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Update on State Money! Faces Award Nominations

In this Must Know…

Ironing Out the Issues, A Webinar (and exciting news!)

You are invited to “Ironing Out the Issues,” a webinar next Thursday, April 19 at 2:00pm PT. With so much going on in Washington and Sacramento, we have gathered our policy friends to keep you informed of all the excitement.

  • Ann Sullivan, our woman in DC, will be giving you an update on the political landscape of Washington and what we can expect from the FY2019 budget and the upcoming election season.
  • You’ll hear an update and be able to ask a few questions on the historic state investment in small business development from Toni Symonds, Staff Consultant on Assembly Committee the Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy and Jesse Torres, Deputy Director, Small Business and Innovation, California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)
  • Other good things are happening in the state – find out what they are.

Register for the webinar “Ironing Out the Issues.”

The exciting-related news is that Carolina, Mark, and I, along with some of our members, were in Sacramento on Tuesday for the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #4 hearing on the Go-Biz budget. At issue was a Budget Change Proposal that would take $20 million from the California Competes Program and slot it for small business development technical assistance. Nancy Swift, Executive Director of JEDI and CAMEO boardmember, wrote

There was palpable excitement…and close to 20 people who came to the mic in support of the $20 million appropriation. The Honorable Quirk-Silva and Cervantes made impassioned comments about the value of this state investment. Sharon Miller, myself and Leah [formerly from WEV] spoke about WBC’s along with other program representatives. Heidi spoke about CAMEO members…. There was no visible or stated opposition.


The SBDCs also were out in force as were other friends. And collectively we turned in 263 letters of support. This is huge outpouring of support. There was no visible or stated opposition. The committee did not vote on the item as they didn’t have a quorum. Because they didn’t vote, you can still send in letters of support. There will be a budget revision around mid-May and a final vote by June 15.

A big thanks go to Panorea Avdis, Director of Go-Biz, Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva and Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, Jesse Torres of Go-Biz, Toni Symonds of JEDE, and all the other people who are making this happen for their support of small businesses in California.

Faces of Entrepreneurship Award Nominations


Nominate your successful clients for the Eighth Annual CAMEO Faces of Entrepreneurship Award. Last year’s winners were:

  • Tyrone Botelho and Tiffany Hoang, Circle Up Education (nominated by Skys the Limit aka Youth Business USA) and
  • Javier Zamora, JSM Organics (nominated by California FarmLink).

This year it could be your client!

Legislators from the business owners’ districts will present the awards at our annual meeting. This is a great opportunity for your clients and helps us build strategic connections with our legislators. Award winners will be selected based on the following criteria: type of business, region, demonstrated growth and job creation, and contributions to their community.

Nominate your businesses by April 20, 2018.

The Goodies

New opportunities for training, conference information, funding, scholarships, and other information that have crossed our desks since the last Must Know. I have posted a running tab of current Industry Goodies on the CAMEO website that lists items that were in past emails. Check it out to make sure you’re not missing anything, like grants whose deadlines are still alive!

Yelp for Funders: Foundations need feedback loops, and nonprofit need tips on grantseeking. In other words, we all need GrantAdvisor.org to succeed. And you can help with 7 minutes of your time.

Member Kudos: Congrats to Southwest College Foundation in San Diego who will host California’s newest WBC!

Happy Financial Capability Month: Join the conversation online by using #FinCapMonth to connect with peers in the financial capability field. Read Prosperity Now’s blog post. Submit your financial capability resources, findings and events.

For Your Clients: The California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (CHCC) is holding Cannabis 2.0 Workshop series in Los Angeles on April 20, 2018. The program includes a coaching/networking luncheon, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and more.

Future of Work MeetUps: California Forward is hosting a series of Future of Work Meetups to talk about how artificial intelligence, the rise of gig economy platforms, and a new wave of automation will further change the future of work and the skill sets required to thrive in the workforce. Sign up for one of the regional events coming up in April: Chico, Monterrey, Kern, Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County and Fresno.

State Survey: The California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) in partnership with the California Community Colleges Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research (COE) is leading an effort to help education and workforce training providers create or improve programs to respond to California’s needs for a skilled cybersecurity workforce. Please join us in our effort to conduct a substantive cybersecurity labor market analysis for California by filling out the survey and passing it on.

Professional Conference (for you and your clients): The 8th annual La Cocina Conference will expand and force some intentional, exciting and considerate conversations around food as engines for economic development in our communities. On April 16-18, La Cocina invites chefs, placemakers, policy activists, writers, academics and consumers who believe that social justice must be a part of our dining culture to gather at the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio, San Francisco. Early bird tickets are available but there is a limited amount.

Moving Main Street Forward: AEO’s microbusiness and microfinance conference is a must-attend event for professionals providing capital, technical assistance and other forms of trusted guidance to Main Street and microbusiness owners. The agenda will be packed with inspiring keynotes, thought-provoking plenaries and compelling breakout sessions designed to engage attendees in bold and provocative conversations on using inclusion, innovation and investment to move Main Streets across the country forward. See you in Detroit, Michigan, April 30 to May 2, 2018. Check out the newly released agenda! Thanks to the generous support of Moving Main Street Forward sponsors, AEO has released a limited number of registrations for just $399! These will run out quickly, so don’t delay — claim your spot today! Also, CAMEO has a limited amount of scholarship available, contact Heidi Pickman for more information.

For Your Clients: Register now for the #SmallBusinessWeek Virtual Conference on May 1-3, 2018! The U.S. Small Business Administration and SCORE Association will host a free, 3-Day Virtual Conference during National Small Business Week. The Virtual Conference offers all the best parts of an in-person conference, but without the hassle of traveling. Watch 12 educational webinars, get free business advice from mentors, pick up free information and resources from sponsors and network with fellow business owners.

Professional Conference: Join the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (CHCC) for their Legislative Conference on May 16, 2018 in Sacramento. The conference provides a platform for Hispanic business leaders and Chamber members to engage in the legislative process. The Legislative Conference attendees participate in educational forums, networking opportunities, and gain insight on how to activate local members, and stakeholders on initiatives impacting their business community. A state procurement matchmaking session will be added to this year’s conference with California State Agencies.

For Your Clients: Join Small Business California for their 2018 Education Day on May 22, 2018 in Sacramento. Small business owners from around the state will hear from leading experts on relevant issues such as: Workers Compensation, Medical Marijuana in the Workplace, State Contracting Opportunities, CalSavers Retirement Savings Program, PAGA Lawsuits, Universal Healthcare or Single Payer Plans, Employment Development Department, and more.

New Report: Aspen’s FIELD program released a new report, “The Price of Access: How Scale-Focused Microlenders Are Pricing for Growth.” The report explores how microfinance institutions are pricing their smallest loans at higher interest rates in order to expand their reach. The resulting revenue allows them to meet the needs of more underserved entrepreneurs.

New Report: Thumbtack surveyed more than 14,000 small business owners 55 and older across the United States, to evaluate the business friendliness of their local governments, what motivated them to start their own small business and how their experience impacts their business success.