Los Angeles Southwest College hosted a business event called “Social Media Marketing for Entrepreneurs,” on Thursday, July 28, 2016. The event host was Rick Hodge, Dean of Career and Technical Education. The event itself was organized in a “speed dating” format, with attendees rotating between tables that each featured a different specialist.
Hodge has been the dean for two and a half years and also serves as Dean of Workforce Development. He often hosts these types of events to help students, local business owners, or those hoping to start a business learn more about entrepreneurship and its complexities. Hodge is also charged with helping students at the college gain certificates, credentials, and licensing that will help them enter the workforce with the skills needed to succeed.
Hodge chose the title, “Social Media Marketing for Entrepreneurs,” for this event, because social media is key to today’s business success. Those who understand how to market their products and services through social media will have a leg up on the competition. Hodge feels this is especially true for minority entrepreneurs, and says, “Entrepreneurship and small business ownership are growing fields, particularly amongst minorities, and our campus has a high percentage of minority students, just like the local community. Because of this, those are the areas that we want to make sure we can get students involved in, so that they’ll have greater job opportunities.”
The July 28 event was sponsored by the College’s Center for Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO), and was not only designed to give attendees the skills they need to be successful, but to introduce them to the latest ways social media can jump-start their careers. Focusing on social media platforms that students are already very familiar with will further spark their interest in entrepreneurship and small business ownership, according to Hodge.
Presenters at this event included several local social media experts, business owners, and educators. They were Krizelle Manzano, Marketing and Social Media expert; UX Designer Terrence Nelson; Starlett Quarles of Urban X Marketing; Founder and CEO of SocializeLA, Margaret Brown; Angelica Urquijo, Communication Marketing Strategist; LA Social Media Trainer Natalie Gouche; and Vanita Nicholas, a Professor at West LA College.
Los Angeles Southwest College was recently awarded the prestigious Entrepreneurial College Award for 2016, by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship.
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