#068 - Our discussion with Arturto was so inspiring and really went in 2 directions. In episode 67, he talks about his journey of starting Centro and we brought in a Centro entrepreneur, Annie Wang from Little Moon Bakehouse. In this episode, Arturo shares his journey as a social entrepreneur, providing wisdom from his experiences founding Centro, and writing his book *In Pursuit of a Noble Cause*. Arturo’s work centers on uplifting low-income and marginalized communities through innovative tools and social impact initiatives.

Arturo Noriega penned “In Pursuit of a Noble Cause” to support social entrepreneurs looking to start a social enterprise. It will also resonate with professors who teach principles of social entrepreneurship.

“I have read several books on nonprofit management, nonprofit leadership, and some tools, but they didn't necessarily hit home for me. I think what was missing is really the pain of starting a nonprofit or a social enterprise. It requires a lot of perseverance. It's a book really written about waking people up to our industry, the economic development industry, the struggle of women entrepreneurs in particular, and people of color, and my personal struggles.”

Arturo highlighted the rapid growth in the number of people of color leading nonprofit organizations. He emphasized that these leaders require support due to their unique leadership styles, which are often rooted in their cultural norms and understanding. Implicit bias can be a significant barrier to success for leaders of color, and it can negatively impact both their direction and overall achievements.

Arturo discussed the challenges with writing the book as a new author and while recovering from long COVID and also having dyslexia.

It’s a lot so we split it into 2 episodes.

#067 - Today we are joined by 2 guests: Arturo Noriega, Founder and CEO of Centro Community Partners and Annie Wang, owner of Little Moon Bakehouse. Arturo shares his journey of starting Centro to help entrepreneurs in underserved communities, particularly women and immigrants, build successful businesses. Annie discusses her path to launching Little Moon Bakehouse, a vegan, eco-conscious bakery. Together, they explore the roles of community support, sustainable practices, and the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship.

Centro Community Partners provides business training, financial literacy, access to capital, and 1:1 business coaching for success. Arturo says…

“We cater to how we can help you create an idea that is profitable… We listen to you… We will never judge your idea.”

Arturo shared that approximately 80% of the entrepreneurs Centro has supported since its inception have been women. When asked why, he said he believes women are more likely to seek help & training and have a desire to work and build community with other entrepreneurs to create a system of support as they embark upon their path to financial freedom.

Little Moon Bakehouse is a Centro company. Annie started Little Moon Bakehouse to make sustainable Asian pastries by lessening the environmental impact of food production. …

“everything is vegan, and we use compostable packaging.”

Eliminating animal products from food production can have a significantly positive environmental impact. Since many baked goods rely heavily on animal products such as eggs and milk, Annie faced an uphill battle that required reimagining baked pastries.

Arturo and Annie both underscore the importance of community support, intentional values, and perseverance in building impactful businesses. Whether it’s providing resources for underserved entrepreneurs or creating climate-friendly bakery items, both guests demonstrate the power of purpose-driven work in our Oakland community.

#066 - Today our guest is Ayodele Kinchen, a gifted and self taught artist, designer, and visionary. With a keen eye and talent for design, she finds joy creating wearable art that transforms the everyday woman into a Queen, and aims to design pieces that heal, encourage, honor, and beautify the mind, body, and spirit.

Her business started by making things for herself - handmade goods like jewelry, home decor, clothing, and handbags. People started asking, “Hey, where'd you get that from?” So she started making stuff for other people. But, when she started making waist beads, her business exploded.

“I have been wearing them since I was a child. I knew and understood the traditional practice of wearing them so I felt if I decided to actually make them for others, I can equip people with additional knowledge and context behind why they're worn. So I felt really good about adding that to my collection of goods, however, once I added that as a collection of items that I would include under my business name, it took off like crazy. And it's basically, it took over my entire business making handbags and jewelry and everything else.”

We thought we were talking to an artist, but found out we were talking to a culture keeper, a change maker, a healer, and a counselor. Ayodele’s customers love her, evident by the repeat bookings for private parties. But, the best compliments have come from the women who told her she literally changed their lives, one actually calling her a healer.

Be sure to listen to the whole interview to hear how Ayodele bet on herself - leaving her full time 9 to 5 while pregnant with her 3rd child and never looking back.