Bakeries, Broadband, and Big Dreams: Comcast Texas Leaders Coach Young Entrepreneurs

Starting your own business can be daunting for anyone, especially when you are on the cusp of adulthood. This week, a group of Houston-based young entrepreneurs learned how to successfully market and brand a small business from one of the most successful tech companies in the city.

The young adults recently visited the Comcast Texas regional headquarters in northwest Houston to get first-hand information on the keys to unlocking productivity, connectivity, and how to courageously start your own business. The morning began with Comcast employees lining the hallway to welcome the students, ages 15 to 21, from Camara de Empresarios Latinos de Houston foundation. The cheer line jumpstarted a great conversation about the tools needed to become a successful business owner.

Jose Espinel, Regional Senior Vice President for Comcast Texas, helped welcome the students.

“Thank you for taking your studies very seriously,” Espinel said. “In my career, education has been critical for the success I have achieved. My advice to you is that you continue to take your education very seriously. Education is something you cannot get enough of. It’s going to open bigger and better doors for many of you.”

One student shared that she is already running her own bakery. Adan Gaitan, Senior Director for Sales Operations and Marketing for Comcast Texas, asked about her next steps to create a strong brand identity.

“How do you position your brand? Just by being a bakery, you can seem the same as any other bakery,” Gaitan said. “That’s where brand comes in. Two bakeries, if branded properly, can be very different businesses to the consumer. Perhaps you specialize in cupcakes for kids, and you won’t compete against the corner bakery that caters to a wider audience.”

Once you establish a brand, you must amplify it on social media. That’s where Foti Kallergis, Senior Director of Communications and Public Relations for Comcast Texas, stepped in to give the students some homework. While polling the students, many said they were unfamiliar with Facebook. Kallergis urged them to study all social media platforms, because each one works uniquely and can be used differently to market their goods or services.

“Rule number 1: Know your platforms,” Kallergis said. “Know how each platform works. Instagram and Facebook have very different audiences. For instance, Facebook is more parent focused. Facebook is still the number one platform in the world. Just because you don’t use it, don’t discount it. Know your audience.”

Surveys show that social media has allowed nearly one in four people under the age of 24 to start their own business. For the second year in a row, teen and young adult entrepreneurs are starting businesses at higher rates than older generations, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor United States Report. Among this class of Houston business visionaries, other students are working to develop their own salons, real estate agencies, and law firms. Whatever their interest, the group took away important guidelines to get started.

“Visiting Comcast isn’t just a field trip — it’s an empowering, educational experience that can help youth see what’s possible, learn what it takes and connect with those who can help them get there,” Adriana Gonzalez, President/CEO of Camara de Empresarios Latinos de Houston said.

“This broadens their understanding of how businesses operate and succeed. More than anything we would like to thank Comcast because their time investing in the Youth Business Camp, helping to build bridges between corporations and curious youth; and showing the youth that their growth and success matter as long as you do not forget to serve the community.”

Comcast NBC Universal Foundation funded the three-month-long Youth Business Camp through a grant designed around promoting the digital skills, knowledge and confidence needed to develop businesses of tomorrow. Through workshops, mentorship, and real-world applications, participants are learning the essential business fundamentals while networking with successful entrepreneurs, industry leaders and like-minded peers.