Nonprofit to provide year-round support to local Hispanic entrepreneurs
(ORLANDO, FL) June 29, 2017 – Following an expansion plan and analysis, Prospera (formerly HBIF) is establishing a permanent presence in Charlotte to serve North Carolina’s Hispanic entrepreneurs. The economic development, nonprofit organization has selected the leader to open its newest office, the first outside of Florida. José D. Alvarez, currently Assistant Vice President in South Florida, will be Prospera’s new Assistant Vice President in North Carolina as of July 17.
Alvarez has worked with Prospera for eight years, progressing from Business Development and Marketing Specialist in Central Florida to Assistant Vice President of the Miami metro area. He was added to the South Florida team during the first months of operations in that region and has played a key role in developing Prospera’s community presence since 2012.
“We are very glad to announce the opening of Prospera’s office in Charlotte, and José is the best person to help develop a presence and programs that create an impact in Charlotte, North Carolina,” confirmed Augusto Sanabria, Prospera president and CEO. “He has experience in helping to grow a new regional office, especially in a market as important as South Florida. He is experienced and very passionate about Prospera’s mission and services, and will be an excellent bridge between our organization and Charlotte’s community.”
“José has been a great asset to Prospera and instrumental in the development of Prospera’s operations in South Florida,” said Myrna Sonora, regional vice president of Prospera in South Florida. “His well-rounded experience with marketing, community and government relations, fundraising, volunteer management, client services and consulting have helped us connect more effectively with entrepreneurs, community-based organizations and local government.”
Prospera has sent delegations to Charlotte on four occasions since August 2016, and has served approximately 150 local entrepreneurs through business training or consulting services. Thanks to the financial support of Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other corporations, Prospera is establishing an office and staff to provide year-round assistance to current and aspiring Hispanic business owners to contribute to the region’s economic development. Furthermore, Alvarez will establish a community network and local program structure that will enable the organization to expand the breadth and depth of services it provides to Charlotte’s entrepreneurs. Prospera’s office will be located within the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte (LACCC) at 145 C Scaleybark Road, Charlotte, NC 28209.
About Prospera
Prospera (formerly HBIF) is an economic development, nonprofit organization that since 1991 has specialized in providing bilingual assistance to Hispanic entrepreneurs who want to establish or expand their business. In the last five years alone, Prospera has facilitated over $19 million in loans, invested over $600,000 in grants for services, trained over 21,000 entrepreneurs, and helped clients create or retain over 8,000 jobs. It has offices across Florida’s central, south and west coast regions, and now in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information, visit www.prosperausa.org.
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