We Can Work It Out advocates the  creation of community-based organizational partnership (entrepreneurial ecosystems) that supports and empowers youth from the cradle and throughout their career through (1) Community Schools; (2) Safe and Strong Neighborhoods; and (3) Economic Empowerment.

Mr. Hawthorne, a Vietnam Vet, co-founded the West Florin Place Business Incubator in 1993 with his Mentor Alphonso Geiger.

As Director of Training and Facilities Management, Henry provided a full range of administrative support to business incubator clients along with performing community outreach to ascertain the needs of our target population.

As the Facilities manager of the property, Henry was also an owner of the property that housed the business incubator. He represented the partnership and incubator in all dealings with Federal, State and local agencies and other County officials on fiscal and administrative matters.

Henry believes in inspiring youth and young adults to do extraordinary things. We know that tomorrow’s jobs and economy are going to be created by leaders and entrepreneurs we foster today. Not every youth will be an entrepreneur when he or she grows up, but we can inspire every young person to have an entrepreneurial spirit: to lead confidently, think critically and creatively, be financially responsible, and understand the value of teamwork. 

Side projects and side hustles can become million-dollar businesses. Maybe you want to start a business. Or maybe you want to expand your business into a new area. Or maybe you don't want to quit your full-time job--at least not yet. You're trying to find a side hustle.  

 If you want to build a successful business, you need to be laser focused on a single goal, right? 

 Sure, conventional wisdom says we can't multitask and need to stay away from shiny object syndrome. But through my constant work with building and launching side projects, I've learned that startups are far from conventional. If you want to be successful--truly successful--you can't follow the path that's already been taken. 

Think about the most innovative, industry-leading businesses: Apple, Facebook, Google, SpaceX. How many people believe they had it all figured out when they first started out?

The truth is that they were all born out of experiments--ideas that seemed crazy at the time, but they tried them anyway.

This spirit of adventure, however, is sorely missing from our current working environment.

Despite all the hype around personal side hustles, and the importance of hobbies and interests outside your job, entrepreneurs aren't as willing to put their money where their mouth is and fund those crazy, moonshot ideas that could become million- or even billion-dollar businesses.

And this is a mistake. Side projects aren't just distractions. In fact, some of the world's most successful companies started as side projects.

   Minority business development/packaging by We Can Work It Out (WCWIO) is the process through which business opportunities, capital and know-how are brought together for the benefit of minority group entrepreneur/operator (E/O) by providing a maximum input of technical assistance and involvement of resources in order to produce a plan for a viable business enterprise.  

“To many in this country, the inner-city (usually older, poorer, and more densely populated central section of a city) is an area of economic disaster. 

Through the Model Cities Program[1]

CEBO found the inner-city a land of economic potential. They found that the inner-city contains markets which pumps millions of dollars of buying power into the nation’s economy. The inner-city abounds in manpower resources and talent that has yet to be fully realized for its rich potential.” We have surmised that with management assistance and financial resources, inner-city communities can respond to the opportunities which awaits them. 

 Through the commitments of city and county governments, acting in concert with private and community-based organizations and inner-city residents, opportunities can be opened up for the economic empowerment of urban centers. Our common objective here is to help create healthy enterprises that characterize a wholesome community. 

Inner-city business development still presents new kinds of challenges. New business development processes must be put to use. The job ahead must be accomplished at the community level. The augmentation of community capability to solve community problems is our goal. At the same time, leadership from local public officials, established businesses and the financial/banking community must work together on this common objective. 

WCWIO is advancing the “state of the art” of business formation/packaging for minorities and the underserved. We are a “packaging organization”. We can provide direct assistance to others working in the field of minority economic empowerment. 

[1] National Council for Equal Business Opportunity Inc. (CEBO) program chosen by Dept. of H.U.D. (1971)

A Plan for African American & Community Renewal  by Dr. Ralph Steele.