HOLLYWOOD. >>> THEY RECENTLY LOGGED
LAUNCHED A NEW PROGRAM TO HELP
BUILD THE MINORITY BUSINESS
OWNERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRY.
INDUSTRY.
INDUSTRY. AND JOINING ME IS A COUPLE
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING
WITH ME.
WITH ME.
WITH ME. >> NOW DONOVAN, I'M GOING TO
START WITH YOU.
WHAT IS THE PLAN ROOM ALL
ABOUT?
ABOUT?
ABOUT? >>, MY NAME IS DONOVAN TAYLOR.
I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE
MANAGER OF THE PLANT ROOM.
AND IT IS A BUSINESS
ACCELERATOR FOCUSING ON
BUSINESSES WITHIN THE
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY,
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, PRIMARILY WITH A TARGETED
MINORITY AND BLACK BUSINESSES
IN THE LOUISVILLE AREA.
THE ACCELERATOR IS QUITE
DIFFERENT FROM THE INCUBATOR.
WE ARE PRETTY MUCH TARGETING
EXISTING BUSINESSES AND REALLY
BUILDING OUR CAPACITY TO MOVE
TO THAT NEXT LEVEL OF BUSINESS
THAT WE SEE THEY CAN GO TO.
>> I SAW THAT YOU ARE GOING TO
HELP PROVIDE TRAINING, SOME
EQUIPMENT, MARKETING SERVICES,
ALL AT NO COST?
YES.
YES.
YES. WE
YES. WE HAVE A GREAT GROUP OF
PARTNERS WHO HAVE JOINED WITH
US TO BRING THIS TO THE
LOUISVILLE COMMUNITY.
LOUISVILLE COMMUNITY. IT DEFINITELY HAD A LOW COST OR
NO COST FOR OUR MINORITY
CONTRACTORS AND SOME OF OUR
GREAT PARTNERS HAVE BEEN IN K
PFF, THE L CCC, 7:00 P.M., AND
THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS.
WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE
THEM ON THEIR ON OUR TEAM AND
PROVIDE THAT TECHNICAL AND
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO REALLY
PROVIDE THIS GREAT TOOL TO THE
COMMUNITY FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
>> YOU MUST MEAN SO MUCH TO DO
SEE PEOPLE STEPPING UP TO HELP
WITH THIS PROGRAM.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HAS
TRADITIONALLY BEEN AN INDUSTRY
THAT HAS BEEN NOT SO FAVORABLE
TO BLACK AND MINORITY
BUSINESSES AND LABORERS AND
WORKERS SO DEFINITELY THIS IS A
GREAT TOOL TO FIND WAYS AND
STRATEGIES TO DIVERT DIVERSIFY
THE INDUSTRY AS WELL AS THE
CAPACITY AND OPPORTUNITY FOR
BLACK AND MINORITY BUSINESSES
AS WELL.
AS WELL.
AS WELL. >> YOU ARE A BUSINESS OWNER.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS AND HOW
THIS PROGRAM IS HELPING YOU AS
IS AND SOONER?
>> THIS IS A PRETTY MUCH FULL
SERVICE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.
WE DO WORK WITH VETERANS
AFFAIRS, WE HAVE PROJECTS WITH
ONE WEST AND OTHER NONPROFITS
AND WE DO SOME WORK WITH --
LOUISVILLE.
LOUISVILLE. WE PRIMARILY ARE JUST TRYING TO
BUILD AN INTEREST TREE, AND THE
BACKGROUND FROM BEING IN A
UNION.
UNION.
UNION. I
UNION. I WAS A UNION CARPENTER FOR 17
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. AND WE DON'T REALLY GET THE
OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW.
I TOOK THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE
A CHANCE FOR OTHER PEOPLE THAT
COME FROM MY BACKGROUND.
I'M A RESIDENT OF THE WEST END
AREA.
AREA.
AREA. I
AREA. I WAS BORN THERE.
AND I'VE HAD MY SHARE OF
DIFFERENT HICCUPS AND THINGS IN
MY LIFE.
MY LIFE.
MY LIFE. THIS GIVES A CHANCE TO ATTAIN
THE NARRATIVE, NOT ONLY FOR ME
AND MY FAMILY, BUT FOR SEVERAL
FAMILY MEMBERS AND OTHER PEOPLE
THAT ARE IN THE INDUSTRY, THAT
ARE LOOKING FOR A CHANCE FOR
ADVANCEMENT.
ADVANCEMENT. ONE WEST HAS HELPED ME A LOT OF
WAYS.
WAYS.
WAYS. THEY HAVE GIVEN ME CHANCES WITH
PROJECTS THAT I MAY HAVE NEVER
GOT BEFORE, AND I HAVE ALSO
BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THE RIGHT
CONTACTS THROUGH ONE WEST.
THEY HELP ME WITH DEVELOPING
BANKING AND HAVING IT
CENTRALIZED IN THIS AREA.
THEY HAD ME PARTNER WITH THE
COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION, AND
ALSO WITH WHAT DORIS. THEY HAVE
GIVEN ME OTHER SITUATIONS TO
WEAR NOW, I HAVE RESOURCES THAT
DO A LOT OF STUFF WITH SMALL
BUSINESSES AND FUNDING AND
DEVELOPMENT AND THEY ALSO NOW
ARE GIVING ME CHANCES TO DEAL
WITH KENTUCKIANA WORKS TO NOT
ONLY HAS SKILLED WORKERS THAT I
CAN PULL FROM, BUT TO TAKE SOME
OF MY UNSKILLED WORKERS AND
GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO HAVE
TRAINING.
TRAINING.
TRAINING. >> THAT IS SO GREAT.
AND IF PEOPLE WANT TO LEARN
MORE AND GET MORE INVOLVED, HOW
CAN HE DO THAT?
BEE WE DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO
ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
LOOKING AT GETTING INVOLVED.
IF YOU ARE LOCAL CONTRACTOR AND
WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF OUR
PROGRAMS, DEFINITELY VISIT US
AT OUR WEBSITE.
YOU DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO GO
TO OUR CLIENT INTAKE
APPLICATION PROCESS AND WE WILL
REACH OUT TO YOU AND GET YOU
INVOLVED.
INVOLVED.
INVOLVED. WE ARE LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS
WHO ARE LOOKING TO BE A DONOR.
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO
ADVANCE AND A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
FOR BUILDING CAPACITY TO THE
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY AND
DEFINITELY FOR MENTORS.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS
WHO ASSIST OUR CONTRACTORS,
BUILDING THEMSELVES TO THAT
NEXT LEVEL.
NEXT LEVEL. IF YOU ARE A SEASONED
CONTRACTOR, DEFINITELY IF YOU
ARE RETIRED CONTRACTOR, WE
WOULD LIKE YOU TO VISIT AS WELL
AND REGISTER WITH THE PLAN ROOM
AND BECOME A GREAT MENTOR TO
SOME OF OUR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
IN THE CITY.
>>