NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading
entertainment and lifestyle retailer, HSN, has teamed up with
award-winning entrepreneur and creator of Dreamers Ventures,
Liliana "Lili" Gil Valletta, to
launch Project American Dreams.
Expanding on HSN's existing American Dreams initiative – a
program designed to cultivate entrepreneurs and introduce
innovative new products to the marketplace – Project American
Dreams will be a business competition to discover, mentor and
fast-track the launch of product innovations created by Latino
entrepreneurs on HSN.
Kicking off during Hispanic Heritage Month, prospective
entrepreneurs can submit their products online for review via
projectamericandreams.com from September 30 to
December 9, 2016. Up to twenty products will be selected as
semifinalists for judges to review at the HSN studios, and up to
five winners will be selected to introduce their brand live
-reaching approximately 94 million households in the spring of
2017.
"HSN has a rich history of supporting entrepreneurs and
introducing their products to the marketplace," said Bill Brand, President, HSN. "Building on the
success of our existing American Dreams series, we are looking
forward to extending our reach, while leveraging Dreamers Ventures'
incredible network to discover innovative new products through
Project American Dreams."
As an immigrant, entrepreneur and the first Hispanic partner to
HSN's American Dreams initiative, Gil
Valletta was inspired by the need to create a business
competition and platform that will help fill the gaps in access,
opportunity and wealth many Hispanic entrepreneurs face.
"While Latinos represent 17% of the population and are starting
more new businesses than the general population, they receive less
access to opportunities and get less than 1% of all venture capital
and angel funding," said Lili Gil
Valletta, co-founder of Dreamers Ventures. "This is why I
assembled an alliance of leading experts, investors and mentors to
fill the gap in access and opportunity for Latino entrepreneurs."
This network of experts will provide personalized coaching and
resources to the selected finalists in preparation for their
national launch. Various HSN celebrity partners will also provide
their personal business tips to the contestants throughout the
competition.
This one-of-a-kind alliance includes best-selling author and
"TV's Billion Dollar Man" Bob
Circosta, a pioneer of the multi-billion dollar live
television shopping industry; and Latino business organizations
like Access Latina- a non-profit that offers capital resources,
access to networks and mentoring for Latinas. In addition to
personalized coaching and the chance to gain mass-market
distribution on HSN, qualified winners will receive a scholarship
to attend the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurs Leaders Program, where
Gil Valletta serves as a business
mentor.
As a national leader in providing innovative programs and
financial services to Hispanics, U.S. Bank supports Project
American Dreams as a partner to educate, empower and offer access
to capital for Hispanic business owners.
"Entrepreneurs bring a passion and spirit to their work that has
driven our economy for generations," said Kate Quinn, executive vice president, and chief
strategy and reputation officer at U.S. Bank. "U.S. Bank is pleased
to embrace that spirit by supporting new Hispanic businesses in
partnership with HSN and Project American Dreams. We look forward
to helping these entrepreneurs turn their dreams into new
possibilities for future business."
The competition was first publicly announced during the 2016
Prospanica Conference & Career Expo in Houston, Texas, where over 2,500 Hispanic
professionals from around the country gathered for leadership
development and career advancement. "We are honored to have
been chosen as Project American Dreams' announcement platform,"
commented Thomas Savino, CEO of
Prospanica. "Partnering with this initiative is a win on all fronts
as our organization works to empower Hispanic professionals achieve
their full economic potential."
Inventors can submit their product now through December 9th, 2016 by visiting
ProjectAmericanDreams.com and following the submission
instructions.
For more information about Project American Dreams please visit
ProjectAmericanDreams.com and its social channels: Facebook:
@DreamersVentures
Instagram: dreamersventures and Twitter: @DreamersVenture
#HSNProjectAmericanDreams.
About HSN:
HSN is a leading entertainment and
lifestyle retailer, offering a curated assortment of exclusive
products and top brand names to its customers. HSN incorporates
entertainment, inspiration, personalities and industry experts to
provide an entirely unique shopping experience. At HSN, customers
find exceptional selections in Health & Beauty, Jewelry,
Home/Lifestyle, fashion/Accessories, and Electronics. HSN
broadcasts live to approximately 94 million households in the US
24/7 and its website - hsn.com features more than 50,000 product
videos. Mobile applications include HSN apps for iPad, iPhone and
Android. HSN, founded 39 years ago as the first shopping network,
is an operating segment of HSN, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSNI). For more
information, please visit www.HSN.com, or follow @HSN on
Facebook and Twitter.
About U.S. Bancorp
Minneapolis-based U.S.
Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with $428 billion in assets as
of June 30, 2016, is the parent company
of U.S. Bank National Association, the fifth largest
commercial bank in the United States. The
Company operates 3,122 banking offices in 25 states and 4,923 ATMs
and provides a comprehensive line of banking, investment, mortgage,
trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and
institutions. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web
at www.usbank.com.
About Prospanica
Prospanica, the Association of
Hispanic Professionals is the non-profit organization dedicated to
empowering Hispanics to achieve their full educational, economic,
and social potential. With more than 45 Professional and University
Chapters nationwide including Puerto
Rico, Prospanica helps professionals and Fortune 500
partners build on connections and career development to fortify the
Hispanic workforce. Prospanica's conference is a 4-day career
expo that brings together subject matter experts and thousands of
hiring managers from top national companies and universities for
the purpose of recruiting talent and helping Hispanics achieve
professional success.
About Dreamers Ventures
Dreamers Ventures is an
alliance of investors, mentors and resources committed to fuel
Latino business growth. With a focus on product innovation, this
accelerator was co-founded by award-winning entrepreneur
Lili Gil Valletta, entrepreneur,
investor and digital expert Enrique
Arbelaez, supported by industry leaders like the legendary
"TV's Billion Dollar Man" and author of the best selling book "Life
is a Pitch", Bob Circosta among
other experts. Signature programs launched and managed by
Dreamers Ventures include HSN's Project American Dreams, a business
competition that discovers, mentors, and fast tracks Latino
entrepreneurs to launch their products live on HSN.
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SOURCE Dreamers Ventures; HSN