EDA Packet 06.21.22 - Laserfiche WebLink

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fulfill their business ownership dreams. He is originally from Cozumel, an island located in the Mexican Caribbean. Previously, he worked as a Community Loan Officer and Underwriter and has also served in the nonprofit sector as a Homeownership Advisor, Financial Coach, and Business Advisor. Luis holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from the Universidad de Guadalajara and a Financial Coaching Foundations Certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Luis has a strong passion for helping individuals and small businesses to succeed. He is a native Spanish speaker and will serve clients throughout OTB territories. • Humphrey Fellow and Fulbright Exchange Scholar from Yemen, Eman Alaghbari, has extended her time with MCCD and will continue through Q2. Eman is working with MCCD leadership and the Open to Business team to learn about community and economic development strategies, tools, and resources. Eman will bring the knowledge she gains in Minnesota back to Yemen to provide new strategies for Yemeni entrepreneurs. Programming, Partnerships, & Trainings • January 28th: MCCD hosted a virtual community development focused policy and advocacy training for community partners. MCCD staff walked through how to navigate local, regional, and state government and guest speaker lawmakers were present to provide their insights also. • February 25th: In partnership with the MN Dept. of Labor, MCCD is hosted a live virtual Q&A session on labor policies, regulations, and resources for small business owners. The event was open to businesses in any stage and 19 businesses were in attendance. • March 7th: Seven MCCD staff members [including OTB team members Natalie, Luis, Vicky, Yoni, and Noah] began the National Development Council’s Economic Development Finance 101 class which will run through September. Graduates will build on their existing knowledge base and gain a further understanding of both the basic tools and newest techniques used by successful economic development finance practitioners to assist small businesses and create jobs. • March 31st: MCCD hosted the 3rd virtual Q&A with the University of MN Law School. This free virtual event was open to businesses at any stage. The event was at capacity with 16 businesses in attendance. The Q&A session was recorded and is available for viewing here. Additional legal Q&As will be held later this year. • May 4th: In partnership with Amplio, LEDC, WomenVenture, and the City of Woodbury, MCCD is co-hosting an in-person forum on nontraditional financing options including SBA programs, the MCCD loan program, and other regional CDFI lending options. The forum is free and open to lenders and partners in the surrounding region. More information & registration details available here. Advertising & Outreach • MCCD rolled out the new Open to Business advertisement library which we’ll use going forward in lieu of sending new ads via email each quarter. The ads in the library will always be up to date and new ads will be created and updated periodically so keep checking back. The library was created to help streamline how we share this information with partners. Access the Ad Library here and remember to check back periodically for updated ads. • MCCD recently created a new loan products brochure for lenders. It’s a concise, easy to understand summary of our loan products, mission, and target market. This new marketing material will help us communicate lending options when we engage in outreach to lending partners & stakeholders. The digital and print version is available in the ad library.