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Haas Program Helps
Local Entrepreneurs Get on Track
By
Lora Lee, Community Relations
Like many entrepreneurs, Henry Young knew his craft of
television video production, but didn't know how to promote
and build his business. He learned those critical skills
through the Fast Trac Program at UC Berkeley's Haas School
of Business.
A 15-year Berkeley resident, Young is president of DXI
Productions. His Berkeley-based production company offers a
full spectrum of services, including commercial production,
public service announcements, documentaries, and music
videos.
He has worked on numerous electronic media productions
worldwide, including projects for all major television
networks. But before setting up his own production company,
Young enrolled in Fast Trac in 1991.
"Before doing Fast Trac, I mainly did freelance work and
didn't know exactly where I was going with it or how I could
profit," says Young. "I'd have 50 different ideas before the
program finally made me think about things like business
proposals and applying for loans."
The Fast Trac program, part of the East Bay Outreach
Project at Haas, helps small businesses develop effective
business plans, to gain a greater share of the market. "It
also gives Haas faculty and students a way to contribute to
the economic health of the community by working directly
with local businesses," says faculty advsior Rich Lyons.
"One of the most valuable aspects of the Fast Trac
program was having professionals in the marketing and
advertising fields come in and talk to us," says Young. "You
learn a lot more about how to effectively promote and market
your business by targeting certain demographics and creating
business brochures."
Roberta Joyner, director of the East Bay Outreach
Project, said, "Business owners tell us that our program is
the best hands-on business development program around. Our
entrepreneurial training program is making a difference in
their ability to focus their efforts, develop effective
business plans, and believe in their products and ideas."
Young says the program helped him fine-tune his business
and turn freelance work into a full-fledged production
company with state-of-the-art equipment. He says that after
graduating from the program his company took a whole
different approach. "At first it was just me and one other
assistant. Now my business has grown so that I have editing
facilities, better cameras, a larger staff, and much more
potential to succeed in the market than before."
In the past 10 years DXI's clients have included ABC,
NBC, CBS, the Kaiser Foundation, the Haas School of
Business, the City of San Francisco, and the San Francisco
AIDS Foundation.
Young is an active alumnus of the program and has served
on several Fast Trac panels. "I think it's important to keep
the communication and networking going even after we
graduate in terms of services that we can provide for each
other. We should still give back to the community by
mentoring and sharing our business expertise and
experiences."
Beginning this fall, the East Bay Outreach Project will
shift its attention from aspiring entrepreneurs to existing
women- and minority-owned businesses. Teams of experts, made
up of Haas alumni and MBA students, will offer free
consultation and coaching to small business owners. The
program will involve less classroom time than previous Fast
Trac programs and offer more on-site consultations as well
as an assessment of local business needs.
For more information about the East Bay Outreach Project,
call (510) 643-0923. 
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