The Rotary Club of Temple, the Rotary Club of Temple-South, Temple College, and the Temple Chamber of Commerce recently celebrated the completion of the third cohort of Launch Temple. Six aspiring entrepreneurs graduated from the 10-week program on July 16, 2024.
 
Launch Temple is part of the LaunchMyCity family of programs, modeled after LaunchDETROIT (Michigan) and LaunchRALEIGH (North Carolina).
 
LaunchMyCity is a program of Rotary International, the community service and global humanitarian organization located in over 200 countries. The program strives to develop successful entrepreneurs by expanding access to comprehensive business training and financial and business resources.
 
Launch Temple is a collaborative effort between the two Temple Rotary Clubs, Temple College and the Temple Chamber of Commerce, which provides training, mentorship, and networking to cultivate local entrepreneurs.
 
The program is offered at no cost to qualified applicants and held at Temple College. The curriculum is derived through LaunchMyCity, with Temple College staff providing instruction.
 
James Skinner, MBA, Director of Adult Education and Literacy at Temple College instructed the 10-week program. The program has training sessions with topics including Business Models, Market Research, Funding, Legal Strategy, Marketing and Branding. The participants walk away with a complete business plan to help them navigate the journey of an entrepreneur.
 
Some of the program participants did so to strengthen an existing business. Others participated to gain a great foundation to start their business on the right foot.
 
The Temple Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate the graduates of the third cohort of Launch Temple!
 
The six Launch Temple Graduates are:
 

• Cassie Edwards
  Purple Learning Crowns
  
  
• Anorea Hill
  Let’s Eat: Losing Weight on a Budget Book Series
  
  
• Laci Landry
  Wealthwave
  
  
• Krystle Moore
  Wise Owl Adult Tutoring
  
  
• Lee Peterson
  Peterson VO
  
  
• Anna Pineda
  ​Vida Y Danza

 
For more information visit www.LaunchTemple.com.

The Temple Chamber of Commerce is excited to host the fourth annual Polar Texas Bottling Summer Sizzle “Seltzer”. The event takes place on Friday, August 16, 2024, in the Santa Fe Plaza, 301 Santa Fe Way, in Temple. This free, family-friendly community event is a fantastic way to end the summer ​and enjoy Downtown Temple.  It is an evening of live music, food trucks, an outdoor market, and fun for the entire family from 6:00 - 9:30 pm.
 
Polar Texas Bottling is bringing the “Chill” to Summer Sizzle “Seltzer” sharing their New England roots with Central Texas.
 
Founded in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1882 by a savvy bartender, Denis Crowley recognized an opportunity in carbonation as Prohibition began to rumble in New England. He crafted what he considered the best-tasting bubble recipe and began selling sparkling beverages from a horse-drawn carriage.
 
Today, Polar Beverages remains owned and operated by the Crowley family’s fourth and fifth generations, under the leadership of President and CEO Ralph Crowley Jr. They are the largest independent beverage company in the United States. They are purveyors of premium quality sparkling beverages, including Polar® Seltzer, heritage sodas, and Polar Orange Dry®.
 
Food trucks and vendors for the outdoor market will be set up along Santa Fe Way and in the Plaza beginning at 6:00 pm. Live music by Members Only 80’s cover band will begin at 7:30 pm in the Plaza Greens. Lawn chairs or blankets are welcome to use while enjoying the music.
 
Members Only is a 80's cover band located deep in the heart of Texas.  Their high energy performances and love of 80's music make for an epic evening of singing and dancing.  Their musicianship is exceptional, and their vocalists have been called the songbirds of their generation.
 
Summer Sizzle “Seltzer” is proudly supported by Polar Texas Bottling, McLane Company, Hill & Wilkinson General Contractors, Reynolds Consumer Products, and Ludwick, Montgomery & Stapp, PC.
 
Polar Beverages invites you to sip into their world on August 16, 2024, at this free, family-friendly event. Vendor spaces are available for food trucks and the outdoor market. Visit templechamber.com/summerseltzer for more information.

​The Temple Chamber of Commerce proudly hosted the 14th Annual Baylor Scott & White Health Community Showcase, continuing its tradition of offering an exceptional welcome to new resident physicians, fellows, nurses, senior staff, and their families.
 
"Temple is dedicated to providing a warm and exceptional welcome to the new resident physicians upon their arrival to the community. With our annual Showcase, now in its 14th year, and the street banners, we strive to ensure our new arrivals and their families feel genuinely embraced and supported," noted Whitney Theriot, President & CEO of the Temple Chamber of Commerce.
 
The Baylor Scott & White Community Showcase offers a unique opportunity for newcomers to meet and explore their new community. Set in a trade show format, Temple Chamber Member exhibitors introduce their businesses and services to the latest residents. This event aims to ease the transition for these new community members by showcasing the various goods and services available in Temple.
 
Moving to a new city involves numerous challenges: packing, relocating, finding housing, unpacking, and preparing for a new job are time-consuming and stressful. Recognizing this, Baylor Scott & White Health and the Temple Chamber of Commerce collaborate annually to host the Showcase every June, welcoming over 150 new residents and fellow doctors. The showcase featured over 85 local Chamber Member businesses.
 
The event received positive feedback from local businesses, with many exhibitors impressed by the warm reception from the new residents. "It was amazing to welcome such an important part of our community to the Temple area," commented one exhibitor. Another added, “Several attendees commented on how nice it was of the Temple community to give them such a warm welcome.”
 
In an age that is more digital than analog, a more traditional meet and greet creates a lasting impression and has the potential to build lifelong relationships.
 
For more information on the Baylor Scott & White Health Community Showcase or other initiatives of the Temple Chamber of Commerce to strengthen the ties between local businesses and the community, visit www.templechamber.com.