Minority and Women-Owned Transportation and Warehousing Businesses in the Inland Empire
The LTC has embarked on an innovative research project focused on understanding and supporting Minority and Women-Owned Transportation and Warehousing Businesses in the Inland Empire. This initiative aligns with the strategic objectives outlined in the USDOT's Strategic Plan, recognizing the critical role that these businesses play in the economy and the unique challenges they face.
Despite their significant contributions, women and minority-owned businesses in the transportation and warehousing sectors often encounter barriers that hinder their growth and sustainability. These challenges include limited access to contracting opportunities, disparities in the allocation of contract dollars, and negative perceptions about their capabilities within an industry where such businesses are underrepresented. The research conducted by the LTC seeks to address these issues by identifying effective strategies to overcome these obstacles.
The project is designed to tackle three primary challenges identified through prior research and stakeholder feedback:
- Negative Perceptions: Many women and minority business owners in the transportation industry face biases regarding their experience and capabilities. To combat this, the LTC has proposed a mentorship program aimed at helping these entrepreneurs overcome stereotypes and build confidence in their business skills. Mentors, serving as role models and sources of inspiration, will assist in identifying and improving areas of the business where owners feel least confident.
- Lack of Access to Vital Information and Networks: Recognizing that access to information and business networks is crucial for success, the LTC plans to organize workshops and seminars. These events will provide insights into various business aspects, such as financial management and legal requirements, facilitating better business practices and decision-making.
- Gap in Expertise: To address the specific challenges faced by new entrepreneurs in this sector, the LTC will offer one-on-one coaching. Coaches will work closely with business owners to diagnose problems and implement targeted solutions, thereby enhancing their expertise and problem-solving abilities.
The overarching aim of this research is to develop and test an engagement model that can improve the positioning of minority and women-owned businesses within the transportation industry. This includes adapting to changes such as customer behavior shifts, digital transformation, and transport automation. By supporting these entrepreneurs, the LTC hopes to contribute to narrowing the racial and gender wealth gap, fostering job creation, and addressing income and wealth inequalities.
Ultimately, the project seeks to produce actionable findings that can inform the broad implementation of evidence-based strategies. These strategies are intended to enhance the capacity of disadvantaged and women-owned businesses to engage more effectively in the transportation sector, thereby promoting economic sustainability and growth within this critical industry.
Navigating Change: Transit Sentiments in the Inland Empire
The research acknowledges the disparities in transportation mode selection based on income, race, and ethnicity, highlighting the challenges faced by older adults and individuals with disabilities in accessing transit services. These observations underscore the importance of focusing on the most reliant transit users, who historically have been marginalized in terms of environmental justice.
To address these challenges, the students looked into development of a sentiment index using social media recognizing the limitations inherent in survey methodologies, such as their labor-intensive nature and inability to reflect short-term changes or capture complex rider behaviors, the research proposes the creation of an environmental justice sentiment index via social media analysis. This innovative approach seeks to leverage the immediacy and dynamic nature of social media platforms, offering real-time feedback from transit users and facilitating a two-way dialogue between service providers and end-users. The sentiment index aims to capture evolving trends and sentiments, providing a complementary lens through which to assess environmental justice in transportation.
This underscores the LTC's commitment to operationalizing environmental justice in the transportation sector, aiming to enhance accessibility and equity across the board. this research helps in understanding of transit sentiments in the Inland Empire, paving the way for more inclusive and equitable transportation planning and policy-making. Through this innovative approach, the project aspires to contribute to the broader goal of reducing disparities and promoting environmental justice in transportation, ultimately ensuring that all demographic groups benefit equally from transportation advancements.
Meet the Research Team
Holly Chea is a graduate student in the MBA program at California State University San Bernardino. Her concentration area of study is in Business Intelligence and Information Systems. Holly is interested in the collection, processing, analysis, and interpretation of data to help in data informed decision making. She previously worked for the last seven years in the financial industry in Private Banking and briefly in the Mortgage Industry. At CSUSB she served as a Board of Director for Associated Students Inc. (ASI) and as Treasurer of Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Holly is looking forward to working with this team combining her love for the Inland Empire with Big Data Analysis to impact the transportation sector of this area.
Alberto S. Sanchez is a multi-talented individual currently pursuing a bachelor’s in business administration with a focus on Finance at California State University, San Bernardino. With a diverse employment history ranging from accounts payable roles to construction and snowmaking, Alberto is as versatile as he is skilled. He holds an associate degree in business administration from Barstow Community College and has demonstrated strong leadership, problem-solving abilities, and a customer-oriented approach throughout his career. Residing in Big Bear City, CA, he also boasts a clean 10-year driving record, underscoring his dependability.