Author: Lauren Taber

California Capital News and Updates

Capital Region Small Business Week Returns in May, Bringing Business Networking to Sacramento

Today, California Capital Financial Development Corporation (FDC) announced their participation as planners and hosts of Capital Region Small Business Week 2022, to take place May 2-7. Coinciding with National Small Business Week, Capital Region Small Business Week is the local series of educational, networking and celebratory events across the capital region.  With a week of virtual and in-person offerings, this year marks the first time the event has been held in full form since before the covid-19 pandemic.  

“The small business owners of Greater Sacramento have been an incredible force during the ongoing pandemic,” says California Capital Women’s Business Center (WBC) Director, Sophia Kanaan. “In addition to honoring their impact and resilience, our hope with these events is to connect them to local experts and resources to help them thrive and grow.”  

Sharing expertise

Indeed, the line-up of speakers reflects the vast knowledge and experience of the capital region’s small business ecosystem: The events of Capital Region Small Business Week will offer a diversity of perspectives on crucial small business topics–from taxes and accessing capital, to technological innovation and international business–from representatives of government agencies, higher education, startup networks and civil society.  

In addition to educational events, Capital Region Small Business Week focuses on building connections within the region’s business landscape. With in-person mixers and matchmaking events, the week will put small business owners in contact with business development leaders to share perspectives and find opportunities for partnership.

Building networks in Sacramento

“When entrepreneurs know that they’re admired and supported, and know how to take advantage of that support, their ideas thrive. And that effect ripples through their communities,” continues Ms. Kanaan, who will lead the California Capital WBC team in hosting a May Mixer to close out the week on Friday, May 7.  Click here to view the full schedule of events. 

These events align with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) National Small Business Week, which the SBA has designated for more than 50 years to recognize the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Black-Owned Business, Client Success Stories

Turner & Turner Electric Seizes Contract Opportunities and Creates Jobs With Loan from California Capital

Turner & Turner Electric

March 24, 2022 | As a licensed general contractor and certified journeyman electrician, Ronald Turner serves the Stockton area with Turner & Turner Electric, Inc, which he co-owns with his wife, Jehnell Livingston-Turner. After spending several years in Louisiana, where he applied his contracting skills to help rebuild from the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, Ronald returned to California. He soon realized that, because of the Great Recession, residential and commercial contracting jobs would not provide steady business. Getting certified to bid on government contracts, particularly with the Department of Transportation, was the key to continue operating Turner & Turner Electric: In addition to the prospect of large projects, as a veteran, Ronald was eligible to certify Turner & Turner Electric as a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise and a Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Business, which opens up unique resources and set-aside government contracts. 

Finding new opportunities

After attending a seminar hosted by Norcal PTAC where they learned about California Capital FDC’s suite of business services, Jehnell began working with Women’s Business Center counselor, Charles Thomas. Charles helped Jehnell write an actionable business plan based off of a capability statement she had created, but it was not until several years later that the opportunity to apply for a loan through the California Capital Lending Center came up. As part of the Caltrain Modernization Early Investment Program, Caltrain’s program to electrify their transportation operations, Turner & Turner Electric secured a contract to install poles and light fixtures at the service’s electric power stations. With this sizeable job, a bid submitted for a second contract, and plans to apply for a third, an infusion of working capital would make the growth more manageable. 

Capital infusion creates jobs

 “I had never considered getting a loan,” explains Jehnell, who manages the operations and administration of Turner & Turner Electric. “But I was working with Charles and Daisy [Po’oi, Lending Center Portfolio Manager], and they both encouraged me to try, just try and see what happens.” Jehnell and Ronald decided to apply for a loan, which proved to be an enlightening process. Being loan-ready meant considering details of their business that they hadn’t before, such as the importance of keyman insurance coverage. “When small business owners come from Corporate America, like I did, there are many details [of business ownership] that they don’t think about because they’re the employee,” says Jehnell, emphasizing the key role that free information sessions offered by lenders play in making capital accessible. “A lot of times, people don’t take advantage of free services in their community to know what’s out there.” 

Turner & Turner Electric was approved for a loan, made possible through the Wells Fargo Open for Business Grant, in August of 2021–and the impact has had a ripple effect on their community. With part of the loan going towards payroll expenses, Ronald and Jehnell hired three new employees, and their support has been crucial to navigating the fast-paced construction industry.  With this support, and continued guidance from their WBC counselor, Turner & Turner Electric is performing on their contracts, and keeping more opportunities in mind.

Uncategorized

Construction Staffing Professionals Launches with Support from Women’s Business Center, Creating Jobs and Bringing People-First Ethos to Industry

Construction Staffing Professionals

Brittany Flores completed a 16-week startup accelerator through the Women’s Business Center.

MARCH 11, 2022 | When Brittany Flores got a call from a former colleague inviting her to be a partner in a new business venture, she knew she could not turn down the opportunity. Kathy Ramirez had spent decades at the construction staffing agency where she and Brittany met, and had seen the company stray from its “Mom and Pop” roots. She envisioned a staffing service that would prioritize the professional growth of the construction workers it employs, and committed to starting a new company. Inspired, and looking for change herself, Brittany accepted the offer.  When she began working on the business full time, Brittany turned to the Women’s Business Center (WBC) to learn the fundamentals of planning and launching a business. A year later, Kathy and Brittany have opened Construction Staffing Professionals, and have already begun hiring and securing job-placements for workers. 

