Join us in recognition of Ventura County’s family child care providers with a day filled with professional learning, networking and celebration! This free event will feature a keynote presentation from Miriam Beloglovsky, author of Loose Parts: Inspiring Play in Young Children and workshops on:
The Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) and the Fillmore Association of Business (FAB) are partnering to offer a no-cost 4-week QuickBooks Online workshop led by Juliana Ramírez, a financial advisor from EDC’s Small Business Development Center. Juliana is an experienced accountant, entrepreneur, business advisor and Certified QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor who has helped numerous small businesses, including her own, ranging from restaurants to retail stores, car dealerships to dental offices and non-profit organizations.
The Social Justice Fund invites you to join us on May 6th to learn more about the work of one of our Fellows, Brenda Heredia, and the movement for promoting health equity in Nyeland Acres!
Please click here to find more details and RSVP. We look forward to seeing you there!
As our SJFVC Fellows progress through their projects, the SJFVC wants to highlight the thoughtful and compassionate leadership displayed by these wonderful individuals. They demonstrate a form of leadership that prioritizes the voices and needs of the communities they work alongside. Thanks to supporters like you, our Fellows have the ability to address particular forms of inequity and deepen their support of their communities.
Economic Development Collaborative (EDC), Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF), the California Department of Technology (CDT) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) are hosting a workshop to seek input on the development on the State Digital Equity Plan (SDEP) and the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Five-Year Action Plan.
EDC, SBF, CDT and CPUC are working to close the digital divide and ask community members from all walks of life to take part by sharing their experiences with connectivity and adoption issues, device access and knowledge/training about how to use devices.
Due to the winter storms the tax filing deadline for Ventura County has been extended and now low- to moderate-income Ventura County residents can have their state and federal tax returns prepared and e-filed for free on June 5th when the United Way E-bus tour comes to Ventura County. Residents can put more money back in their pocket with the help of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program offered by United Way of Ventura County and the County of Ventura Human Services Agency.
Join the Uplift Coalition for community meetings across the region for an opportunity to learn about the Community Economic Resilience Fund planning process and project progress, meet with community members and organizations engaging in the work and voice your experiences and insight on both the issues and challenges that face our communities and the opportunities and possibilities that are in the future of our Central Coast region.
Your participation is critical to the success of the project as Uplift works to develop an understanding of the barriers to economic opportunity across the diversity of Central Coast communities and builds a plan to invest in possible solutions into the future.
Refreshments provided. Meeting is open to the public until capacity.
Registration is required.
Check Where Your Nearest Community Convening Is Below:
Join the U.S. Commercial Service who has partnered with Coupang, Inc., one of the largest South Korean eCommerce companies, on this upcoming webinar where they will be discussing:
Export assistance from the U.S. Commercial Service
Market insights on the Korean eCommerce landscape
Insights from an industry expert on building brand awareness with South Korean consumers
You will hear directly from the eCommerce experts about Coupang’s state of the art logistics and delivery infrastructure and a look at their ecommerce marketplace.
July 18 at 9:00 am PST
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE
VENTURA —The County of Ventura Human Resources Department will be hosting a job and career fair on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. The event is open to the public and there is no charge for admission or parking. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about careers in administration and support, engineering, environmental protection, planning, agriculture, health care, law enforcement, public safety, public works, recreational services, technology and much more.
All of County agencies and departments will be represented at the expo. Human Resources professionals will be on-site to help educate attendees about County hiring processes, benefits, and the many reasons to choose to join the County workforce.
Are you a U.S. company seeking to expand your business globally? Join us on August 28th and 30th at 8:00 am for two informative webinars that will provide invaluable insights into the thriving markets of Poland and Romania.
Unlock the Emerging Poland Market: Opportunities for Poland – U.S. Business Partnerships
on’t miss the 2023 State of the County celebrating the County’s 150th Anniversary! Keynote speaker and County Executive Officer Dr. Sevet Johnson will share an update and unforgettable message followed by a networking reception under Air Force One.
Thank you to our presenting partners who made this year’s event possible. Proceeds will benefit the Museum of Ventura County and the Economic Development Collaborative’s work empowering social, cultural, and economic opportunities for all residents in our County.
The 2023 State of the County will be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Thursday, November 2.
