SPEEDBIZ
hosted by the Small Business Development Center and the i3 Advanced Technology Incubator
SpeedBIZ is a revolutionary way business people can meet face-to-face with professional business consultants. It enables large numbers of business people to meet our professionals in an informal way.
Each table has a consultant who quickly presents a very streamlined & specialized business topic and opens a discussion on this subject. These are snapshot learning opportunities....fast, furious, fun and very timely!
Here’s how it works:
• Beginning with a brief introduction from your facilitator, SpeedBIZ participants will then be asked to join a table with one of our business consultants.
• A bell chimes and the session is underway!
• You have about 10 - 15 minutes to discuss the specialized topic, ask questions and receive answers pertaining to your business.
• Another bell chimes signaling that time is up.
• It’s now time to move and join another business consultant's table.
• The process is repeated – it’s simple, fast informative, and fun!
After the sessions have finished everyone is welcome to make an appointment or sign-up for more training with the Small Business Development Center, free of charge.
SpeedBIZ Facilitator - Paul De La Cerda
BIO: Paul De La Cerda currently serves as both the Director and a counselor for the Small Business Development Center. Mr. De La Cerda has an extensive business background with an MBA from Oklahoma State University and an Executive MBA from the University of Virginia. Mr. De La Cerda has been involved in the start-up of numerous companies and owned and operated his own Consulting Company, De La Cerda Associates. He is an experienced and goal-oriented manager and business consultant with proven economic development and leadership skills. Mr. De La Cerda is passionate about his position in helping the Small Business community create economic development.
SpeedBIZ Consultants
Citi Representatives | Citi - Commercial Lending
Bio coming soon!
Ed Echt & Doug Thomas | The Entrepreneur's Source – Franchising
Ed Echt has over 35 years experience in corporate management, business development and business ownership. Prior to joining The Entrepreneur’s Source (the premier source for self-employment options, franchise information, education and training) he spent 21 years in corporate management in all business disciplines with his final 10 years in senior management positions. Ed also invested in 2 franchise business and served as president and managing partner in an independent management training and consulting firm. In 2002 Ed joined The Entrepreneur’s Source to pursue his life’s passions thru franchise ownership. He absolutely loves assisting people achieve their career dreams.
Doug Thomas has been with The Entrepreneur’s Source for two years helping people explore self-employment and business ownership opportunities to help them achieve their dreams. The Entrepreneur’s Source wants its clients to discover whatever is best for them. Doug enjoys working with his clients, providing education when required, and coaching when appropriate. Prior to his involvement with The Entrepreneur’s Source, Doug spent over 20 years in corporate management.
Jason Crawford & Laura Biery | City of Santa Clarita - Redevelopment & Enterprise Zone
Jason Crawford is currently the Economic Development Manager for the City of Santa Clarita. He has been with the City for over seven years and managed the Film & Tourism Office prior to being promoted to his current position. Jason was born and raised in Nashville TN. He moved to Santa Clarita in 1993 and received a Bachelors of Fine Arts from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in 1999. Under Jason's leadership the City of Santa Clarita has been recognized as the "Best Economic Development Program in the State of CA" by CALED for two straight years, in 2007 for the Film program and in 2008 for the Tourism program. In 2008, Jason was named the "New Economic Developer of the Year" by the international Economic Development Council.
Laura Biery currently serves as an Administrative Analyst for the City of Santa Clarita's Economic Development Division. In this role, Ms. Biery oversees the Santa Clarita Enterprise Zone providing tax incentives to businesses located within the Zone. Ms. Biery has a Masters in Public Administration from San Diego State University and has spent the past 6 years in municipal government working for both small and large public sector agencies. Ms. Biery works with both existing and prospective businesses regarding the advantages of doing business within the City of Santa Clarita and how businesses can benefit from the Santa Clarita Enterprise Zone.
Chris S. Jacobsen | Poole & Shaffery, LLP - Commercial Leasing
Chris S. Jacobsen specializes in transactional corporate and business law matters including mergers and acquisitions of private companies; debt and equity financings; private securities transactions; organization and operation of corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and limited partnerships; and real property matters including secured financings. Mr. Jacobsen's background includes debt financings and restructurings, entity formation and dissolution, licensing (trademarks and software), leases, distribution agreements and general corporate operational agreements. Mr. Jacobsen has provided these services to entities in a wide variety of businesses and industries, including aviation (brokerage, charter and maintenance), machine tools distribution, specialty manufacturing, mutual water companies, after-market automobile accessories, software development, health supplements, apparel (manufacturing and retail), printing, home improvement contractors, private schools, property management and equipment leasing operations, to name a few.
