The Two-Day Event Yields Success For VSEDC and Our Clients
Last Saturday the 25th, our team partnered with Operation Ten City, a free two-day event that took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Operation Ten City supports the development of people and communities with a vision to see them access true economic prosperity and self-sufficiency through wealth-building and ownership. Operation Ten City works to bring economic restoration and prosperity, and close the wealth gap in Black and brown communities.
VSEDC became connected with Operation Ten City through Terry Gubatan, one of our Senior Business and Lending Coaches. VSEDC was tasked with bringing in business resources, partners, and clients to the Business Opportunity Expo and Career Fair, one of the many offerings of the overall Operation Ten City event. Events included:
- Leading-edge business, entrepreneurship, and leadership workshops.
- Dynamic panel discussions and wealth building masterclasses, featuring local and national industry experts and influencers.
- A Business Pitch Competition, awarding a total of $17,500 in cash prizes to the highest-rated contestants.
- A Business Opportunity Expo & Career Fair, showcasing businesses across industries and companies ready to hire.
- Community outreach events, including a food giveaway and expungement initiatives.
- An action-packed, multi-sensory experience designed for Gen Z’s emerging leaders.
- A “Night of Miracles” Healing Service hosted by Dr. Bill Winston, founder and pastor of Living Word Christian Center in the Chicagoland area.
- A praise & worship concert featuring a special guest musical artist
A SUCCESS FOR VSEDC PARTNERS
Overall, Operation Ten City was a smashing success for VSEDC. Among our partners were representatives from the WorkSource Center, Los Angeles Council District 9, and Southwest College’s LA Invest Program.
Many of our BusinessSource Center (BSC) clients also exhibited their businesses at the Business Opportunity Expo to great success. BSC clients included:
- Jessica McConico – Black Money Matters, clothing line and consumer financial literacy
- Tanya Senior – Cozy Business Center, notary, printing, copies, and PO box, who attracted new clients
- Candace Walker – Generation Connect (also a VSEDC CEO Series Pitch Competition winner), technology education for seniors, who pitched her business in the Operation Ten City Business Pitch Competition
- Ebony Monterossa – Nessa Monte, designer bags and accessories
- Marco Bernard – Masterminds Connect, art and apparel
- Dr. Romina Ghassemi – Think Healthy, Inc., who picked up a new corporate account
- Blanche Nelson-Herron – TLM Corp, who won the third place cash prize in the Operation Ten City Business Pitch Competition
A WIN FOR OUR VSEDC STAFF
Although our main partnership was through the Business Opportunity Expo and Career Fair, VSEDC’s staff wore a variety of different hats throughout the extensive event.
- Adrian Veliz, Senior BusinessSource Programs Manager, taught a Starting your Business workshop to an attendance of over 40.
- Over a dozen respondents signed up as VSEDC clients
- VSEDC occupied over half of the booths in the exhibitors booth area
- Jonathan Kinnard, Business Coach, represented VSEDC as a judge for the Business Pitch Competition
Last, but certainly not least, Operation Ten City Director Melissa Brown presented VSEDC with a generous donation check totaling $5,000.
AN EVENT THAT SHOWCASES LA’S RESOURCES
“Operation Ten City was an exciting event. So many attendees came from different cities, and it was incredible to see, through their eyes,all of the resources Los Angeles has to offer to small businesses and businesses in general. We kept hearing, ‘VSEDC is the one-stop shop.’ One of the biggest highlights was seeing clients we invited to the VSEDC marketplace gain exposure and new leads for new business. All of the resources at Operation Ten City were free and accessible for any aspiring business owner.”
Alma Secundino, Marketing Coordinator
We thank Operation Ten City for inviting us to partner with their event!
For more on Operation Ten City, check out their website here.
If you are an emerging entrepreneur helming a small to medium-sized business, learn more about our Business Coaching services, including loan readiness, here.