VIRTUAL & IN-PERSON
Homebuyer Workshop
Saturday, December 2 – In-person, Santa Maria (in partnership with the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara)
Friday, December 8 – Virtual
Saturday, December 16 – Virtual
If you want to learn what it takes to buy a home of your own and what resources are out there, our HUD-approved Homebuyer Workshops is a class you won’t want to miss! There is no cost for you to attend and you’ll enjoy hearing from a variety of expert speakers who will give you the latest and greatest on credit, money management, real estate, mortgage loans, insurance and more! Register for FREE today!
SANTA BARBARA — Just in time for the holiday gift-giving season, more than 50 arts and crafts faculty and students from the SBCC School of Extended Learning will be selling their wares at Wake Campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2. Community members are encouraged to stop by and view and/or purchase one-of-a-kind works including ceramics, jewelry items, fabric arts, cards, glass art and more — crafted by their very own friends and neighbors.
Shoppers can also enjoy a catered lunch during the Fair, available for purchase by Chef Rene’s Cuisine.
From the California Green Business Network
Most businesses in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties are now eligible for $500 in incentives to help reduce their operational costs and become a certified Green Business. Start off the new year with a resolution to be green, and get certified by Earth Day 2023! The Sustainable Business Challenge is a great opportunity to start reaping benefits now as your business gets started on its sustainability journey.
Dear Friend of the Museum,
If you have already made a contribution to the Museum of Ventura County – THANK YOU for your support!
If you would still like to give a gift, thank you for helping the Museum serve our Ventura County community with:
In-person and virtual school tours
Free events for ALL of the community
In-person and virtual discussions and interviews
Historical articles, lectures and videos
Innovative exhibits
FREE ADMISSION at the Museum of Ventura County downtown and at the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula
All of us at the EDC are wishing you and your families a happy and safe holiday season! We are grateful to have worked with you over the last year and are excited to connect with you again in the new year.
The EDC will be closed on:
Friday, December 23
Monday, December 26
Monday, January 2
Need business assistance? CLICK HERE to register for a phone call appointment!
SBA: INTRO GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS
January 3 @ 10:00 am
This webinar will provide an overview of SBA programs and services, with an emphasis on SBA’s federal contracting resources! This will be an intro to small business certification programs. Government contracts are a tremendous financial opportunity for small businesses, and the U.S. government is the largest customer in the world. It buys all types of products and services — in both large and small quantities — and it’s required by law to consider buying from small businesses. The SBA has several contracting assistance programs, and federal contracting resources available to assist entrepreneurs. This is a great opportunity to get any questions you may have answered and find out about the multiple resources available to help you on your way to small business success. This event will take place online, please register for the log on information. SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. For reasonable accommodation request please send an email to lado@sba.gov at least 7 days in advance.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
SBA: SAM REGISTRATION – (SYSTEM AWARD MANAGEMENT)
December 22 @ 10:00 am
Join the Small Business Administration (SBA) Los Angeles District Office for a virtual workshop to increase your potential for federal contract opportunities through the System Award Management Registration. This virtual workshop is targeted to small businesses located in the SBA Los Angeles District Office service area — Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. For reasonable accommodation request please send an email to lado@sba.gov at least 7 days in advance.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Thanks to your continued and generous support, we are encouraged to be ending 2022 strong! Though many challenges came along this year, there has been much to celebrate:
Construction Pipeline: Taking advantage of all possible solutions to the continuing housing crisis, we put 1,300 units into our pipeline. We built new units, substantially rehabilitated existing ones, and secured several new tracts for ‘self-help’ owner builders.
Creative Collaborations: The brick-and-mortar of construction is only part of the multi-faceted challenge of development. The quest for buildable land saw us creatively collaborating with state and local governments, private owners, and faith-based partners.
We are excited to be holding our biggest fundraiser event of the year in person again! This year we will also be hosting a preview event online, as well as the in-person event.
Thank you for considering sponsoring our Festival of Hearts event, raising funds for low income seniors through our HEART program (Helping Elders at Risk Today)- for those who want to attend our program and are in need of financial assistance.
Many of our life-saving programs depend on donor dollars from the community. Please consider making Ventura County Animal Services your end-of-year charity. Visit www.vcas.us/donate to make an online donation to our non-profit Foundation. And make your donation before December 31, 2022 to claim the deduction on your 2022 Tax Return. Thank you for your support of our lifesaving mission!