Brian E. Koegle | Poole & Shaffery, LLP – Labor & Employment Law
Brian E. Koegle is an attorney with the law firm of Poole & Shaffery, LLP. With a focus on labor and employment law, he provides counsel to employers with regard to hiring practices, employment contracts, wage and hour issues, family and medical leaves, compensation, discipline and termination matters. He has represented employers in union grievance, arbitration and dispute resolution procedures and has defended a wide range of employment discrimination and fair employment practice cases. In addition, he has assisted employers in the design, drafting, modification and implementation of personnel policies, procedures and employee handbooks and with performance of personnel policy audits.
SBDC Consultants
Donna Plummer & Charlie Gil - Networking / Chamber Benefits
Donna Plummer currently serves as both the Interim Assistant Director and a Counselor for the Small Business Development Center. Ms. Plummer has a Masters in Public Administration from California State University, Northridge. She has over 20 years of experience in municipal government and private agencies. Ms. Plummer works with businesses and entrepreneurs on their operation or business concept to help achieve desired outcomes.
Charlie's bio coming soon!
Catherine Grooms – Accounting
Catherine D. Grooms is a knowledgeable and experienced executive with years of accounting and finance background. Ms. Grooms has been a controller and financial analyst for multiple companies and has helped to increase revenues, create financial structure and forecasts for many of these companies. Ms. Grooms has an MBA from the University of Baltimore in Accounting and Management and has a detailed background in the industry.
Nina Grooms-Lee - Marketing
Nina Grooms Lee aids entrepreneurs in realizing their dreams by providing business plan, marketing, technology and financial planning advice. With an MBA from Harvard Business School, Ms. Lee is an experienced advisor working with companies to increase their market share, while giving back to the community as an inspirational speaker for Project Research Foundation in Los Angeles.
Bill Miranda - Sales
Bill Miranda is a professional trainer, motivator and coach. He brings an enormous resume to the SBDC. He has been an IBM salesman, a Xerox middle manager and a Data General Corporation executive. In addition he has created and successfully grown two international barcode systems companies, one in Mexico and one in Germany. His expertise is in business management, specifically in marketing and sales. He holds a Master of Science degree in Management Systems.
Gil Murphy - Access to Capital / Business Plans
Gil Murphy is a senior executive with 20 years of experience directing start-up and small business operations. Mr. Murphy is skilled in each stage of the life of a consumer product including: new product development, promotion, licensing, marketing, sales and distribution. He has successfully directed two start ups and has an outstanding ability to develop new marketing channels and strategic business alliances.
Julie Weith & Kristin Houser - Human Resources / General Management
Ms. Weith has been in the human resources field for more than 20-years primarily serving the manufacturing, healthcare/hospital and service industries. Ms. Weith has extensive experience with start-up human resource departments and supervisor/management coaching She holds a degree in business management, has achieved both the PHR and SPHR national designations as well California state human resources certificate training.
Tora Brown - Public Relations
Tora Brown is a business counselor and assisting with the implementation of the CCCP Program. With a Master of Science Degree in Public Administration, she has worked with many Entertainment, Corporate, Government and Non-Profit Leaders. Ms. Brown has worked with the NAACP, New Line Cinema, MTM (Mary Tyler Moore) Productions, Los Angeles City Council, Girl Scouts, Latin Business Association, and countless international companies.
Doug Howe & Keith Rypka | Advance Technology Incubator i3 - Business Incubation / Technology Innovation
Douglas Howe is the Interim Director for College of the Canyons' Advanced Technology Incubator. He brings more than 25 years of marketing, sales and general management leadership to entrepreneurial initiatives, including the past ten years as a member of senior management teams in two independent pre-revenue start-ups and spearheading a corporate venture initiative resulting in the successful spin-off of a high-technology business unit into an independent commercial enterprise. Mr. Howe is a member of the Practitioner Faculty at Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business and Management where he teaches Entrepreneurship Strategy, Business Plan Writing and Global Marketing.
Keith Rypka
Keith Rypka has extensive experience in manufacturing technology and process design as well as new product development. Keith’s industry experience includes stints at major medical device companies such as St. Jude Medical and Boston Scientific, as well as industrial job-shops in northern California. This background has instilled Keith with a strong understanding of high and low-volume manufacturing processes as well as their strengths and weaknesses in relation to the overall product development cycle as well as lifecycle management activities.
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