works in partnership with its sister department, the WT Enterprise Center, to serve small business owners across the Texas Panhandle. Funded by the State of Texas and the Small Business Administration, they contribute to the state's rapid growth through the creation of new jobs and workforce training. For information, visit WTSBDC.com, or contact info@wtsbdc.com or 806-651-5151.

About the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business

The Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business is accredited at both the undergraduate and graduate level by the AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which is the highest accrediting body for business colleges in the world. The Computer Information Systems (CIS) program in the Engler College of Business is accredited by ABET in the area of computing accreditation. Fewer than 40 business schools hold both AACSB and ABET accreditation. ABET accreditation is the highest standard for computing proof that a collegiate program has met standards essential to produce graduates ready to enter the critical fields of applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. The COB has reached national accolades with programs ranked in the top 50 Best Online MBA by eight different national programs including U.S. News & World Report and Fortune. Recently the COB was recognized as #19 Best Online MBA Program by The Princeton Review and #24 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs by U.S. News & World Report. To find out more about the Engler College of Business, visit wtamu.edu/cob or call 806-651-2530.

About the Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee

The Barrio Neighborhood was established in 1889. Mexican workers were brought to the US, legally, by the Santa Fe Railroad to work on the railroad tracks. This neighborhood was developed to house the railroad workers and their families. It covers approximately 950 acres and is a mix of residential and commercial properties. The Barrio neighborhood is multigenerational. According to Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), 4,615 people live in 1,476 households where the average household size is 3.09 and the median age is 27.9. 49% percent of families own their homes. The Barrio has grown to include 216 thriving businesses. To find out more about the Amarillo Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee, go to AmarilloBarrioNeighborhood.com, or contact Teresa Kenedy at 806-437-6592.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offer 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs. 

—WTEC—