Santa Barbara City College is pleased to announce that class registration for the Spring 2023 semester is now open to everyone in the community. Classes begin on Monday, Jan. 23. SBCC offers classes for credit for students looking to pursue an associate degree or certificate, including those needed to transfer to a four-year university. It also offers a variety of noncredit programs through its School of Extended Learning in areas including English as a Second Language, classes for older adults and career skills building.
There’s still time for you to help make a difference! By supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley this December, you’ll be increasing our ability to impact even more lives in 2023. Your continued generosity this holiday season can bring LEAP programming to any youth who needs it in the New Year.
Please visit our website to give and don’t forget to share our goals and programs on social media!
VENTURA COUNTY SCORE: HOW TO INFLUENCE, PERSUADE AND SELL ANYONE
December 14 @ 10:30 am
Have you ever struggled to get someone to accept your ideas or buy your product or service? Well, help is finally on the way, with this breakthrough webinar! In less than an hour you will learn how to convince and sell almost anyone. Suddenly, you’ll have an incredible power to persuade all the people in your life, unlike anything you’ve ever been able to do before. From friends and family members to prospects and clients, you will suddenly be able to enjoy more stress-free, predictable and FUN ways to get people on your side and buying from you… whether it be face-to-face, from your website, from your ads and emails and more! In this webinar for small business owners, top behavioral management specialist James I. Bond will share secrets that will help you grow your business and simplify your life almost immediately.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
We are excited to be holding our biggest fundraiser event of the year in person again! This year we will also be hosting a preview event online, as well as the in-person event.
Thank you for considering sponsoring our Festival of Hearts event, raising funds for low income seniors through our HEART program (Helping Elders at Risk Today)- for those who want to attend our program and are in need of financial assistance.
At one of our ten Learning Centers, 62% of students began the academic year two or more grade levels behind their peers. By the end of the year, only 5% of students were still two or more grade levels behind.
Also greatly improved was the number of students reading at or above grade level: increasing from 10 to 42%.
The Port of Hueneme received $10.4 million in funding from Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) to help build shoreside power plug-in infrastructure on its North Terminal. The Port also recently received state and federal funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust to implement innovative technologies to increase electrification efforts, track air quality progress, and further reduce particulate matter. These environmental wins benefit the Port and its surrounding community.
SBA: 8(A) BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATION WORKSHOP
December 6 @ 10:00 am
Join the Small Business Administration (SBA) Los Angeles District Office for a virtual workshop to increase your potential for federal contract opportunities through the 8(a) Business Development (BD) Program. The SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program is a nine-year program created to help socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs gain access to—and succeed in—the federal marketplace. Businesses that participate in the 8(a) BD Program receive training, technical assistance, business development services and exclusive access to reserved federal contracting opportunities. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions related to this program. Find out if your eligible! SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. For reasonable accommodation request please send an email to lado@sba.gov at least 7 days in advance.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
The Fund for Santa Barbara (The FUND) on Nov. 7 awarded Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) $10,000 to support our labor justice, youth development and language access programs in Santa Barbara County. The FUND will allocate a total of $103,000 to local nonprofit organizations in Santa Barbara County as part of their annual Fall General Grant Cycle.
MICOP is extremely grateful for The FUND’s focus on social change and civic action to support its organizing efforts. “Funding organizing efforts to create meaningful change is not easy to get in Santa Maria, our work relies on foundations that know this and make an effort to support, that is why we appreciate The Fund for Santa Barbara.” said Ana Huynh, MICOP Santa Maria Program Director.
Meet EDC’s President and CEO, Bruce Stenslie
Bruce Stenslie started with the Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) as the President and CEO in 2007. He has over 30 years of experience in workforce and economic development serving as the Deputy Director for the California Workforce Association, Workforce Policy Director for the City of Los Angeles, Assistant Director of the Ventura County Human Services Agency and Executive Director of the Workforce Investment Board.
Giving Tuesday is a simple and easy way to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors and make our community a stronger and more resilient place to live and work. Become a part of the great work we’re doing and make a gift today. Kick off the season of giving today by making a gift to United Way of Ventura County. With your support, United Way can continue to provide basic needs, emergency support, and advance education, economic mobility, housing & health solutions that make our community stronger. Together, we can make real, lasting change.
U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE: SHOWCASING THE INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS OF NATIVE AMERICAN-OWNED AND LED BUSINESSES
November 30 @ 11:00 am
The U.S. Commercial Service invites you to register below for the tenth & final session of the 2022 “From Local to Global: Celebrating Diversity” event series. In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the U.S. Commercial Service will feature an interactive discussion of how Native American-owned and led Southern California-based companies have successfully grown their businesses internationally.
