Technology is changing EVERYTHING. Including business assistance. Our members are having innovative responses to the changing landscape. Learn how several of your peers are developing products and services to respond to the rapid changes in the economy and society.
Debi Roder from Small Business Majority to learn about Venturize.org, their free online resource hub for small businesses that need help accessing responsible capital and becoming loan ready. She will explain how they are partnering with organizations to offer high-quality,
personalized assistance to your clients with a co-branded
portal.
Estefania Cardona from Centro Community Partners will talk about their latest app that connects business owners with CDFIs.
Paola Castellanos from Pacific Community Ventures will explain how BusinessAdvising.org, a Match.com-plus for business owners and pro-bono business advisors, uses technology to facilitate mentoring and business success.
About the Presenters
Deborah (Debi) Roder manages Small Business Majority’s Entrepreneurship Program, which provides key resources and education to entrepreneurs seeking to start and grow their businesses. Debi builds partnerships with organizations that similarly support entrepreneurs, as well as manages content for the program’s online web portal and educational events. She also helps track and evaluate the program’s activities. Debi’s career prior to joining Small Business Majority has focused on supporting entrepreneurs, small businesses and startups. She has worked with small business owners on everything from business plans to marketing and financials and has created hundreds of educational and networking events for entrepreneurs.
Estefania leads Centro Community Partner’s Customer Success and is one of our bilingual Entrepreneurship Trainers. She has a degree in International Business, a postgraduate in Creative Intervention and is an experienced social entrepreneur. Her work in multicultural environments and interdisciplinary projects in the United States, Colombia, Canada, and England is paramount experience she brings forth to our trainings for the Bay Area’s Latino community. 
Paola Castellanos is the Program Manager for Business Advising at Pacific Community Ventures. She is responsible for connecting entrepreneurs nationwide with the valuable resources they need to run and grow their businesses successfully. Paola has extensive experience in business development with a diverse array of companies, from nonprofits to chambers of commerce to large privately-held global corporations. She also has over 10 years of event and project management experience, with a focus on community engagement and corporate social responsibility.