During our Community of Practice webinar on Thursday, February 29, 2024, our panel of state-level economic developers share some of the ways California, Iowa and Mississippi are designing their TA programs to effectively track and measure to the program mandates, while looking through a lens of inclusivity and equitability to ensure that SSBCI lives up to its promise of driving an equitable recovery.
Host David Ponraj, CEO of Economic Impact Catalyst is joined by Shalawn Garcia – CaLOSBA, Marly Kelly – Iowa EDA and Don Calcote – Mississippi SBDC. They share how their respective states are designing and rolling out SSBCI 2.0 and creating a roadmap for other states to apply best practices. Collectively, they aim to put this program to work the way in which it is intended.
What is SSBCI? The State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) is a federal program administered by the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) that was created to strengthen state programs that support private financing to small businesses. SSBCI is expected to, in conjunction with new small business financing, create billions of dollars in lending and investments to small businesses that are not getting the support they need to expand and create jobs.
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Shalawn Garcia – MBA, Grant Programs Supervisor | California Office of the Small Business Advocate
Shalawn Garcia is the Grant Programs Supervisor for the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA). The California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development supports economic growth and innovation and ensures that ALL California small businesses and innovative startups have the information and direct support they need to better navigate resources, programs and regulations. CalOSBA serves as the voice of small businesses, representing their views and interests across the state and advocating for equitable access to capital, markets, and networks so that all California small businesses successfully start, manage, grow and become more resilient.
Mary Kelly, Data & Reporting Coordinator | Iowa Economic Development Authority
Mary Kelly oversees data collection, analysis, and reporting on the impacts of IEDA programs and initiatives across the state. This includes tracking key metrics on job creation, business growth, and return on investment for incentives and community funding. Mary graduated from the University of Iowa in December of 2022, with a BA in International Studies. Her studies focused on economics and environmental sustainability.
In her free time, Mary enjoys running and biking throughout Des Moines, where she can enjoy its beautiful trails and get to know local stops for eats and drinks!
Don Calcote, Program Director | Mississippi Small Business Development Center
Don Calcote served as the Senior Commercial Lender, Chief Financial Officer, and CEO before retiring from the Banking Industry in 2013. He started 7 different businesses including a community bank and a wonderful bookstore. Poet’s, his gourmet coffee shop that he started in 1995 is still going strong. In 2013, he became a Private Business Consultant helping regional and national companies across the U.S. in Structured Business Capitalization, Complex Mergers & Acquisitions, and Management Efficiencies Improvement and in 2020 he was hired by the Mississippi Small Business Development Center as a Business Finance Consultant. He now serves as the Program Director of the Mississippi SSBCI in providing Technical Assistance to small and large businesses in the state.