The Venture Center recently partnered with the Walton Family Foundation, Venture Noire, and the Greater Bentonville Area Regional Chamber of Commerce to produce “The BIG Pitch,” a pitch competition for entrepreneurs of color.
”The BIG Pitch” is an opportunity for us to celebrate entrepreneurs of color doing good business in Arkansas,” said Bjorn Simmons, Founder of The BIG Pitch. One of the winning entrepreneurs, LaTasha Moore, Tasha Teaches Spanish owner, is doing just that!
Read along as we take you through our recent conversation with LaTasha Moore and learn more about how her mission and mindset have shaped her business. We hope you leave feeling just as inspired as we are!
Q: How did you come up with the idea for Tasha Teaches Spanish?
A: The creation of Tasha Teaches Spanish was seriously divine intervention. I had just been laid off as a high school Spanish teacher and was at home, pregnant with my son. A few weeks before he was born, the idea was given to me to post on Facebook that I would teach/tutor Spanish. By the end of the day, I had over 200 likes on the post and had received numerous messages. I realized there was a market need for what I do.
Q: Why is the mission so important to you?
A: When it comes to learning a foreign tongue, the sooner a person starts, the better. Tasha Teaches Spanish exists to make up for where our school system falls short. We provide Spanish education at a young age to create global citizens and “unite communities through language.”
Q: How will you put the prize money to work in your business?
A: I will use the funds to create a professional video series so children can learn Spanish from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Also, when it’s safe, we will conduct in-person park meet-ups so kids can learn outdoors, and parents can get a break.
Q: Have you ever had a mentor, and what did they teach you?
A: God has sent me mentors for each stage of my life. Now that I am an entrepreneur, it is Benito Lubazibwa.
Benito has given several pieces of wisdom. The most impactful is that entrepreneurship is not only about the entrepreneur. It is about the community. He uses the term “entrepreneurial leadership” to explain that when one starts a business, they can impact those around them by providing employment opportunities. Thus, the community grows stronger due to the creation of jobs.
Q: Why do you feel it is important to have diverse voices in mentorship positions?
A: Anyone can give good advice, but who the help comes from determines how well it will be received. People learn best from other people they can relate to. The same goes for business mentorship.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
A: The ability to learn another language is in everyone’s DNA. Some of our ancestors were brought to the U.S by force. Others came on their own free will. Either way, most of us come from a lineage where our predecessors had to learn English. They didn’t have the internet, and they learned a language that was not their own. Surely, with all of the resources we have today, we can too.
https://www.venturecenter.co/communityevents/2020/7/17/vclifttherock-meet-the-winning-entrepreneurs