CAMEO was thrilled to co-host our first in-person regional meeting since February 2020 at Brews-N-Krew in Salinas with our Central Coast members last Friday. A big thank you to Assemblymember Robert Rivas for attending and listening to the stories of small business owners and concerns of our members.
Carmen Herrera-Mansir, a CAMEO board member and Executive Director of El Pajaro CDC, gave an inspiring welcome.
A few highlights from our roundtable discussion include:
- Small business technical centers need additional funding. El Pajaro Community Development Center in Watsonville doubled its small business clients in the last year, showing increased needs for small business assistance.
- Some of the smallest businesses in the Central Coast are struggling to afford and keep employees. Additional state funded grants or loans to help with hiring and maintaining employees would be helpful for small businesses looking to expand.
- Workers and small business owners are finding it difficult to find child care options. Expanding child care is critically important for small businesses to hire new employees.
Listen to the stories of the business owners
Marlene Garcia, owner of Brew-N-Krew Ale House
Edgar Chavez, owner of Echaz Construction
Karla Portillo and Ronal Portillo, owners of Pupuseria Nathalia
See more photos on social media.
Thank you to the Ewing xx Kauffman Foundation for their generous support that made this event possible.