A look ahead to 2017

Happy Holiday Season. As a value part of the Latino Chamber family we wanted to give you a report on what we have done this year as well what we're brewing for 2017. I hope you enjoy our report and feel welcome to write to us with any suggestions. If you're not yet a member of the Latino Chamber we hope the contents enclosed compel you to join us. If you're a member, make sure you renew. Each of you are very valuable members of our FAMILIA!

2016: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

2016 once again was a year of exponential growth, both in our membership, programs, services and reach for you. Here are some of the highlights:

MEMBERSHIP grew 20% from 2015. We added valuable new members such Longmont United Hospital, Hempelements, Wild Plum Center, Casa Alvarez Foods, Boulder Valley Women's Health Center, Homestead Real Estate, Rayback Collective, Liberty Mutual and First National Bank as well as welcoming back our equally valuable returning members.
LIDERES LATINOS created. This is a new 4-week cross-sector Leadership course offered in Spanish, aimed at including more Spanish Speaking Latinos into influence roles. Graduates are then pipelined to partner programs such as Boulder County Leadership Fellows, Leadership Longmont, PERL by CAP, Business Courses and bootcamps by Boulder SBDC and LEDP and the Latino Leadership Institute's fellowship program. More than 80 participants have gone through the program.
SCHOLARSHIPS. Thanks to a partnership with both the cities of Longmont and Boulder, we have been able to provide scholarships for Leadership development to several individuals. More than $10,000 The scholarships were awarded to the Leadership programs mentioned in the previous bullet.
COLORADO LATINO FESTIVAL. Also known as the #latinxfest for its hashtag name, the festival held its inaugural celebration this past June 26, 2016 in downtown Longmont, CO were it welcomed more than 7,000 guests. This highly successful event, co-developed and co-produced with Barrio E', celebrated Latin American, Afro and Caribbean Cultures throughout the American continent with over 45 musical performances on 3 stages, 3 city blocks along Main St and over 100 expositors. The event was also held in collaboration with Eco-Cycle aiming at Zero-Waste and Healthy Boulder Kids for sugary drinks reduction.
COLORADO LATINO BUSINESS CONFERENCE. This year marked the chamber's 12th business conference and broke attendance records once again with over 450 attendees. The event was held for the 2nd year in a row at the Best Western Plaza Convention Center and featured over 15 professional workshops, more than 30 expositor tables, our first awards celebration and high-caliber Latino keynote speakers Carlos Martinez, Joelle Martinez and Annette Quintana representing the Colorado Latino Community Foundation, the Latino Leadership Institute and award-winning tech company, Istonish. This year's theme, RISE, focused on the incoming increase in Latino demographics and rising Latino purchasing power with emphasis on Philanthropy, Leadership and Entrepreneurship.
YOUNG REBELS. This highly sought after competition, focused on providing entrepreneurship opportunities for under-served participants, saw its 2nd year at the Colorado Latino Business Conference. The participants received close to $9,000 in awards, special accolades by U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Congressman Jared Polis and a chance at connecting with judges who are industry pioneers and leaders from organizations such as Google, TinkerMill, Boulder and Longmont Chambers of Commerce, NCAR/UCAR, Boomtown, BeVisible, Boulder SBDC and Intercambio.
BUSINESS OUTREACH. This year we once again worked in partnership with the Cities of Boulder and Longmont, LEDP, Boulder SBDC, Colorado Minority Business Office and Boulder County to provide outreach and recruitment efforts to business classes, professional development programs and resources. We're happy to report that these trainings have seen sustained and increased enrollment. We will continue these efforts with our partners throughout the year.
GOOGLE LUNCH. Thanks to another partnership, now going into its 3rd year, the Latino Chamber and Google held its highly popular Lunch with Google event where we invite close to 50 attendees on a first-come first-serve basis to have lunch at Google's home in Boulder, CO. This year's speakers included BeVisible's Andrea Guendelman and Silvia Travisani and Google Boulder's director Scott Green. This year's lunch RSVP filled up in less than 48 hours and created a 220 person waitlist.
OFFICE SPACE. Our partnership with the City of Longmont allowed us to have continuous office space throughout the year in downtown Longmont. Our office is located in the Old Town Marketplace building at 332 Main St, Longmont, CO 80501.
LEGISLATIVE INVOLVEMENT. Because it matters to us in the best interest of our members and community, the chamber became more involved in its political role with issues affecting the Municipalities we cater to. This year, the Latino Chamber supported the 3A initiatives by both BVSD and SVVSD to strenghten our schools. We also supported raising the State minimum wage, Boulder County's road levy and open space protections, the City of Boulder's Sugar Tax and Louisville's Community Space's initiative.

2017: A BRIGHT FUTURE AWAITS

2017 presents a lot of unknowns, but we are optimistic that our members will continue on their resilient paths and focus a lot more on collaborations, professional development and a high focus on diversity and inclusion. Here is a sneak peak at the chamber's new year plans:

2ND COLORADO LATINO FESTIVAL. New media relationships and ample planning capacity and time are in our favor to create an even better experience as we go into our 2nd year for the festival. A confirmed Telemundo Denver involvement and other work-in-process relationships has us on track for over 20,000 attendees thanks to media reach through TV, radio, web and social media campaigns. The sponsorship package for the festival is now available at www.thelatinofestival.com
13TH COLORADO LATINO BUSINESS CONFERENCE. The chamber is looking to bring the conference back to Boulder in 2017. Current conversations with CU Boulder will soon confirm the availability of the Glenn Miller Ballroom and its breakout rooms at the UMC. The chamber aims to have an attendance goal of at least 500 participants.
NEW RELATIONSHIPS. The City of Lafayette, one of the most heavily populated Boulder County cities by Latinos, has ongoing conversations with the chamber to explore bringing more programs and outreach. Earlier in 2016 the Latino Chamber conducted a presentation for the Lafayette City Council outlining our programs and possible ways to be involved. Another meeting earlier in the year with CU Boulder's chancellor Phil DiStefano, strengthened the University's involvement with the chamber. The Buffs will become part of our membership and will continue to meet regularly to discuss areas of mutual cohesion. Elevations Credit Union will become members and are interested in several of our programs for involvement and sponsorship. Their community approach is parallel to our chamber's values and we look forward to their involvement.
LEADERSHIP
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
3RD YOUNG REBELS COMPETITION
THE MULTICULTURAL PROJECT
LEGISLATION
SANCTUARY CITIES
ARTS & CULTURE
CONTINUED PROGRAMS & OUTREACH.