• Avanzar Business Accelerator Program

    In April 2023, the Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (CSHCC) was awarded the prestigious Avanzar Business Accelerator Program by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) in partnership with USAA. This initiative is further supported by the State of Colorado's Minority Business Office (MBO), reflecting a regionally collaborative effort to empower Hispanic, minority, Veteran, and woman-owned small businesses.

    Avanzar is designed to empower you to build, execute,  and sustain your entrepreneurial dream business. 

    Throughout this program, you will be guided in a design process developing confidence in yourself and your business, as well as clearly building a simple plan with key execution activities that will serve to assure the achievement of your goals. The blueprint is yours - built by you, for you, using your strengths and focusing on your desired outcomes. 

    So, why participate in an accelerator? 

    Every year, thousands launch businesses and take ownership of their professional futures. Yet, research concludes 21.5% of startups fail in the first year, 30% in the second, 50% in the fifth, and 70% in their 10th year of operation. 

    For many of us, failure is not an option, but failing to structure your business model around your skills, strengths, and interests is often too much to overcome. Additionally, many of us will find external challenges to overcome, such as limited sales skills, lack of a strong support network, or a lack of capital/cash flow to sustain through market development. 

    At the end of this program, you will not have all the answers ... rather, you will have all the answers needed to launch effectively and the skills to ask the questions required throughout your journey. 

    The Avanzar Business Accelerator Program, led by Zachary Barker, a certified economic developer (CEcD) with over 20 years of expertise in entrepreneurial incubator and accelerator programming, aims to equip entrepreneurs with the necessary tools and knowledge to build, execute, and sustain their dream businesses. Through a comprehensive curriculum, participants will engage in courses covering key topics such as developing actionable business plans, designing scalable sales and marketing models, accessing State and local economic development incentives, and gaining proficiency in crucial technologies like CRM, marketing automation, and ChatGPT.

    Qualification criteria:

    • Business must be based in the Pikes Peak Region
    • Applicants must also demonstrate an active pursuit of business growth in size and/or revenue over the next three years.
    • Participants must either be or become members of the Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
    • Commitment to completing no less than 8 accelerator training sessions over 3 months
    • Preference for Hispanic-owned businesses
    • Minority, Veteran, women-owned, small businesses and tech businesses are welcome