Academia de Hispanos Emprendedores Graduates 21 Entrepreneurs in Its Class of 2026 in Clarksville

CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee. Twenty-one Hispanic entrepreneurs received their certificates from the Academia de Hispanos Emprendedores Entrepreneurship Program at the Class of 2026 graduation ceremony, held Saturday, October 10, at Clarksville Regional Airport. Families, instructors, alumni and community partners filled the room to celebrate a class that, over ten sessions, balanced their training with full workdays, their own businesses and family responsibilities.

The ceremony, led by Academia Secretary Hilda Hernández, opened with the graduates’ processional, a prayer by Pastor Rey Hernández and a performance of God Bless America by Ninfa García. Remarks were delivered in Spanish with English interpretation.

“You decided to invest in yourselves”

Executive Director María Jiménez reminded the graduates what it took to reach this day. “Some of you came to class after a long day of work. Others had to rearrange their schedules to be here. But despite everything, you showed up, you learned and you did not give up,” she said. “You are not here today just to receive a certificate. You are here because you decided to invest in yourselves, in your business, your family and your future.”

Jiménez left the class with three pieces of advice: never stop learning, support other entrepreneurs instead of seeing them as competition, and never forget your worth. “No one can take away what you have learned,” she added.

A speaker who also taught in the classroom

The guest speaker was attorney Lody Powers, JD, who taught the Academia’s legal framework module. Born in Colombia and arriving in the United States at 15, Powers spent more than a decade in the public sector as a prosecutor before moving into private practice in Tennessee. She said she left that class “with much more knowledge than I had,” thanks to a group of “persevering and innovative” entrepreneurs from different countries and cultures who share a common language. She closed by urging graduates to invite others to learn: “You are an example that yes, we can.”

In the graduates’ own words

Salvador Jiménez, Class of 2025 president and owner of a commercial and residential painting business, said he came to the Academia after nine years in business, wondering whether it was too late to fix past mistakes. “Here I discovered the why, the how and the direction I need to take,” he said. “I also learned that ignorance of the law is no excuse. Now I have the resources and the knowledge to do things right.” His message to the new graduates resonated across the room: “There are already many Hispanic entrepreneurs in Clarksville. We didn’t come here just to multiply, but to stay and to succeed.”

Speaking for her classmates, Class of 2026 President Gloria Bonilla thanked everyone who made the program possible “for believing in the potential of our Hispanic community and giving us the tools to develop our abilities.” “We are not here today just to receive a certificate. We are here to celebrate our dreams, our perseverance and our determination to keep growing,” she said. “Our dreams have no borders, and our ability to learn and succeed is not limited by our origin, our accent or the challenges along the way. Today we graduate, but this is not the end. It is the beginning of a new chapter.”

Certificates presented by local economic development leaders

Certificates were presented by Chris Self and Diana Livaudais of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council, a sign of the place Hispanic-owned businesses hold in the city’s economy. The evening closed with thanks to the organizing team, the board of directors, the instructors, the team that prepared meals for each class and the childcare team that made it possible for parents to attend every session.

The Academia’s message to the Class of 2026, signed by Board Chairman Dr. Lorneth Peters and María Jiménez, captured the spirit of the night: “Building a business is never a straight road. It takes struggle, patience and the discipline to show up again tomorrow. You have proven you have all three.”

About Academia de Hispanos Emprendedores

Academia de Hispanos Emprendedores is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Clarksville, Tennessee, that trains Hispanic entrepreneurs to start, formalize and grow their businesses. Its in-person program is taught in Spanish with bilingual materials and includes meals and childcare during classes, so that training is accessible to the whole family.

Want to join the next class? Scholarship applications for the Class of 2027 are open at academiahispanosemprendedores.org/inscripciones.