| 1983 |
Founded the nation's first business and professional
cooperative for entrepreneurial education. |
| 1984 |
Sent delegates to the Texas State Entrepreneurship
Education Conference where one was appointed coordinator for the Greater Houston
Area Entrepreneurship Education Steering Committee.
|
| 1985 |
Founded the first small business incubator in Houston, the Entrepreneurial
Development Center (EDC), which houses start-up and emerging companies. The EDC has
become Texas' oldest business incubator.
|
| 1986 |
Sent delegates to the White House Conference on Small Business
where one was elected Vice Chairman of the Texas Delegation and another was co-author of a
resolution that became law.
|
| 1987 |
Received a Mayoral Proclamation for graduating the first
Houston company from a business incubator.
|
| 1988 |
Sponsored the "First Houston Entrepreneurship
Awards" recognizing those organizations fostering small business growth in
Houston and became a charter incubator for the Texas Business Incubator Association.
|
| 1989 |
Sponsored the "First Houston Small Business Seed
Capital Fund" to provide financial assistance to start-up and early development
stage companies.
|
| 1990 |
Founded the nation's first business incubator for women, the Womens
Business Center (WBC), with development programs to accelerate the growth of
woman-owned businesses and the female career professional.
|
| 1991 |
Founded the Software Business Center (SBC), the first
business incubator for software developers and computer-related companies and formed the Incubator
Self Sufficiency Group (ISSG), an economic development service bureau.
|
| 1992 |
Founded the Product Development Center (PDC), a
business incubator for inventors, investors, new product commercialization and technology
transfer.
|
| 1993 |
Founded the International Business Center (IBC), the
first business incubator for international services, importers and exporters and created
the nation's first Certified Business Incubators for the Texas Business Incubator
Association in the "Beta Project for Certification, Efficiency and Curriculum
Development"
|
| 1994 |
Sponsored the first "Tribute to Houston's
Entrepreneurial Community" recognizing outstanding entrepreneurial leadership in
Houston.
|
| 1995 |
Houston
host incubator for the United States Information Agency - Institute of International
Education, International Visitors Program and recognized "Houston - Emerging
Business Capital of the World!"
|
| 1996 |
Received a Mayoral Proclamation for sponsoring "Entrepreneurial
Community Tribute Day, July 3, 1996," sent delegates to the Texas Governor's
Conference on Small Business where one was co-author of a resolution for legislation
to prohibit public/private competition and sponsored the "Living the
American Dream Award" recognizing self-made entrepreneurial success.
|
| 1997 |
Created the "Building Your American Dream"
educational program for business owners, founded the Health-Medical Enterprise Center (H/MEC),
a business incubator for healthcare product and service providers and sponsored the "8th
Entrepreneurial Workshop and 1997 Tribute to Houston's Entrepreneurial Community."
|
| 1998 |
Celebrated
15 years as "Houston's CrossRoads" bringing together the diversity of the
Houston Business Community and received a Certificate of Recognition from Houston
City Council for 15th Annual Houston Business Breakfast.
|
| 1999 |
Received a Mayoral Proclamation signifying July 7, 1999 as "Services
Cooperative Association Emerging Business Day" and sponsored the "10th
Entrepreneurial Workshop - Accelerated Entrepreneurship."
|
| 2000 |
Recognized as "One of Houston's Core
Entrepreneurial Groups" by the University of Houston Center for
Entrepreneurship and Innovation and recognized "as an industry leader and
pioneer in business incubation" by the National Business Incubation
Association (NBIA).
|
| 2001 |
Received the "2001 BBB Gold Star Award"
from the Greater Houston Area Better Business Bureau, nominated for the Annual
Innovation Award by the NBIA and received a Mayoral Proclamation "Services
Cooperative Association Day - July 3rd."
|
| 2002 |
Created the "Houston Hospitality Program"
to assist small business owners from other countries in starting businesses in Houston.
|
| 2003 |
Celebrated 20 years as "Houston's Emerging Business
CrossRoads" with national recognition and sponsored the First Annual "Holiday
Gift Exchange" for the Federation of Houston Networking Groups."
|
| 2004 |
Sponsored "Houston Heroes" luncheon
recognizing those groups empowering local entrepreneurs and received a Mayoral
Proclamation signifying July 1, 2004 as "Services Cooperative Association
Houston Heroes Day."
|
| 2005 |
Sponsored the 16th Annual Entrepreneurial Workshop "Entrepreneurial
Excellence" recognizing Houston's entrepreneurial independence.
|
| 2006 |
Invited by the People's Republic of China to speak at the
formation of the Women Entrepreneurs Association in China.
|
| 2007 |
Sponsored the Women's Business Assistance Forum Online
for women business owners assisting other women business owners.
|
1983
to present |
Continued sponsor of annual economic development events
including "Houston Business Breakfast Economic Forecast" the
first week in January, "Entrepreneurial Workshop" to
celebrate Independence Day, "Free Enterprise Trade Fair and Mini Business
Expo" in April and November, "Halloween Business
BooFest" in October and the "Holiday Gift
Exchange" in December, both benefiting a local charity. |