Charity Buzz: Newspring News

Lead trainer Jack Barry conducting a class at Houston Community College, Spring Branch campus.

Have you ever watched Shark Tank, the popular entrepreneur TV show, and wondered: How did they get here? For many hopeful businessmen and women, the answer is most likely a mixture of hard work and sheer luck. 

And for some Houston-area students with a passion for business, the first step might be Newspring, a nonprofit that inspires and mentors individuals in Spring Branch to set goals and achieve success. 

Newspring provides training to students at Houston Community College, Spring Branch campus in preparing a business plan. The annual business plan competition, led by Tanglewood resident Jack Barry, provides students mentorship opportunities from experienced business professionals.

Students are encouraged to apply for this program if they’d like to turn their business idea into a business, if they already own a business and would like to grow or change it, or if they have an employer in need of a new business direction. If this sounds like you or someone you know, the enrollment deadline is Jan. 20; see the details here. 

Winners receive over $25,000 in seed money to help start up or advance their business. One such entrepreneur is Desiree Worrell-Mosley, who won the 2011 Business Plan Competition. At the time, she was a student at HCC and a self-described “serial entrepreneur,” and, when she saw the competition advertised, she thought she’d give it a shot. 

“It changed my life,” she said of the experience. She was paired with two advisors who, to this day, are like family members to her. She’d had a business plan drafted at the start of the competition for a drop-off childcare center but learned so much from her advisors that, by the end, her plan looked entirely different. Today, her business, Time For Tots, is a successful learning center for kids located in Spring Valley. 

“Newspring has been so supportive throughout the years,” she said, “It’s been the main backbone to really establishing and building {Time for Tots} in the community.” She said she really encouraged others to get involved in Newspring especially because of all of the direct connections with the community. 

“I describe them {Newspring} as a family,” she said, “It’s so amazing to see such influential professionals come together for the betterment of the community.” 

Newspring founder Robert Westheimer, a Tanglewood resident, said that volunteering at Newspring is unique because it’s specific to professionals with a business background seeking to use their experiences for the good of the community. 

“When individuals help others create and improve businesses, it multiplies your efforts because once you help a business, you end up adding more jobs for the community,” he said. 

If you’re a business professional interested in volunteering as a mentor for the Business Plan Competition, please contact Newspring as soon as possible for details. See the Newspring website for more information about the organization and volunteer opportunities.