Linda L. McAllister
Have you ever wanted to be your own boss in business but didn’t know where to start? A place that offers mentorship and help with business plans, websites, product development ideas, and more What if? Years ago, when I left my job to start a communications business, I would have welcomed resources that not only showed me the way, but also invested in my dreams. .
Coachella Valley residents Jenny Lopez Rowe and Prema Walker have found their way right here in the Coachella Valley. They are set to graduate this month along with eight others who have taken the entrepreneurial leap and received business training and capital from the Palm Springs-based nonprofit Caravanserai Project.
López-Lou, 46, from El Salvador, teaches bilingual classes both in-person and online through her company, Women Add Value. As a teacher for 23 years in her Coachella Valley school district, she became keenly aware of the mental, emotional and social needs of women who often ignore their own needs in favor of others. .
Ms. Lopes-Rowe explained the importance of women’s empowerment in business.
“[I am]determined to ensure that women’s self-development is no longer left to chance,” López-Lou said. She and I are reaping the benefits of owning a business. Create works that fit your life. ”
Walker, 31, a first-generation immigrant from India, was born into a farming family and started Prema permaculture and composting as a result of his passion for environmental stewardship. “Waste is not waste, it’s a resource that has never found its full purpose,” Walker says. Locally, she serves on the Palm Springs Sustainability Commission, helping community groups like Prescott Conservancy become more sustainable. Walker’s definition has global implications. “Entrepreneurship is about demonstrating that business can be a powerful tool for social and ecological healing, one compost pile and garden at a time.”
What I think is remarkable about these women’s business journeys is that they are not alone. Caravanserai has invested more than $2 million since 2022 in hundreds of small businesses, primarily in the Inland Empire.
The nonprofit organization, whose training programs are open to anyone who dreams of entrepreneurship, has 85% of the businesses it supports are owned by women and more than a third are Hispanic/Latinx. It’s run by an American.
“Previously, the emphasis was: ‘Together we will identify the best solution for you to succeed as an entrepreneur,'” says Mihai Patl, Caravanserai’s executive director. “It’s a game-changer for (participants) by also providing access to funds that can be used for anything related to your business, such as a new computer, childcare, gas for your car, insurance for your company, and more.”
When I asked Patru about the name “caravanserai,” he learned that it meant a safe place to rest along an ancient trade route for merchants transporting goods to market. We in the Coachella Valley know that the Caravanserai Project provides security through emotional and financial support to today’s modern tradesmen who are taking the next step toward business ownership. How lucky are we?
If you’re dreaming of turning your passion into a business purpose, recruitment for the next class of entrepreneurs begins with a graduation event, and classes begin in October.
Watch Walker, Lopez Rowe and others take to the stage at Caravanserai Project’s 2024 Palm Springs Pitch Competition and Seed Lab Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday, April 16th at 5pm at the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Annenberg Theater. I’m going to watch. Please join us. At this free event. Visit https://2024graduation.eventbrite.com
Linda McAllister is a freelance writer based in Palm Springs. Her email is pslindamcallister@gmail.com.
