Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center Network held four events in Irvine, Calif., each catered to serve a specific community. With more than 300 attendees, the day intersected clients, business owners, community members, lenders, government representatives, and partners to provide new opportunities, resources, and connections.
Dr. Sana Shakil-Ansari has always dreamed of opening her own optometry practice to provide comprehensive eye care, expanding beyond basic vision care.
A delegation of prominent leaders and business professionals from Orange County and the Inland Empire, California, recently concluded a successful trade mission to South Korea, organized by the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center Network (OCIE SBDC).
The Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center Network (OCIE SBDC) runs the SBDC Eats Program to provide support to local food entrepreneurs and business owners in the community.
Giselle and Octavio knew starting a business in the U.S. would be hard, but the duo partnered up and got to work on Givo Ice Cream. Not sure where to start, Octavio found the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center Network (OCIE SBDC).
Dwayne Roscoe’s family owned a pizza chain in the 1980s and wanted to bring the business back to life. His mother was an inspiration to him, and she always made her special pizza sauce that he loved dearly. After his mother passed, Dwyane wanted to create Mama Roscoe’s Pizzeria to honor her life and her remarkable recipe, but he needed help getting started.
The network gathers bi-annually to connect, exchange ideas, and plan for what’s to come. With a geographic area of more than 80,000 miles, bringing together the whole of the network is no small feat.
Allison’s Goods has specialized in quality hand-crafted vegan home products and goods for more than four years. Founder Allison Ritto Almstedt is passionate about the products she creates and the ingredients she uses, securing ethically sourced materials for all her offerings.
Clickstart Dog Training Academy has been serving furry friends and families since 2019. Longtime friends Liv Healy and Cassie Pestana have been passionate about animal behavior, training techniques, and education since 2015. The duo turned these passions into a career and founded their dream company.
J3 Beauty Styles LLC opened its doors in the fall of 2023 and hit the ground running. Through passion and commitment, the small business was welcomed into the community with a grand opening celebration on January 12, 2024.
Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Funded in part through a grant with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
Mike Daniel is the network director of the Orange County Inland Empire SBDC Network, which assists aspiring entrepreneurs and current business owners throughout Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Mike was formerly the director of the SBDC office at Long Beach City College. As business owner and entrepreneur himself, he started his career as the owner of a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory location in Manhattan Beach and went on to open a second location in Long Beach in 2001. In 2007, Mike sold the Manhattan Beach store for an above-market offer then invested in several additional locations as a minority shareholder. Mike further expanded his candy empire with venture located in Shoreline Village in Long Beach called Sugar Daddies Sweet Shoppe, based on fill-it yourself candy options.
Mike has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton.
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