Please help MVC reach our $25,000 goal by the end of the day this Tuesday, November 29th. Thank you for donating and forwarding this email to friends.
Dear Friends,
Thank you for considering donating to Friendship Center and making a positive difference in seniors’ quality of life in a meaningful way.
Please stay tuned for Giving Tuesday tomorrow!
With gratitude,
Thank you for considering sharing your bounty with our members – your financial gift goes a long way in making a difference for elders in our community experiencing dementia and other cognitive and physical challenges. We thank you for contributing to their quality of life in this most meaningful way.
We need your help to raise our Giving Tuesday goal of $25,000.
We need to raise $25,000 by the end of the day on November 29
to keep the admission free for the Museum of Ventura County
and the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula.
SBA: WOSB CERTIFICATION – (WOMEN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS)
November 23 @ 10:00 am
Join the Small Business Administration (SBA) Los Angeles District Office for a virtual workshop to increase your potential for federal contract opportunities through the WOSB program certifications. This virtual workshop is targeted to small businesses located in the SBA Los Angeles District Office service area — Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. For reasonable accommodation request please send an email to lado@sba.gov at least 7 days in advance.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
The EDC Board of Directors is a select group of leaders invited to the table for their vision, passion and ability for setting priorities and positively impacting our region’s economic vitality. Board members participate peer-to-peer with visionary leaders, providing guidance and input into our organizational strategy and capacity for delivering outcome-driven economic development services.
We are thrilled to introduce three new Board of Director Members!
Member: Central Coast Labor Council
Representative: Jeremy Goldberg, Executive Director
The Economic Development Collaborative would like to recognize Native American Heritage Month. The EDC is dedicated to providing equitable access to resources, advising and capital. Since 2010, the EDC has helped generate $2 million in revenue to Native American businesses.
The EDC is proud to support the community by providing professional technical assistance in English and Spanish through our Small Business Development Center. Our NO-COST advising areas include:
Start-up Guidance
Marketing & Branding
International Trade
E-commerce & Social Media
Manufacturing Assistance
Legal Compliance
Strategic Planning
QuickBooks & Accounting
And MORE
If you need assistance with your business, please give us a call:
EDC Business Assistance Line (805) 409-9159
With gratitude I am counting the many blessings 2022 has brought to our organization.
Along with the continued production of affordable housing, which your encouragement, inspiration, guidance and financial resources have made possible, this year we are celebrating ‘20 Years of Supportive Services’.
Since its humble beginnings around a picnic table, and growing to ten sited-based learning centers, our education program ‘Camino Scholars’ has bolstered the efforts of thousands of our youth. Resulting in academic graduations, previously unattainable career paths, and scores of personal success stories. Families have been strengthened, neighborhoods benefitted, and entire communities economically enriched. And because of two decades of having licensed social workers on staff, seniors, veterans, the formerly homeless, and those living with disabilities, have found security, dignity, and independence.
Our supportive services come in many guises; compassionate property management, dedicated maintenance teams, career counselors, fundraisers, financial specialists, information technicians, designers and construction crews, all working together to ensure that our residents have assistance when they need it, and have a place to call home.
Housing Trust Fund Ventura County is committed to funding the development of safe and equitable homes that make a positive impact in the trajectory of people’s lives. In support of that effort, the nonprofit recently received $18,000 from a combined two operating grants from Citizens Business Bank and the Bank of Sierra and a $500,000 investment from US Bank into its Everyone Deserves a Home Community Impact Note. Funding such as this is pooled with other supportive funding sources to ensure developments like the Rancho Sierra Senior Apartments (Rancho Sierra) are built to foster positive change for individuals and families who face housing insecurity.
Ventura County Credit Union has welcomed John Cooke to the team as its new vice president of consumer and mortgage lending. In this role, Cooke, who has more than two decades of experience in credit union leadership, will collaborate with VCCU’s chief lending officer to oversee the credit union’s consumer and mortgage loan products and lending team.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have John on board,” said VCCU’s president and CEO, Linda Rossi. “His unique blend of experience, commitment to lifelong learning and strong leadership skills are already proving to be tremendous assets. He is a fantastic addition to our team, and we look forward to continuing to work with him to benefit our members.”
