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Westchester Community College, MasterCard Join To Boost Entreprenuers

VALHALLA, N.Y. -- Westchester Community College and MasterCard are teaming to help new Americans seeking opportunities in developing businesses.

Eridania Camacho, director, Gateway to Entrepreneurship and WCC professor Scorpio Rodgers, (standing), are joined by MasterCard’s Elizabeth Liu, program manager, and Monica Chaves, senior program officer, Global Partnership, left.

Eridania Camacho, director, Gateway to Entrepreneurship and WCC professor Scorpio Rodgers, (standing), are joined by MasterCard’s Elizabeth Liu, program manager, and Monica Chaves, senior program officer, Global Partnership, left.

Photo Credit: Westchester Community College

Responding to the changing demographics and economic opportunities in the Westchester County, WCC has launched a new pilot program to help encourage business development for new Americans, supported by a philanthropic grant from the MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth, Entrepreneurship for New Americans.

“Westchester Community College has always been about accessibility. We are committed to student success, academic excellence, workforce development, economic development and lifelong learning,” said John F. M. Flynn, the college's interim president. “Partnerships in our community with business leaders, neighborhood non-profits, and other organizations serving our diverse populations, have played a vital role in achieving these goals, and we are proud to have the MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth supporting this important initiative."

The new pilot program will offer immigrant entrepreneurs workshops on topics ranging from understanding legal aspects of starting a business, access to credit, English language through the college’s English Language Institute, and more.

“At MasterCard, we are committed to connecting people and communities with opportunity and believe in the power of entrepreneurship as a path to full financial inclusion. We are excited to partner with the college on this pilot program,” said Patricia Devereux, executive director, MasterCard Global Philanthropy.

According to a press release from WCC, immigrants face numerous barriers to starting a business, from access to credit to language and cultural differences. There are limited resources available in Westchester County that meet the needs of immigrant entrepreneurs, and Westchester Community College’s Gateway to Entrepreneurship (G2E) program offers programming to help.

For more information on the college’s G2E program, please visit the college’s website at The MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth will support and enable those historically excluded from financial services and serve as a catalyst for change. 

 

 

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