Results to Date

• Technical assistance to women and minority businesses — established 9 person statewide technical assistance network, and provided technical assistance (TA) services to 6 women and minority businesses. MTI provided TA to 52 women and minority businesses primarily in Dallas
• Strategic Planning and Fund Raising for Community Development Corporations Economic Development Corporations — prepared strategic plans and provided fund raising services to for North & East Lubbock Community Development Corporation (NELCDC), Plan Fund; Multi Ethnic Education Economic Development Center (MEED); Phililipine Community Center Inc (PCCI), Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber Commerce and the Southern Dallas Development Corporation (SDDC); also provided services to CDC’s in Fort Worth, & Houston.
• Systemic promotion of entrepreneurship with EDC’s and Cities — $50,000 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) in 2007 for the Texas Entrepreneurship Initiative designed to promote of entrepreneurship in 5 Texas cities; i.e. Abilene, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Lubbock, and Tyler. The five participating indicated MTI’s work will increase business starts [the chum] and create additional jobs over time. $75,000 grant from TWC for Southern Dallas Entrepreneurship Stimulus Package including a Boot Camp, Business Plan Competition, and Coaches Program. Completed study for the City of Dallas that recommended establishing a Greater Dallas BizLink program that uses the internet and a telephonic “hotline” to link entrepreneurs with business services providers and provide them the information they need to succeed. In 2009 MTI has done considerable research under-girding the final Report of the Mayor’s Southern Dallas Task Force Small Business Team which if adopted could assist over 2,300 businesses and create 3,150 new jobs over a 5 year period.
• Interim management assistance to CDC’s and EDC’s - provided interim management services 2 days a week for 5 months to the NELCDC while they search for an Executive Director.
• Earned Income Tax Credit Outreach and VITA Program — secured $4,500 grant and prepared a study for the City of Dallas on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), subsequently prepared strategic plan designed could yield an additional $50,000,000 in income to 10.000 low and moderate income families over 3 years. Plan is being implemented by United Way.
• Bank on Dallas Program In December 2009“Bank on Dallas” program to help financial institutions create 25,000 new accounts over 2 years and thus reduce check cashing fees by $20 million.

Major MTI Initiatives in 2010

• Launch Bank on Dallas program.
• Carryout Coaches Program as part of Southern Dallas Entrepreneurship Stimulus Package.
• Initiate Dallas/Fort Worth Veterans Business Program to assist returning Iraq and Afghan veterans to create their own business with a goal of providing training to 250 veterans and creating 104 businesses.
• Carryout the Dallas BizLink Program designed to link entrepreneurs with business services providers.
• Carryout a second entrepreneurship boot camp and business plan competition.
• Governance - Sylvia Sotelo-Kidd, Chair, (Dallas), Levi Davis, Vice Chair, (Dallas), Carolyn Conwright, (Lubbock), Debra Sanchez-Reed, (San Antonio), Alex Savory, (Houston), Phyllis Scheneider, (Tyler), and Elvira Valles, (El Paso)
• Management — President Jim Reid, former Assistant City Manager, who later served as President Southern Dallas Development Corporation, and Texas Mezzanine Fund; Executive Assistant; Volunteer Assistant Director;