On April 25, 2024, the 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.
Kicking off the morning, the SBDC Marketing Center presented Accelerate Growth: Marketing Strategies for the Digital Age. Center Director Roger Lloyd, in conjunction with consultants Gisele Haman and Rachel Svoboda, shared an engaging seminar of strategies and technologies designed to amplify financial success through live demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and case studies.
Simultaneously, the Minority Business Summit showcased community, political, and economic development leaders throughout the county discussing the biggest issues facing minority small businesses today. Speakers included Christina Blevins of First 5 Orange County, Zitalic Domond of County of Orange, Vice President of Orange County Business Council Jess Ben-Ron, Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development representative Christy Tran, Shela Tobias-Daniel of the State Treasurer’s Office, Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Reuben Franco, Orange County Transportation Authority representative Ted Nguyen, and CEO of Small Business Diversity Network Jay Ungos.
Attendees from all events converged for lunch, networking, and programming from a variety of partners, including CalOSBA Director Tara Lynn Gray, SBA representative Paul Smith, CSUF College of Business and Economics Dean Sridhar Sundaram, City of Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan, and Chris Johnson of Wells Fargo. The support and value provided by partners helps increase our reach throughout communities.
Following lunch, the Southern California Lender Roundtable provided an engaging discussion on the current landscape of small business lending, including key updates on the state’s SSBCI funds and updates from the SBA. Speakers included SBDC Finance Center Director Sylvia Pizarroso, Allison French-Tubo and Shela Tobias-Daniel of the State Treasurer’s Office, OCIE SBA District Office representative Ron Galati, SBA Office of International Trade representative Pellson Lau, and D.C. SBA representative Alex Contreras.
Concurrently, the Orange County Women’s Business Center hosted the Women Founders Pitch, in partnership with the OCIE SBDC, TCA Orange County, and Golden Seeds. The showcase of diverse and disruptive startups was riveting, as each founder was competing to win $2,500 toward their woman-founded business, Presenters included Erica Solis of Poppy Life Care, Wendee Close of Goals2Life, Dr. Joy Sargis of Aleda, and Remington Fraser of The Revury. Presentations were judged by Golden Seeds Angel Adriana Diener and TCA Orange County representatives Lisa Walker and Pat Hwang.
Orange County Women’s Business Center Director Manal Richa shared the impact of the first-ever pitch competition. “This is an exciting convergence of innovation and empowerment. Our event ignited the entrepreneurial spirit of our OC community, drawing investors, judges, and public enthusiasts alike,” said Manal. “With the spotlight on four remarkable women-led ventures, each a beacon of diversity and disruption, our Women Founders Pitch illuminated the path to progress and the limitless potential of female founders and women in business.”
Ultimately, Dr. Joy Sargis took home the $2,500 prize for her small business Aleda, a platform for student athletes, high schools, colleges, and professional athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness by creating Certified Digital Assets. The remaining three participants received an award of $1,000 each
The day provided new outlets for clients, partners, and audiences to connect, grow, and expand their knowledge and businesses. The OCIE SBDC’s service to the community and resources are made possible by funding partners CalOSBA and SBA.
OCIE SBDC Network Director Mike Daniel shared the overall impact as the day culminated. “The events held on April 25 were a great opportunity for the OCIE SBDC to bring together business owners, business leaders, chambers of commerce, economic development leaders, lenders, and more to find new solutions to helping our small business community grow and thrive. The SBDC will continue to find new and innovative ways to educate and inform small business owners and those that support them with the resources they need to succeed.”
