Norwich — With a growing number of Hispanic students in Norwich schools, families in city homes and businesses on city streets, a Danbury-based Latino advocacy group realized it was time to expand its reach into eastern Connecticut.

Latinos for Educational Advocacy and Diversity, known as LEAD, will co-host a business fair from 9 a.m. to noon Friday at the Norwich Community Development Corp.'s Foundry 66 facility at 66 Franklin St. The event, aimed at increasing awareness for minority-owned businesses about government resources and services offered by fellow businesses, is free and open to the public.

There will be about a dozen presenters and 50 to 60 tables for the agencies, organizations and businesses that are expected to participate.

LEAD Program Manager Maria Matos said when the advocacy group held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Danbury last June, she invited state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, because of the legislator's support for minority-owned businesses and employees. Osten told Matos that she wished LEAD had a program in her area.

"The number of Hispanic business owners in the Norwich region is growing," Osten said Wednesday. "We are working to provide them with the resources they need to get going."

Osten said one of the region’s largest employers, Electric Boat, has expanded its outreach and support for Hispanic workers as the shipyard continues an aggressive hiring campaign. EB started a Spanish Facebook page, a Hispanic Shipbuilders Association, held recruiting events and community outreach, Osten said, citing the company’s October 2021 report to the legislature.

LEAD organizers started meeting with Norwich area Hispanic business leaders in September, and Matos hopes a Norwich-New London LEAD branch will start up soon.

“We go to the communities, we organize them and then we’re out,” Matos said of LEAD’s process for starting up new chapters. “We’re there, we do the finance classes, the business classes, make the connections, and then we want them to grow.”

Matos was pleased at how quickly Friday’s business fair came together, with individuals and businesses asking for tables. She stressed that Friday's fair is for everyone, not just Latino businesses. She hopes the region's many Haitian businesses participate, as well.

Government participants include NCDC, its Foundry 66 shared workspace facility and Global City Norwich minority business outreach program, the Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region, the federal Small Business Administration, state Department of Economic and Community Development, along with the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce.

Minority-owned businesses and business services, including insurance providers, also will participate.

Matos said Foundry 66 will provide tables for participants, but they must bring their own materials and staff. Event organizers are arranging the space at Foundry 66 to ensure the traffic flow for attendees. She thanked Foundry 66 community manager Mary Riley for helping to organize the event.

Global City Norwich, part of NCDC, regularly runs programs for startup businesses and those interested in starting a business. The program has a goal of increasing the number of minority-owned businesses in downtown Norwich. Program liaison Suki Lagrito welcomed LEAD’s effort to bring Hispanic, Latino and other diverse entrepreneurs together.

Lagrito has been spreading the word about the business fair by texting and emailing her contacts and encouraging them to attend the event. “I am really looking forward to it,” she said. “It will be set up with stations, so a lot of people can come and network and gather information from all the different organizations that provide business resources.”

c.bessette@theday.com