CAN DO staff members recently visited several Hispanic-owned businesses across parts of Hazleton and West Hazleton as part of an ongoing educational outreach campaign regarding the business development and support services that CAN DO offers to small businesses.

CAN DO’s Director of Business Development, Mark Minnig, and Director of Economic Development, Jocelyn Sterenchock, partnered with Fermin Diaz, Entrepreneurial Instructor for the Hazleton LaunchBox, to talk with the business owners about their needs and the many ways CAN DO can help.

Minnig said, “The staff at CAN DO recognizes the important role the Latinx community has played – and will continue to play – in the growth of our community. This outreach initiative gave us the opportunity to get out and introduce ourselves to many Hispanic business owners in Greater Hazleton.”

The campaign is the latest initiative in CAN DO’s ongoing efforts to educate the business community about the many ways the economic development organization can assist small businesses with business planning and financing, as well as technical and operations services.

“We wanted to let the business owners know who CAN DO is, what we do, and how we can help.” Minnig stated.

As part of its newest strategic plan, CAN DO has placed a focus on continuing to encourage and support entrepreneurial growth within Greater Hazleton.

Minnig thanked Diaz for his help with the campaign and said he’s looking forward to visiting more businesses.

“Fermin is truly an asset to our organization. With his assistance, we were able to see so many thriving Hispanic-owned businesses in just the first day of our visits and we definitely plan to visit more soon,” Minnig added.

Diaz said the campaign is an important asset for Hispanic entrepreneurs and he encouraged business owners to contact CAN DO for advice and assistance.

“I enjoy working with everyone at CAN DO, so I was really happy that they asked me to assist them with this campaign to connect business owners, many of which were clients of the Hazleton LaunchBox during the pandemic, with staff members like Mark and Jocelyn,” Diaz said. “The entrepreneurial ecosystem is booming for Latinx entrepreneurs in Greater Hazleton and organizations like ours, and CAN DO, are here to help them grow and expand even further.”