City Club at Playhouse SQ: CentroVilla25: Entrepreneurship & Investment in CLE's Hispanic Community

Small businesses and entrepreneurs are vital to our communities. They generate jobs and contribute greatly to U.S. economic activity. BIPOC small businesses and entrepreneurs in particular bring diversity and cultural richness to the surrounding community, enriching marketplaces with unique products and services. In doing so, the money earned by these companies helps fuel the surrounding economy. One of the places highlighting the importance of BIPOC, and specifically Latino, businesses is CentroVilla25.\r\n\r\nCentroVilla25 is an adaptive reuse of a vacant 32,500 square foot warehouse and office building with an additional 12,500 square foot expansion. They strive to showcase Northeast Ohio's Hispanic community through job creation, business development, and creative spaces. The Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development is working to ensure CentroVilla25 becomes a reality for the Hispanic community of Ohio by April 2024.\r\n\r\nJenice Contreras is the Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development. An established leader in small business and community development, as well as healthcare and nonprofit management, Contreras is a driving force in the revitalization of Cleveland's Clark-Fulton neighborhood (where CentroVilla25 will be).