New entrepreneur center opens in Santa Rosa. Here’s what to know

Small business owners have another resource to turn to for help following the official opening of the new Entrepreneur Resource and Navigation Center in Santa Rosa near Coddingtown Mall.

The entrepreneur center is a resource for small business owners looking for basic services such as advice in marketing and basic city licensing.

The center is a pilot program from the Opportunity Foundation of Sonoma County, formerly known as the Sonoma County Hardship Fund, which formed during the pandemic to help small businesses that didn’t qualify for government funding.

Executive director Sally Lopez said the center isn’t meant to replace resources offered at other small business organizations such as the Economic Development Board or the Sonoma Small Business Development Center, but rather a starting point to help small business owners access these other resources.

“We find what their (small business owners) needs are and will make the recommendations and referrals that way so they don’t fall through the cracks,” Lopez said. “Our goal will be to do a warm handover contact.”

Located at 1400 Guerneville Road near the Whole Foods at Coddingtown Mall, it will be open for walk-in appointments Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m. and by appointment on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Lopez and one paid, part-time staff member will handle programming and work twice a week along with two paid youth interns, a demographic Lopez also hopes to target with the center’s opening.

“The goal is to mentor our youth by providing the hours and work experience and turn around and provide the service for entrepreneurs at no cost,” Lopez said.

Spanish speaking and bilingual staff will also always be on site, Lopez said, and access to Vietnamese and Chinese speaking interpreters can be brought in if needed.

Lopez hopes to increase the center’s hours once it gets more funding.

The Opportunity Foundation held a ribbon-cutting Wednesday to celebrate the opening of the resource center with community members, county and city officials and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in attendance.

“I was very blessed to be part of the organization when it first started with the idea of wanting to give back to the community when our businesses needed them,” Ama Magallon, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “I’m just amazed at how far this organization has come.”

The Entrepreneur Center isn’t all that Lopez has been working on. She said she’s also been in talks with Coddingtown Mall to open a co-op in the near future to provide a space for creators and artisans to sell their goods, especially during the winter months after market season is over.

“This will allow us to create jobs and additional paid internships for our youth, helping them gain entrepreneurial skills,” Lopez said.

You can reach Staff Writer Sara Edwards at 707-521-5487 or sara.edwards@pressdemocrat. com. On Twitter @sedwards380.