The Greater Peoria Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Bradley University students to connect Latinx businesses with resources in the community.
They're calling the initiative "The Circle." Students will help organize events, translate business materials and find mentorship opportunities, among other volunteer opportunities.
Christell Frausto, president of the Hispanic Chamber, moved to Peoria from Chicago about four years ago. She said she’s had more success in just a few years of growing her business in Peoria than in a decade in Chicago.
“We wanted to grow there and we couldn’t. We hit a wall. We couldn’t afford to buy in,” she said. “So that was my description of Chicago: It’s very diverse, but inclusion couldn’t have allowed us to grow.”
Frausto said Peoria offers a lot of potential for business owners, but she’s noticed a lack of resources focused on preserving Latinx community and culture.
“There is no Hispanic organization in Peoria that really steps up and there’s a lot of gaps to fill, a lot of fields — arts, education, children, healthcare — beyond just business topics,” she said.
The Hispanic Chamber, a seven-member volunteer board, was created about a year ago. Frausto said meetings typically draw in between eight and 30 community members.
But Frausto said she realizes the Chamber can’t be the sole resource for everything. That’s why she’s seeking out student leaders to help advocate for the Latinx community — even if they’re not Hispanic themselves.
Becky Wood, an instructor for Bradley’s Foster College of Business, is helping connect Frausto with students — many of which are freshman — from at least five campus organizations. She said the partnership is mutually beneficial for the university and the Hispanic Chamber.
“We know that there are a lot of first generation students that come in,” Wood said. “We also know that as freshmen come in, we want to keep them not only in the Bradley family, but also in the Peoria family.”
Frausto and Wood are still working out the logistics of their partnership, but expect the "The Circle" to launch next school year.
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