"...we are attempting to create an actual hub for entrepreneurs and developers to either come back to Brownsville, stay in Brownsville, or even establish themselves here."
The City of Brownsville and the Chamber of Commerce will host an Economic Development Update from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Event Center, where the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation and the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation will talk about initiatives that are in the works for the city and those available for entrepreneurs.
“On our end, it is important for the community [to attend] just because we are attempting to create an actual hub for entrepreneurs and developers to either come back to Brownsville, stay in Brownsville, or even establish themselves here,” Nathan Burkhart, director of marketing and small business development for BCIC, said. “But many of the issues that we always hear about is how the community doesn’t know that these incentives and programs are out there when they’re available.”
Burkhart said some of the initiatives that will be discussed in the update are the E-Bridge Center for Business and Commercialization. The center is meant to create a pipeline of scalable businesses or businesses that can multiply revenue with minimal additional investment.
At this E-Bridge Center, a business incubator for launching start-ups will be a component, though it will also house entities providing resources that small businesses and entrepreneurs need to be sustainable.
“[The event] is being run by the chamber but the initiatives that, at least, we will be talking about are two of our biggest projects; one is the E-Bridge Center for Business and Commercialization,” Burkhart said. “The others will be our Startup Texas Grant … which will be targeted to entrepreneurs that are going through E-Bridge incubator program or for those businesses that are willing to come to Brownsville to relocate or are establishing themselves in the city to be able to scale up their services or their products.”
Burkhart said there will also be other incentives mentioned such as the BIG Grant Program, BIG standing for business improvement and growth where entrepreneurs can receive up to $40,000 in subsidies for businesses that are trying to start in the downtown area.
The event is free and requires RSVP to attend. To RSVP visit business.brownsvillechamber.com or call the chamber at (956) 542-4341.
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