Hispanic Entrepreneur Carlos Bernard Tackles Important Issues Outside of Work
Quality of Life
Carlos with his plane
Although he was born in New York City, his parents met in Puerto Rico. His father was of French descent and his mother a native Puerto Rican. Although this melding of cultures significantly informed Bernard’s life—at one point, he was even tri-lingual, easily communicating in English, French and Spanish, although he now says he has forgotten much of the French he learned—it was his Hispanic background that stuck.
Which is in large why he’s so supportive of Hispanic causes in Westchester County. According to him, the Latino population in the county has recently risen to 25 percent of the total population—and he sees limitless potential in this invaluable resource, especially in terms of how active it is in establishing small businesses.
“One of the things I’ve seen the county doing over the past couple of years is recruiting people who understand the issues involved in starting a business. They sponsor a number of webinars and seminars to help small entrepreneurs navigate how to go about establishing a business, how to set up the books, how to deal with websites and social media. This helps everybody, including both new immigrants who are starting new businesses as well as existing businesses that need to be brought up to speed in terms of how to continue growing their businesses,” Bernard says.
Carlos and wife
Obviously taken with the area, he currently lives in Hartsdale, a hamlet in the city of Greenburgh in Westchester County, and wouldn’t have it any other way. He cites the region’s great schools, its proximity to New York City and its natural beauty as just a few reasons why so many people who reside there remain there.
“It’s a quality-of-life issue for many people, who come to the area so they can experience the proximity to the city and opportunities to work, to start businesses and to grow their families. It’s really a great place,” Bernard, who has two sons of his own, remarks.
The Future
This isn’t to say he isn’t unwilling to take a southern breather after he retires. In fact, he and his wife have begun looking for a wintertime home in Florida, hoping to split their time between New York and the Sunshine State. This will give him yet more time to whack a tennis ball around—and solve even more problems, including how he’ll fare as his wife’s CFO when her business takes off.
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