The new Hub for Latino Economic Advancement and Talent Development on Godfrey Avenue SW will anchor commercial growth in Grand Rapids’ Roosevelt Park neighborhood, an area already deeply rooted in Hispanic heritage.
Speaking at Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, Chamber President and CEO Guillermo Cisneros called the $10 million facility a long-overdue home for local entrepreneurs.
“This Hispanic community in West Michigan is finally having a dignified space that will support entrepreneurship, innovation, workforce, talent development.”
Cisneros says regional employers actively seek Hispanic and Latino talent but previously lacked connecting infrastructure.
The two-story Hub bridges that gap with meeting spaces, rentable offices, training rooms, event space and a community café.
“This space gives us an opportunity of bringing hundreds of people together, gives us more opportunity to bring technical assistance, access to capital, access to opportunities, connectivity, and to be able to really bring everyone together to make sure that our voices in the Latino community are being heard.”
Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined leaders for the opening, calling the facility a testament to the power of the Hispanic community in West Michigan.
“This hub is going to represent opportunity, a gathering space. It's about community and helping Hispanic businesses grow.”
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