IN-PERSON EVENT: CUSTOMER DISCOVERY AND RESEARCH TOOLS FOR TECH BUSINESSES
November 17 @ 6:00 pm
The Economic Development Collaborative’s Inclusive Innovation Hub (iHub²) is a technology service and resource program that helps facilitates growth for entrepreneurs and companies in technology. The program provides one-on-one tech-focused advising, mentor matching, funding options, pitch deck development, general business marketing, growth strategies and other technology-focused services to a diverse client base. Reaching out to underserved and underrepresented companies, iHub² collaborates with diverse groups throughout the region to offer a wide variety of networking, mentoring, and industry-focused events, work-shops and networking events.
Year round the EDC offers support to our local veterans who wish to start a business or have an existing business. The EDC offers programs designed to assist businesses in key areas with one-on-one technical advising through the EDC Small Business Development Program (EDC SBDC). In partnership with the Small Business Administration, the EDC SBDC provides entrepreneurs with high level business consulting at NO-COST. For more information on the programs and services the EDC provides CLICK HERE.
For guidance with starting a business or getting guidance with an existing business please call
Oxnard College has received a $3 million federal Title V grant to boost enrollment and provide support for equitable student outcomes among Latino and low-income students as they pursue their college and transfer goals.
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) throughout the country applied for the competitive grant, which will be distributed over a five-year period. The grant is directed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program (DHSI).
“Over the last decade, the U.S. Department of Education has placed its faith in Oxnard College by awarding our institution seven competitive grants totaling nearly $30 million to better serve our community’s Latino and underrepresented students,” shared Oxnard College’s Acting President Oscar Cobian. “This most recent grant will transform our students’ lives by helping them thrive academically and transfer to four-year institutions.”
CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is one of 17 CSU campuses tapped to receive California State University HSI Community Grants, part of a CSU-wide initiative of the Global HSI (Hispanic-Serving Institution) Equity Innovation Hub (EIH).
CSUCI’s “Channel Your Potential” initiative received $136,989 and a new program called “Serving Black Students” was awarded $64,460.
The CSUCI grants were a portion of the more than $2 million awarded to the 17 CSU campuses. The grants will support CSU programs that inspire the next generation of creators and innovators to pursue high-demand careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and the creative and tech industries.
Ventura County Credit Union is now officially a Low Income Credit Union (LICU). This Low Income Designation, granted by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, demonstrates VCCU’s commitment to supporting the underserved.
To receive Low Income Designation, a credit union must show that at least half of its membership is at or below the 80th percentile of area’s median income. Other factors that helped VCCU earn this designation include the financial support provided by both the credit union and its foundation, as well as VCCU’s financial education efforts, partnerships with organizations like MICOP and the Mexican Consulate, and designation as a Juntos Avanzamos credit union.
The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County (WDBVC) and America’s Job Center of California are celebrating National Apprenticeship Week on November 14th, 2022.
“This open house is a fantastic opportunity for anyone considering an apprenticeship career. They can meet representatives from Laborers Local 585 LiUNA, Tri-Counties Sheet Metal Workers JATC, Iron Workers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and ask questions,” said Rebecca Evans, Executive Director WDBVC. “Apprenticeships combine hands-on paid work experience with help and instruction to prepare workers for highly-skilled and well-paid careers”
Click here to read in web browser. Moorpark student financial stability profile featured on NCII website MOORPARK — To address barriers impacting students’ success, Moorpark College partnered with the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement (NCII) to conduct an exhaustive,…
SBA: ACCOUNTING AND BOOKKEEPING TIPS TO WRAP UP YEAR-END
November 8 @ 10:30 am
November and December are some of the busiest months for small business owners. With the holiday shopping season in full swing, it can be easy to get caught up in managing the day-to-day sales and operations. But taking the time to wrap up the year thoughtfully can significantly impact next year. Get a jump start on your year-end checklist and avoid stress by learning how to wrap up your business from Accounting Expert Juliana Ramirez of JR Bookkeeping. Through an interactive webinar, she will share a checklist of tasks you can follow and discuss accounting and bookkeeping tips that can be applied to your small business. Come prepared with your specific questions.
SBA: VETERAN ENTREPRENEUR TRAINING
October 31 @ 11:00 am
Like all successful missions, small business ownership and growth starts with training. This workshop will empower service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members and military spouses with entrepreneurial trainings and resources right in their local community. Specialized training programs for women veterans, service-disabled veterans and veterans interested in federal procurement will also be discussed.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
