#NAWBO CALIFORNIA NEWS
President's Message
Dear NAWBO leaders, members, and friends,

I hope you are staying safe and healthy. It is officially fall and in Southern California, we’re enjoying the hints of coolness as they come.

I would like to thank our board members and chapter leaders for spending a Saturday strategizing about how NAWBO California can best serve our members, leaders, and supporters across the state. It’s a pleasure to see how much we can accomplish in a short time together. I am so grateful for your insights and vision as we reaffirm our focus on public policy, state-wide advocacy for fellow women business owners, and unwavering support for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

As you know, public policy is core to NAWBO California and our leadership has started planning for Propel in spring of 2022. If you or anyone in your chapters has an event-planning company and would be interested in assisting with this year’s event, please keep an eye out for a request for proposals (RFP) issued soon.  

We also look forward to further supporting our chapters and increasing communication between NAWBO sisters across the state. Chapter leaders, please keep an eye out for an invitation for coffee with the presidents. We’d like to invite all chapter presidents for an informal morning coffee conversation with our immediate past president, Hilary Lentini, our president-elect, Schenae Rourk, and myself.

Please be sure to check out the programs available from our sponsors and chapters in the coming month. Whether it’s investing workshops, accessing capital, managing risk, or celebrating our fellow women business owners, there is a lot to explore below.

Our all member mixer is back! Please register so we can catch up over the drink of your choice and network with our fellow NAWBO sisters across California. I look forward to seeing you there.

Amber Wallace
NAWBO-CA President
President & CEO, Dowitcher Designs
Past President, NAWBO Santa Barbara
NAWBO-CA Advocacy & Public Policy report
 
The 2021 session ended quietly and with very little fanfare, except for the dozens of Assemblymembers and Senators rising to “adjourn in memory” of a constituent in their districts. Both houses adjourned early and left the Capitol by 9:30 p.m. on Friday, September 10th. This is the first time in decades that the Assembly and Senate adjourned before midnight on the last night of session and before the interim recess. There are several reasons for this phenomenon.
 
First, the 2021 Legislative Session was a repeat of the 2020 Session due to the ongoing pandemic. Leadership in both houses put a legislative maximum of 12 bills introduced per member, due to the limited hearing rooms available that could accommodate the CDPH’s social distancing guidelines. All policy committee hearings were conducted on the Senate or Assembly floor after the morning floor session adjourned. Many policy committees were given one or two hearing dates, instead of the normal 4-8 hearing dates necessary to handle the volume of bills in both houses. Most of the key bills were either dropped, failed in policy committee, or moved to a two-year status.
Our next statewide Member Mixer is October 13 from 4:00 - 5:30 via Zoom. Join us for our virtual mixer to meet NAWBO members across California chapters.

It's been a while; we hope to (virtually) see everyone next month to share and catch up!

Join us here on October 13 at 4:00:
 
Meeting ID: 840 8659 0391
Passcode: 2021
Check out this 2021 Pathways Program graduate!
Marcela Alava serves as the Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Technology of the White House where she is currently focused on enterprise applications across the Executive Office of the President.

Originally from Los Angeles, Alava holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Business from Loyola Marymount University, and an MBA in Information Systems and Operations Management from USC. She has served and led a variety of non-profit boards and Advisory Committees at the local and national level within the STEM, Early childhood education, Higher Ed and DE&I space.
Ventura County, along with Gold Corporate Sponsor CHASE Bank, announces a new three session certification program beginning on September 28 - The ABC’ s of DEI: Awareness and Belonging Conversations in Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Participants will gain an understanding of critical principles of diversity, equity and inclusion that help us all experience genuine belonging. Read more here.
Starting a practice or purchasing commercial real estate? Check out these offers from Bank of America

2.99% for Practice Solutions Startup Loans

For clients starting a practice for the first time, BofA is offering practice startup loans with a choice of flexible payment plans to provide more time to get up and running. This all-inclusive financing covers everything from office design and equipment installation to training, supplies and working capital. Other advantages include fixed rates and flexible terms
and interest-only options.

Currently, BofA is offering eligible clients a competitive, limited-time rate offer of 2.99% for startup loan applications submitted through September 30, 2021 and booked by January 31, 2022. This rate offer is for the life of the loan on qualifying approved Practice Solutions secured term start-up loans only.

 Owner Occupied Commercial Real Estate offering
  • Appraisal Fee for Conventional and SBA Commercial Real Estate Secured Loans. Fee Waived
  • Loan Origination Fee for Conventional Secured Loans Fee Waived
  • Bridge Fee on SBA 504 Bridge Loans and Bank Portion Fee of the Permanent SBA 504 term loans Waived.
  • Bank Packaging Fee on SBA 7A and SBA Express Loans Waived
  • 1.99% for the first six months and then a competitive rate through maturity.
  • Offer Expires September 30, 2021 and close

Interested? Contact Henry On at henry.on@bofa.com
Inland Empire shares exciting news of three of its members:
Chastity Heyward is a nominee for the Los Angeles Times Inspirational Women Awards, a Forbes Council Member, and recently published the Forbes article "How Entrepreneurs Misuse The Title Of CEO."
Mary Lyn Baker of DH Casters and Hilda Kennedy of AmPac Business Capital are finalists for the Spirit Of the Entrepreneur Awards
From San Diego: Our BRAVA AWARDS are in full swing! We have searched far and wide for the most innovative and inspiring business women in San Diego County. Each of our six categories have been narrowed to a handful of finalists who will share their wisdom on our special panel interviews.
  • Each panel discussion will be released as a series of "shows" throughout September and October.
  • Following the airing of each panel, voting will be open to the general public for one week. You get to decide who wins in each category!
  • After all, six shows are released, voting will again open for ALL award categories between October 22-27, for those that missed the opportunity to vote in the first round.
  • This will culminate in our LIVE Awards Show Finale on Thursday October 28, 2021 from 5-6pm PDT, where we'll announce the winners!

For information on these amazing women, to register vote and attend the events, please visit www.bravaawards.org View this video for details! https://youtu.be/lXJ1nWo68a4

FOLLOW San Diego and LIKE on these social media channels:
FACEBOOK @NAWBOSanDiego | LINKEDIN here
Silicon Valley :: Gioia Company - Popup event | Los Gatos | October 7

Inland Empire :: NextGen Workshop - Managing Financial Risk for Entrepreneurs | Virtual | October 9