AMARILLO, Texas—The WT Enterprise Center and the Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee will host the final workshop in the three-part “Start A New Business” series for experienced entrepreneurs and start-up business owners.
The workshop series will conclude with “Financing Your Business,” which will feature a panel of specialists who can provide financing options for entrepreneurs.
The workshop will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 6 at the WT Enterprise Center, 2300 N. Western St. in Amarillo.
Panelists will include Aida Adams, vice president of Interstate Bank; Andy Aria, loan officer of the Texas Panhandle Regional Development Corp.; Brian Enevoldsen, managing director of the WT Enterprise Center; Quintin Marquez, community development manager of City Federal Credit Union; Jennifer Oldham, lender relations specialist at the U.S. Small Business Administration; Katy Parrish, business management consultant of Communities Unlimited; and Brittany Rivera, senior loan officer of PeopleFund.
The experts will present suggestions on how to find and apply for capital funding as an entrepreneur and offer advice to aid other business owners, both in the discussion and in a Q&A.
“We hope to provide entrepreneurs with some practical steps they can take to seek financing for their company,” Enevoldsen said. “While there will be information on a wide range of funding options available, this will also be a time for business owners to hear what they need to have ready before beginning their loan applications.”
The “Start A New Business” event series is presented by the BNPC, America’s SBDC at WTAMU, and the WT Enterprise Center. The latter two each are units of West Texas A&M University’s Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business.
This partnership gathers a mixture of business knowledge, experience and voices from various professionals in our area. Notaries will be on-site for those attendees who wish to fill out a DBA (Doing Business As) form, and the filing fee will be paid by the BNPC for those wishing to build their business in the El Barrio area.
Dinner for attendees will be provided by J&L Good Grubs, and participants can sign up to win door prizes totaling $450 at the end of each meeting. Along with the door prizes, five free Dell laptops will be distributed to Barrio families who have children in K-12 school and don’t have a computer at home.
This event is sponsored by Interstate Bank and Pak-a-Sak. No RSVP is necessary for the event, and attendees must be present to win door prizes.
For information, contact Makenzie Knipe 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 campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021— has raised more than $125 million and will continue through 2025.
