Houston Community College Northwest President, Dr. Zachary Hodges addressed the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston as the keynote speaker at their small business outreach networking event. A strong supporter of small business development and entrepreneurial growth in Houston, he has been President of the college for approximately 20 years, and as a committed partner with diverse stakeholders has leveraged the college as a catalyst for economic and community development in West Houston.
In addition to his passion for economic and community growth in Houston, Dr. Hodges also admires the wealth of diversity, business knowledge and capital that the Indo-American community has brought to the Bayou City. In his talk on how HCC is preparing students for the 21st Century workforce at the Spring Branch campus, he charged the chamber to get involved in with the college’s efforts of entrepreneurship and engineering.
“At HCC, we are creating a learning environment for students to pursue their dreams, not just their majors. This helps our students develop independent and entrepreneurial thinking,” said Dr. Hodges.
Center for Entrepreneurship (C4E) and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses are two vibrant programs that HCC has for individuals seeking to stake their claim in Houston’s economic growth. Each program has dedicated professionals that provide education and training for entrepreneurs and small business owners to develop the skills they need to grow their companies.
Additional programs that HCC has developed to lead students into the 21st Century workforce are the college’s engineering partnership with University of Texas at Tyler. Students can obtain a four-year Civil, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering degree for less than $20,000 at the HCC Alief campus in West Houston. While beneficial for the student, the program is also designed to support Houston’s demand for engineers.
Approximately 40 attendees were at the event and included representatives from BMC Software, Weisser Engineering, U.S. Small Business Administration and SCORE Houston. For more information about the Greater Houston Indo-American Chamber of Commerce visit www.iaccgh.com
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