CRYSTAL: BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE
FOR
OUR UNDERREPRESENTED
COMMUNITIES, I SPOKE WITH JACLYN
BALDWIN TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT
THE BENEFITS
PROVIDED TO THE
DUKE CITY.
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING, HOW ARE YOU?
CRYSTAL: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
ASKING.
SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS
CONVERSATION.
FOLKS WHO HAVE NOT HEARD ABOUT
COLOR THEORY, TELL US ALL ABOUT
THIS?
COLOR THEORY
IS EXCITING.
WE ARE COLLABORATIVE AND
BUILDING THE ECONOMIC
INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S A BUNCH OF ORGANIZATIONS
THAT COME TOGETHER.
WE ARE NEW MEXICO'S FIRST AND
ONLY SCHOOL FOR ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT.
ALONG WITH THE SOUTH VALLEY AND
ECONOMIC CENTER
, NEW MEXICO
IMMIGRANT LAW CENTER, ALL OF US
COME TOGETHER TO COME TOGETHER
AND DO THIS COMMUNITY WORK.
CRYSTAL: I LIKE IT, WHAT
ULTIMATELY IS THE GOAL WITH
COLOR THEORY?
LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS, SMALL
BUSINESS OWNERS, THEY NEED
SUPPORT.
I THINK ESPECIALLY NOW DURING
COVID AND THE PANDEMIC, IT IS
SUPER IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO
HAVE THIS SUPPORT SYSTEM AND
SUPPORT NETWORK.
TO BE ABLE TO WALK PEOPLE
THROUGH ANY KIND OF THE SERVICES
OUR ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE.
CRYSTAL: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
SERVICES YOU PROVIDE?
SPECIFICALLY AT OUR SCHOOLS,
AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL IN ADDITION
TO PROVIDING OUR KIDS WITH A
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, WE HAVE OUR
SENIORS RUNNING THEIR OWN
BUSINESSES THROUGH THEIR SENIOR
CAPSTONE.
THEY ARE ALSO TAKING COLLEGE
CLASSES LIKE BUSINESS
PROFESSIONALISM AND INSTRUCTION
CONSUMER SHIP.
FOR
EXAMPLE THEY DO A LOT OF
CLASSES IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
WALKING YOU THROUGH THE START UP
INVESTING, BUSINESS PLANNING,
MARKETING.
IN THE SOUTH VALLEY ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT CENTER THEY HELP
PEOPLE INCUBATE THEIR BUSINESSES
ON-SITE.
WEST COULD HELP PEOPLE WITH
FUNDING.
THERE IS JUST A TON THERE.
CRYSTAL:
THIS IS A TWO-PARTER
BECAUSE ONE YOU ARE HELPING
LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES GET THEIR
FOOT.
ON THE OTHERS YOU ARE HOPING
HIGH SCHOOLERS WITH THE BUSINESS
PERSPECTIVE.
MAYBE THEY WANT TO PURSUE
BUSINESS IN THE FUTURE.
WE ARE GRADUATING AN AVERAGE
OF TWO OUT OF THREE TEENAGERS,
WE KNOW WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE
GRADUATE IN THEIR EARLY 20'S
ABOUT 20% OF THEM DON'T HAVE A
JOB.
IT IS THE ISSUE
WE ALL NEED TO
COME TOGETHER TO ADDRESS.
IT WILL
FOSTER THE BUSINESS
SKILLS EARLY ON IN HIGH SCHOOL
AND WE DEFINITELY HAVE A LEG UP.
CRYSTAL: I THINK YOU HIT THE
NAIL RIGHT ON THE HEAD.
WITH WHAT THE SOLE GOAL
IS.
FOR SOME VIEWERS AT HOME
THINKING I COULD'VE USED SOME
HELP, HOW COULD THEY FIND YOU?
I KNOW THERE ARE SEVERAL
ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TOGETHER
ON THIS.
RIGHT NOW
THERE ARE TWO ENTRY
POINTS.
ONE IS OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
IF YOU GO ON FACEBOOK AND YOU
TYPE IN COLOR THEORY YOU COULD
FIND IT THERE OR YOU COULD GO TO
OUR WEBSITE, COLOR
THEORYABQ.ORG.
CRYSTAL: THANK YOU FOR JOINING
US, GREAT INSIGHT.
THANK YOU.