Los Angeles – 3rd District Board of Equalization Member Jerome E. Horton hosted the first of its kind Student Business Development Symposium, on the campus of California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), where over 500 local high school students from Los Angeles, Compton, Centinela Valley and Green Dot school districts received presentations from industry leaders and employment representatives. The symposium, co-hosted by CSUDH and California Educational Solutions, encouraged the students to successfully complete their academic studies and consider becoming a future entrepreneur.
“Our goal is to expose these young people to successful business strategies and techniques that will position them to start their own business and become job creators, innovators, and difference-makers today,” said Horton. “They were also introduced to job and career opportunities by experts in the private, public and educational sectors.”
Participating in the conference was Mike Grimshaw of the university’s Entrepreneurial Institute, Gary Polk from their Innovation Incubator, Bree Nguyen of Facebook, LaVance Kelly, Chief Executive Officer of Big Mom’s Guard, Brodie Childers, Director of Operations at The Entrepreneurial Institute, and the keynote speaker was Tyree Boyd-Pates, Professor of Africana Studies and TED x Speaker, each of whom offered inspirational and educational messages for the students.
The California Board of Equalization, Franchise Tax Board, Small Business Development Center, the governor’s Go-Biz office, and the South Bay Workforce Investment Board shared a wealth of information about career opportunities as well as useful business development data. The University provided speakers from the College of Business of Administration and Public Policy, Outreach Services, Career Center, and TORO Innovation Incubator.
“I am proud to support Board Member Horton and the Board of Equalization’s commitment to exposing students to career pathways in business, entrepreneurship and business development,” said George J. McKenna, III, Deputy Chief of Staff, Board District 1, Los Angeles Unified School District. “It is important to provide students opportunities to see and experience a wide breadth of career options as they prepare to launch their future endeavors.”
