workforce development Women’s Incubator Program Hatches Bright Ideas The Women Entrepreneur Incubator program, which launched in September on Zoom, graduated its first cohort of trained female veterans and military spouses to develop home-based businesses in one of two tracks: Social Media Management and Virtual Assistant companies. The event, held at the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 28th, featured a presentation by Joseph Molina, the Executive Director and CEO of the National Veterans Chamber of Commerce based in San Diego County, and one of the incubator sponsors. SCORE Mentors and the Oceanside Chamber also collaborated as sponsors of the free business incubator program. The three organizations provided training, technical assistance, mentorship, peer-topeer support, and financial information to each of the 40 participants. Each entrepreneur received a certificate to congratulate them on launching their businesses from Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner Horvath (76th district). Oceanside native Fernando Hernandez presented the certificates at the graduation event. The three incubator sponsors also presented each business owner with a special certificate of recognition.
LEFT: Joseph Molina signs his name on 40 certificates of recognition from event sponsors the National Veterans Chamber of Commerce, SCORE Mentors and the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce. RIGHT: Joseph Molina, the Executive Director and CEO of the National Veterans Chamber of Commerce, poses with two of the incubator graduates holding certificates from the event sponsors and the assemblymember’s office.
“Our aim is that the first cohort learned how to be ‘Pandemic,’ ‘Recession’ proof, and ‘Portable’ by investing in themselves,” says the Chamber’s workforce development coordinator, Victoria Carlborg. An added benefit of the incubator is that each entrepreneur is receiving in-person coaching and mentoring at the Oceanside Chamber’s office following the online training sessions. The second incubator cohort begins January 20. The free online training will be from 2:30-3:30 p.m. While the cohort will focus on women, all are welcome to join. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ social-media-virtual-assistant-home-based-businessincubator-tickets-207086941617.
Joseph Molina congratulates the women incubator graduates at the hybrid event.
Chamber member Daryle Howard, a financial advisor and veteran from Chamber member First Command, joined the graduation and will participate in the next cohort. Local TV news stations KFMB and the CW covered the event for the nightly news and even interviewed one of the entrepreneurs remotely from her home back east. 22 | Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Journal
Fernando Hernandez from Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner Horvath’s office presented certificates to women’s incubator graduates at the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce Oct. 28th.
Winter 2022 | www.oceansidechamber.com
