Chesterfield’s ‘Café con la Comunidad’ to support Latino business development for 2nd year

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Chesterfield County’s Spanish-speaking community event “Café con la Comunidad” is back for its second year next Wednesday, providing the Latino community information on how to establish a new business and various employment services.

According to a release from Wednesday, April 9, Chesterfield’s “Café con la Comunidad" will launch its 2025 series from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, at Manchester Middle School’s auditorium, located at 7401 Hull Street Road.

Registration for this event is now open on the county's website, which is also in Spanish.

Dalila Medrano, Chesterfield’s multicultural community engagement coordinator, highlighted the importance for the Latino community to learn more about how to launch a new business and dive into entrepreneurship within the Chesterfield community.

"Our Latino community has several immigrants with very highly sought after skills and great ideas that are prime to establish a business or find steady employment," Medrano said. "In many cases, these same residents are college-educated and are looking for ways to leverage those skills in America, but need help finding those opportunities. This next session will really concentrate on the economic independence model and the free resources our county has to offer.”

The county government said attendees will have the chance to ask economic officials questions in Spanish during a question-and-answer session, with headphone translation devices allowed -- thanks to Latinos In Virginia Empowerment Center.

Additionally, the county added that bilingual staff who work for the county will also join Chesterfield-based Latino business owner of Salsas Don Sebastian and founder of the Chesterfield Latino Farmer’s Market America DeLoach.

Since the event aims to provide information on business and employment ventures, the city said many county departments, which feature bilingual material, will provide information on these resources:

• Chesterfield Economic Development Authority
• Chesterfield Planning and Zoning Department
• Chesterfield Community Enhancement Department
• Chesterfield Inspections Division
• Chesterfield Commissioner of Revenue
• Wells Fargo Hispanic Banking
• Chesterfield Health Department
• Chesterfield Public Library
• BizWorks

For more information on this event, visit Chesterfield “Café con la Comunidad's website.