When starting her medical career, Shannen Enos Pousada wanted to be a coroner. But she quickly realized that was not her path. The hospital where she did her coroner training had a busy emergency room with lots of opportunities to learn, so she switched to emergency medicine and became an emergency room nurse.
Category: Success Story
Dr. Rohini Rattu, Dimples Pediatric Dental
In 2007, Dr. Rohini Rattu obtained her Doctorate of Dental Surgery from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine in New York City. She soon realized her passion for Pediatric Dentistry and wanted to start her own practice.
Michael and Barbara Crosbie, Crosbie Chiropractic
Michael and Barbara Crosbie founded Crosbie Chiropractic in 1983 in Southern California and moved to Humboldt County in 2001. They first set up shop in Rio Dell, then in Fortuna in 2006. Dr. Michael Crosbie dedicates his life to alleviating a myriad of conditions, from low back pain to migraine headaches. He is the only local practitioner of the Koren Specific technique.
Dawn Russell, Treats for Chickens
Treats for Chickens hatched in 2009 in West Petaluma, California. Those who knew Dawn thought she had simply lost her mind. She gave notice to her employer at a federal government agency in San Francisco to make treats for backyard pet chickens.
Sofia Lopez, Santo Hermano Pedro Boutique
Back in Antigua, Guatemala, Sofia Lopez had a small business. She sold items like pocketbooks, belts, and wallets on the vibrant main square. She always wanted to run such a venture and was achieving success. That is, until violence compelled her to leave her homeland a decade ago.
Lupe Guerrero, El Pipila
In 1988, Lupe Guerrero migrated to the US. She was in search of a better life for her and her two young daughters. After arriving in Berkeley, Lupe found a job at a taqueria where she worked 12-hour days, 6 days a week.
Erin Foate, Dachs 2 Danes
In January 2011, Erin Foate moved back with her parents after graduating with a degree in business. She had no job, no car, and was living off her savings. Her parents and (then) fiancé helped cover her bills. She developed a business plan for a dog daycare and pursued an initial start-up loan, but they turned her down. It was then that she was referred to the Inland Empire Women’s Business Center (IEWBC).
Mark Saavedra, Airport Barbershop
Mark Saavedra came to the small business world via happenstance. He was working at a market and learning to cut hair when his teacher suggested he take over the Truckstop Barbershop. He was unsure, but when friends and family who knew his talent and skills urged him on, his vision for himself changed. Instead of renting a hair station, he went straight to renting an established barber business.
Sandra Ann Harris, ECOlunchbox
ECOlunchbox had a well-established multi-tiered distribution network but the demand for its green consumer products was stronger than the small company could support due to undercapitalization. ECOlunchbox was frequently going out of stock on all its products due to high demand and lack of resources to adequately buy stock. Additionally, the bootstrapped company was seriously understaffed.
Jon and Gila Kurtz, Dog Is Good
Jon and Gila Kurtz launched their lifestyle brand for dog lovers, Dog is Good, in 2007. Gila, a professional dog trainer, saw an opportunity in the marketplace for fashionable clothing that expressed her love of dogs. Jon, a retired US Navy Captain was full of ideas for humorous, catchy phrases that playfully express the joy of being “with Dog”.