Last Saturday, Latinitas packed up their gear and headed over to the Jewel C. Weitzel Center in San Antonio for an exciting Startup Chica Conference in the city. Startup Chica is Latinitas one-day-only conference that inspires attendees, students between the ages of nine and fourteen, to take a crack at inventing their own business. Throughout the day the students attended various workshops, broke into teams, and brainstormed the idea, cost, and execution of their businesses culminating in a Shark Tank-esque ending where the teams pitched in front of a panel of judges.
The event began at 10 AM with the lovely Master of Ceremonies, Michelle Cantu, introducing Latinitas’ special guest; District 3 Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran, who emphasized just how significant this conference was, “Good morning Latinitas! I am honored to be here with you guys today. This is so important and so empowering!” Councilwoman Viagran went on to instill the students with confidence, explaining that the lessons they learned here today would stick with them for the rest of their lives.
Following the Councilwoman, Keynote Speaker, and CEO of MarketVision, Yvonne “Bonnie” Garcia came up to the podium to inspire the students even more, “If you have any passion, just follow it. Because you can do it, you can make it. You just have to have that tenacity, that desire, that dream.” Just like Garcia did when she created her own business. With the students thoroughly empowered, it was time to get started with the day.
The first workshop the students attended was on Marketing and Branding. When it comes to starting a business, especially at such a young age, there’s no one better at offering guidance than PyGirls Founder Varsha Shashishekar, “Today I’m going to be teaching you guys how to build your brand! So, you guys will be making a STEM Business or Organization, and I just wanted to walk you guys through the steps that I took to start my own business, and how you guys can also do the same!”
Throughout the presentation, Shashishekar lead the students through the importance of marketing, building a brand, and getting their name out there. She even highlighted the significance of having a simple yet recognizable logo, “When I was creating PyGirls, I wanted our brand to be something that girls could see and instantly feel empowered. That’s why I picked a fun, vibrant purple and a gear design. The logo I finally decided on is bold and organized, but also colorful.” After offering advice on discovering your target audience, choosing a proper name, and even sharing tools like Canva and editing software to brainstorm with, it was time for the students to break back into teams and solidify their brand names.
After a hearty brainstorming session, the students had worked up an appetite, and were ready for lunchtime! As the team members ate, they couldn’t help but excitedly discuss their ideas, which were already forming. Business ideas, ways to make the world better, and even ingenious branding campaigns were all abuzz throughout the dining hall. Finally, it was time for the second workshop, this time on Numbers and Production.
The students were introduced to Maria Flores, Founder and CEO of Hess Street Foods. “I’ve been thinking about you all for days,” Flores explained, “I have so much to tell you and so many words of inspiration that I’d like you to take in your heart after this!” And, true to her word, Flores started with the heart. Explaining that her business, Hess Street Foods, was inspired not only by her culture but specifically by her family. The recipe for chorizo her business sells has been passed down through her family for generations. It’s an honor for her to carry on the tradition, and share her delicious chorizo with everyone. By speaking here, Flores hoped that she could inspire the students to dig a little deeper with their pitches and ideas and come up with a business that really resonates with them.
Flores then got into the nitty gritty of numbers, explaining what things like cost and units were, and how they could change depending on what business the teams were creating. When her presentation was done, the teams got together once more for another brainstorming session. This time, they were narrowing their business down even more. Coming up with clear concepts and discussing what product they would need, what it would cost, and how this would all work.
Though they were close to pitching in front of the judges, they had one more presentation to attend and this one was from Startup’s very own Emcee, Michelle Cantu! Cantu Emceed Latinitas’ last conference in San Antonio, and is a seasoned professional, charming the students with her quick wit all while effortlessly inspiring them to do their best. She began by reading out questions and issues the students might be having “I’ve never done this before,” Cantu delivered in a comically Valley Girl voice, before lowering into her own register, “mentiras” She growled, “You have! You guys have done this before! We’re calling it a pitch, but you guys have been pitching your entire lives every day! This is one of the most popular pitches that I’ve heard; Mom, I need a cellphone! Because…” And just like that, the students understood what she meant.
As fun as Cantu was, she also had a way of delivering information that was accessible to the students. They got it. Suddenly their nervousness gave way to excitement and you could literally see the confidence spread throughout their faces. Finally, it was time for the pitches, and they were ready for it. The teams walked into an auditorium of sorts and were met with a row of judges including Aynee Roque: GCX Team Lead for Global Buyer Experience at eBay, Magda Sanchez: Consultant Digital Enablement & Engagement at Dell, Naville Alcorta: Senior Business Operations Analyst at Accenture, and Ashley Bego: Director of Total Rewards at Kendra Scott. The teams were judged on various aspects such as Content, Delivery, Visuals, Enthusiasm, and Audience Awareness. When there was nothing left to go over, Cantu called out the first team.
What followed was nothing short of incredible, as team after team presented comprehensive plans chock-full of data, with the team members taking turns explaining what their business idea was, why it was important, and how it would work. By the end of the presentations, the judges were awestruck. They removed themselves from the group to deliberate which teams would be receiving awards. There were three unique awards for this particular Startup Chica; a Philanthropic award, an Innovation award, and a Sustainability award.
Finally, the judges returned to the auditorium to deliver the final verdicts:
Winning the Philanthropic Award, which was presented by the Kendra Scott Foundation, was Kitz 4 Kids, a business that sells Ecofriendly DIY Kits offering anything from Oragami to Crochet to paint by numbers. Each purchase ensures another kit will be donated to a child in a different area! Kitz 4 Kids tagline is “Grow to be Creative”.
Winning the Innovation Award, which was presented by eBay, was BEEP. Otherwise known as the Beginners Education Essential Program, BEEP is software that teaches employees how to drive safely and responsibly. They also offer an at-home version for young drivers. BEEP’s tagline is “Smart training for safer roads”.
And last but not least, winning the Sustainability Award, which was presented by Dell, was Wild Bands! A business that offers wristbands that allow wildlife lovers to track animals and keep up with their habits. When you wear a Wild Band, you can follow an animal’s journey and learn how to help protect them. Wild Bands tagline is “Track the Wild, Protect the Future”.
Following the award ceremony, Latinitas was honored to invite Congressman Joaquin Castro up to the stage to say a few words. Castro couldn’t hide how impressed he was by all the students, “People are reluctant to get in front of a crowd sometimes. That’s one of people’s biggest fears and y’all were so incredibly poised and confident and courageous–congratulations!” Following his remarks, Latinitas Executive Director Gabriela Kane Guardia came up to the stage to round out the conference, “I want to thank also the parents and caregivers. You are also an incredible support for your students, and I hope you continue to allow them to have these experiences and opportunities that will help them to flourish in their future!”
Latinitas would like to thank all the volunteers, speakers, and judges who lent their time and support to this year’s Startup Chica. A special thanks to our sponsors, eBay, The Kendra Scott Foundation, GFiber, Dell, HEB, Accenture, and The Carlson Law Firm.