Ernesto Barroso arrived in Las Vegas 13 years ago with big dreams and a passion for winemaking.
After fleeing Cuba in the early 1990s and obtaining asylum in Canada, he moved south and took a job with a local helicopter tour service where he fell in love with a co-worker he eventually married.
But all the while, Barroso’s true craft beckoned. Through business classes sponsored in part by the Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce and the Nevada Small Business Development Center, his recipe for wine using hibiscus flowers eventually blossomed into a business that now spans five states.
Today, he’s an instructor in those classes, teaching other recent Las Vegas arrivals how to make their own dreams reality.
“When I started, I didn’t know anything about business,” Barroso said. “I started taking the classes in 2006, and that’s exactly how I learned to get licensed and understand cash flow. It’s how I learned to pursue my idea.”
The two six-week courses -- one helps recent immigrants struggling to understand basic personal finance, and another is for aspiring small-business owners -- are provided free of charge by the two non-profits, who scout potential students at chamber events.
Chamber spokesman Carlos Gomez said the classes, which have been offered four times a year for the past decade, are scheduled to resume in early 2015.
The more advanced class, which Barroso helps teach, also provides participants resources for obtaining funding, Gomez said.
Chamber Chairwoman Maggie Arias-Petrel urged those interested to call the organization or visit its website to check for upcoming events.
“We believe education is the way to be successful,” Arias-Petrel said. “A lot of the people who attend these classes have never been in the business arena, so the best way to get to know what resources are out there is through workshops and courses such as these.”
For inquiries about the classes, call the chamber at 702-385-7367, submit an inquiry via its website, or check its online events page for upcoming gatherings.