A Different Kind of Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration: PMAHCC Opens the Month With $420,000 in Small Business Grant Applications and Closes It With the Winners

Pittsburgh's Hispanic Chamber launches three programs on the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month: $420,000 in grants for Hispanic, African American, Asian American and LGBTQ+ owned businesses, Business English for Entrepreneurs with full scholarships, and monthly Entrepreneur Roundtables. PMAHCC's grant applications open today and recipients will be announced October 15, the final day of the month, with the partner chambers' cycles to follow over the coming year.

Pittsburgh, PA, Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (PMAHCC) has marked Hispanic Heritage Month with galas, festivals, parties and educational seminars, and it will be out supporting and promoting events across the city all month long. This year, the chamber is doing something different. Instead of budgeting for a venue and hors d'oeuvres, PMAHCC is putting those dollars and resources straight into the community by launching three programs on the first day of the month: $420,000 in small business grants, Business English for Entrepreneurs with full scholarships, and monthly Entrepreneur Roundtables hosted at Hispanic-owned restaurants, so even the meeting room is a member business getting paid.

PMAHCC is opening Hispanic Heritage Month with grant applications and closing it with grant winners. Applications for $420,000 in small business grants open today, September 15, and close September 30. Recipients will be announced October 15, the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month. All three programs are backed by no-cost technical assistance through the chamber's partnership with the Duquesne University Small Business Development Center.


"We have hosted the galas, the festivals, the parties and the seminars, and we will be out at celebrations across the city again this month. They matter," said Melanie Marie Boyer, CEO of PMAHCC. "This year we are celebrating differently. Every dollar we would have spent on a venue and a caterer is going into grants, scholarships and a table at a Latino-owned restaurant. We open the month with applications and close it with winners. That is what heritage looks like to a chamber of commerce: not just honoring the entrepreneurs who came before, but funding the ones building right now."

Why Now: The Latino Economy is the Fourth Largest in the World

The timing is not symbolic. According to the 2026 U.S. Latino Economic Impact Report, released in July by the Latino Donor Collaborative and Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business, the U.S. Latino economy reached $4.4 trillion in 2024, making it the fourth-largest economy in the world, ahead of Japan. Latinos accounted for 28.2 percent of U.S. economic growth in 2024 while representing about one fifth of the population, and Latino household consumption has grown nearly three times faster than non-Latino households since 2019.

Latino entrepreneurs are driving that growth. The 2026 State of Latino Entrepreneurship report from Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Latino Business Action Network found that Latino-owned businesses grew 48 percent between 2017 and 2023, adding 180,000 net new firms and 976,000 jobs while white-owned businesses declined 3 percent. Revenue at Latino-owned firms rose 68 percent over the same period, from $495 billion to $832 billion.
The gap is in capital. The same report found that on loans of $1 million or more, only 22 percent of Latino-owned businesses received full funding compared with 45 percent of white-owned businesses, and 77 percent of Latino owners who were denied said the feedback gave them no specific reason or next step.

"Access to capital is the number one barrier our members name, year after year, and the national data says the same thing," Boyer said. "This month we are putting real dollars into the hands of the entrepreneurs who are building this region, and we are doing it alongside the chambers that serve every historically disadvantaged community in Southwestern Pennsylvania."

$420,000 in Grants Available to Minority-owned Businesses, Awarded in Phases Over the Next Year

The grant dollars come from two awards made by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) under its Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance (HDBA) Program.

DCED awarded PMAHCC $400,000 through the HDBA microgrant component, part of a $15 million statewide investment by the Shapiro Administration to create ten microgrant programs across the Commonwealth. PMAHCC was the only Hispanic chamber in Pennsylvania to receive an award.

Rather than keep the funding within its own membership, PMAHCC built its application as a coalition. PMAHCC serves as lead administrator and shares the award with the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania, the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania and the Three Rivers Business Alliance, the region's LGBTQ+ chamber. The funds have been received and no grants have been awarded yet. The money will be distributed in four phases over the next year, one chamber at a time, so that each community gets a full, focused application cycle: PMAHCC first, opening today, followed by the Asian American Chamber, then the Three Rivers Business Alliance, then the African American Chamber. Each partner will announce its own application dates.

A further $20,000 in grants comes through PMAHCC's partnership with the Duquesne University Small Business Development Center (SBDC). DCED awarded the Duquesne University SBDC $1.6 million under the HDBA Program to operate a Business Assistance Service Center for 14 counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania. PMAHCC is a partner in that center, and its share funds a year of programming for Hispanic and Latino entrepreneurs, including this $20,000 in micro-awards of $1,000 and under for the small, specific needs that often stand between a business and its next step.

