HCC adjunct instructor wins first place in business competition

By S. Sara Tubbs

Jan 6, 2015

A sense of purpose and a radio ad were enough to make Noé Erazo pursue his dream of starting his own business. The Houston Community College adjunct instructor and former student is closer to that reality after he won first place in the 2014 Liftoff Houston Business Plan Competition.

The goal of the 2nd annual competition, through the City of Houston, is to encourage small business development in the Houston area. Erazo faced off against two other entrepreneurs for top Product Based Business Plan.

“I thought to myself, ‘this is for me. I am going to enter and win’,” he said.

His business Olé Noé, LLC, which is in the start-up phase, will help people with speech and communications disorders. Erazo presented the judges with an idea to develop E-books in English and Spanish for children, adults, caregivers, and speech language pathologists. He is working on eventually turning the E-books into apps.

The bright idea landed Erazo, a former interpreter at a speech clinic, the $10,000 prize from Capital One Bank, a key sponsor of the event.

“I want to be the cultural broker who helps treat the Spanish speaking population in speech therapy,” said Erazo.

Erazo has a masters in Applied Linguistics and has studied and worked in Texas, Mexico and Brazil. He is currently teaching English as a Second Language at the Alief Continuing Education Center at HCC Northwest College.

Right now, Erazo is in the data collection research phase for his products. His goal is to have his products on the market within the next two years.