The grant dollars break down as follows, in the order the cycles will open:

• Phase 1, open now: $130,000 available for Hispanic and Latino-owned businesses, administered by PMAHCC. $110,000 in DCED microgrants of $2,500 to $10,000, plus $20,000 in micro-awards of $1,000 and under through the Duquesne University SBDC partnership. Applications open September 15 and close September 30.
• Phase 2: $90,000 available for Asian American-owned businesses, administered by the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania. Dates to be announced.
• Phase 3: $90,000 available for LGBTQ+ owned businesses, administered by the Three Rivers Business Alliance. Dates to be announced.
• Phase 4: $90,000 available for African American-owned businesses, administered by the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania.

Dates to be announced.

"When we invest in historically disadvantaged businesses, we invest in the entire region," Boyer said. "I included every one of these organizations in the grant on purpose. A Hispanic chamber winning an award is good news. Four chambers deploying it together is how a region changes."

Grants Paired with Technical Assistance from the Duquesne University SBDC

Money alone does not grow a business. Through the Business Assistance Service Center partnership, every PMAHCC grant applicant, selected or not, can receive no-cost, confidential one-on-one consulting from the Duquesne University SBDC: business planning, financial projections, access to capital, marketing, government contracting and certification, and more. Consulting is available in Spanish. PMAHCC refers its members and program participants to the SBDC on an ongoing basis so that a $5,000 grant lands in a business that has a plan for the next $50,000.

"The grant gets a business over a hurdle. The consulting is what keeps it moving," Boyer said. "Our partnership with the Duquesne SBDC means a business owner who applies for a grant with us walks away with an advisor, whether or not they win an award."

"Together with the Hispanic Chamber, other community partners and 5 regional SBDC centers, we are committed to fostering economic opportunity, supporting entrepreneurship, and helping businesses build a stronger future and expand opportunities for all," said Richard Longo, Center Director, Duquesne University SBDC.


PMAHCC Microgrant Applications Open Today

PMAHCC's cycle opens today, September 15, and closes Wednesday, September 30, 2026. DCED microgrants are awarded in three tiers, $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000, and are designed to cover the concrete costs that hold businesses back: licensing and certifications, equipment, marketing, working capital and the expenses required to compete for contracts with government, health care and higher education buyers. A separate question on the application identifies businesses that would benefit from a micro-award of $1,000 or less through the Duquesne SBDC partnership.

Eligible applicants are for-profit businesses at least 51 percent owned by a historically disadvantaged Pennsylvania resident, operating in Southwestern Pennsylvania, in business for at least three months or with a clear plan to launch, in good standing on state and local taxes and with no outstanding liens or loan defaults. Applications are available in English and Spanish. Recipients will be announced October 15, the final day of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Every applicant to any PMAHCC program receives a complimentary one-year PMAHCC Small Business Membership, whether or not they are selected.

Microgrant information and application: www.pmahcc.org/Grants

Both funding streams originate with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development's Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance Program: the $400,000 microgrant award to PMAHCC and the $1,635,097 Business Assistance Service Center award to the Duquesne University SBDC, under which PMAHCC is a partner. This project was financed in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

Business English for Entrepreneurs: The Conversations That Decide Contracts, Customers and Capital

Sindy Malorz knows the cleaning business inside and out. Since founding A&E Cleaning Service LLC in 2022, she has built a team and earned demanding commercial accounts. But when a building manager sends a contract or a prospective client wants to negotiate terms, the confidence she feels running her business can suddenly change.

"When I am cleaning, nobody is better than me," Malorz said. "When I have to negotiate in English, ask about the terms or explain what makes my company different, I feel my English holding me back. I have walked away from conversations I should have won."

She is far from alone. Thirty-seven percent of Hispanic immigrant entrepreneurs in the United States, more than 567,000 business owners, have limited English proficiency, according to the American Immigration Council. The barrier is sharpest in the trades where many Pittsburgh Latino businesses are built: cleaning and personal services, construction and hospitality.

Business English for Entrepreneurs is an eight-week program developed for Hispanic and Latino business owners who want to communicate confidently in the situations that directly affect their companies, offered in partnership with Fluent Minds LLC. Every accepted participant receives a full scholarship valued at $3,000. Applications are open through Friday, September 18, 2026. Selected participants will be notified the first week of October, and the program begins Monday, October 12.

"This is not a vocabulary class," Boyer said. "A contractor who cannot push back on a bad clause signs it. A restaurant owner who cannot explain her numbers to a banker does not get the loan. This program is about helping entrepreneurs advocate for themselves, explain the value of their work, ask the right questions and hold their own in the rooms where contracts, capital and opportunities are decided."

The program begins with an individualized language and pronunciation assessment, followed by a hybrid combination of virtual sessions, in-person learning and one-on-one support built on real business situations: communicating with customers and employees, explaining services, discussing prices and contract terms, participating in meetings, networking, pursuing funding and presenting a business professionally. Each participant leaves with a business communication portfolio to keep using after the program ends.

"Language development becomes meaningful when people can immediately use what they learn," said Amy Metzger, founder of Fluent Minds LLC. "We see the difference when someone begins asking questions instead of staying silent, speaks up in a meeting or handles a customer conversation with confidence. Those changes benefit the learner, the business and the customer."

Funding for the program is made possible through PMAHCC's partnership with the Duquesne University Small Business Development Center. This project was financed in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

The program is designed for entrepreneurs who own a business or are actively preparing to launch one, speak Spanish or Portuguese as their first language and are committed to completing the full eight weeks. Workshops are held Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m., with a total weekly commitment of approximately 2.5 to 3 hours. Space is limited. Applications close Friday, September 18, 2026.

English information and application: www.pmahcc.org/esl

Also Open: PMAHCC Entrepreneur Roundtables

PMAHCC is also accepting applications for its new Entrepreneur Roundtables, a monthly business development series for Pittsburgh-area entrepreneurs. Each Roundtable brings together seven business owners, a guest expert, PMAHCC's CEO and the chamber's program coordinator for a two-hour, confidential conversation focused on one practical business topic. The first topic is Marketing on a Small Budget.

Every Roundtable is held in person at a Hispanic-owned member restaurant, and the chamber pays the host for the space and the meal. The program is built so that the dollars spent to run it land in the community too: every month, a Latino business owner gets a paying booking and a room full of fellow entrepreneurs who now know where to find them.

Grace Betancourt-Jones, owner of Café Tu y Yo in Glenshaw, will host one of the Roundtable sessions.

"When I opened Café Tu y Yo, the hardest part was not the recipes or the rent. It was not having anyone to ask," Betancourt-Jones said. "Every business owner hits a problem they have never seen before, and most of us solve it alone at 11 at night. Seven owners at one table, talking honestly about what is actually working, is worth more than any seminar. I am hosting because I wish someone had put a table like this in front of me when I started, and because I want these entrepreneurs to know my café is a place they can come back to."

There is no cost to participate. Every participant receives a complimentary one-year PMAHCC Small Business Membership and may request no-cost one-on-one consulting through the Duquesne University SBDC. Applications are open year-round: business owners apply once and select the topics that matter most to their companies. Seating at each session is limited and curated so that no two participants compete in the same industry.

Roundtable information and application: www.pmahcc.org/Roundtables

For urgent matters, contact Melanie Marie Boyer at 412-999-0808.

ABOUT PMAHCC

The Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is the principal regional advocate for the civic and economic interests of the Hispanic business community. PMAHCC creates business opportunities, connects entrepreneurs with resources and relationships and advances Hispanic economic development throughout Western Pennsylvania. PMAHCC was named 2023 National Hispanic Chamber of the Year.

ABOUT THE COALITION PARTNERS 

The African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania, the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania and the Three Rivers Business Alliance each serve historically disadvantaged business communities across Southwestern Pennsylvania and administer their share of the HDBA microgrant award to their own members and communities.

ABOUT FLUENT MINDS LLC

Fluent Minds LLC provides customized workplace English instruction throughout Greater Pittsburgh. Its instructor-led programs are built around real communication needs and may be delivered in person, virtually or through a hybrid format.

ABOUT DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY SBDC

The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center provides no-cost, confidential consulting and training to help entrepreneurs and small-business owners throughout southwestern Pennsylvania start, grow and prosper.

ABOUT THE HDBA PROGRAM

The Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance Program is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to support the creation, sustainability and growth of small, historically disadvantaged businesses across the Commonwealth. It has two components: funding for Business Assistance Service Centers, which provide technical assistance and business support services ($21.4 million to 11 centers statewide), and funding for microgrant programs ($15 million to ten programs statewide).

This project was financed in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

Attachment

• PMAHCC Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month by Investing in Pittsburgh-Area Entrepreneurs

Melanie Marie Boyer
Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
412-533-9300
chamber@pmahcc.org