Ready to leave her corporate job, Brittany began working on the business full time in February of 2021. Having never gone through the steps to launch a business, she connected with the WBC. She enrolled in a 16-week startup generator course, taught by business consultant Natasha Palumbo, which answered all of her questions. “Every step of the class was geared towards the business and ending up with a solid business plan,” says Brittany, who worked with a cohort of entrepreneurs to learn the fundamentals of starting a business. Using the free online DreamBuilder business plan creation tool and working individually with Natasha, Brittany established the foundations of Construction Staffing Professionals. “Working with the WBC encompassed everything I needed to open the doors the very first day and feel prepared.” 

After more collaboration between the business partners, Construction Staffing Professionals officially launched in February of 2022. In under a month of operation, Brittany and Kathy have hired six employees, secured three complete contracts with construction business customers, and have begun sending employees to job sites. As they gain momentum and prepare for the busy summer season, the founders are focusing hiring and placing more workers, and ensuring that anyone hired and sent to a job site completes a 10-hour safety training through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “Our goal is to get all employees OSHA-certified within 60 days of job placement,” says Brittany, adding that the certification includes a pay increase and increased marketability. This goal speaks to the service-first approach that the pair bring to their business, by prioritizing the professional development of their employees, and ensuring that their clients are provided with highly capable construction professionals. 

Looking back on the initial stages of her entrepreneurship, Brittany attributes the opportunity for partnership  as a key factor in her decision to launch a business. Having worked with Kathy for several years, she knew the business relationship would be a success. “We worked together so well before, so I knew that our strengths and personalities would complement each other as business owners,” she says. With a background in sales and a deep knowledge of the construction industry, Kathy has taken on the role of networking directly with general contractors and foremen on job sites, letting them know of CSP’s services. For her part, with years of more general corporate and administrative experience, Brittany manages recruitment of employees, accounting, and operations. “There is definitely a Yin/Yang dynamic.”  Construction Staffing Professionals stands as an example of the impact that female founders can have: By putting people and service first, Brittany and Kathy are bringing a fresh energy to the construction industry.      

California Capital In The News, California Capital News and Updates, Uncategorized

California Capital FDC launches new Sacramento Valley SBDC

March 9, 2022 | After a year-long application, vetting and onboarding process, the Sacramento Valley Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is open for business, and California Capital Financial Development Corporation (FDC) is thrilled about the opportunity to host the program. 

In January of 2021, the NorCal Small Business Development Center program sent out an open request for proposals to host SBDC service centers within its 36-county territory for the purposes of delivering no-cost one-on-one advising and free or low-cost trainings to small businesses.  

The SBDC is the largest technical assistance provider for small businesses in the U.S. and is part of a national network of nearly 1,000 centers, which are funded by grants through the U.S Small Business Administration (SBA).  In California, these are supplemented by the State of California’s Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).    

Previously called the Capital Region SBDC, the renamed Sacramento Valley SBDC is one of 16 service centers in Northern California where small businesses can get the help they need to start and grow their enterprise. 

“Coming out of the COVID business crisis, the SBDC recognizes the need for innovative approaches to entrepreneurship,” said NorCal SBDC Associate Region Director Ann Johnson-Stromberg. “Every partner has something different to offer and we are excited about this one with California Capital.” 

The SBDC is the largest technical assistance provider for small businesses in the U.S. and is part of a national network of nearly 1,000 centers, which are funded by grants through the U.S Small Business Administration (SBA).  In California, these are supplemented by the State of California’s Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).   

In 2020, the NorCal SBDC provided workshops to 39,575 attendees, and no-cost, one-on-one advising to more than 26,000 small businesses through its combined 20 service centers and regional programs in the northern half of the state.  The positive economic results included assisting clients access an unprecedented $539 million in loans and investment capital last year. The program also helped clients start 316 new businesses, created 8,500 new jobs and helped increase sales by nearly $266 million. 

SiewYee Lee-Alix, an experienced business advisor and former program development manager with California Capital FDC, was hired in January to lead the newly launched center in Sacramento that will provide services to small businesses in Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba Counties. 

“SiewYee’s deep knowledge of the business development landscape complements her passion for connecting small business owners to the resources they need, and seeing them thrive,” said California Capital FDC president and CEO, Deborah Lowe Muramoto. “As an integral part of the California Capital FDC team, she used her expertise in procurement and program development to help small businesses remain open and even expand during the COVID-19 pandemic.”  

SBDC Day is Wednesday, March 16, 2022. SBDC Day is a national, collective proclamation of the impact America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) have on the success of our nation’s dreamers, innovator, and doers: America’s small businesses.  

For more information on Sacramento Valley SBDC or to apply for SBDC Services, visit www.sacramentovalleysbdc.org or call (916) 655-2100. 

# # # 

About the California SBDC Program

The California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Program is the leader in providing small business owners and entrepreneurs with the tools and guidance needed to become successful. Local SBDCs provide comprehensive and expert guidance on issues such as start-up basics, financing, business and marketing plan development, exporting, technology advising, procurement and government contracting.  One-on-one advising is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and local partners and is offered at no cost. Consulting is supplemented by low-cost or free seminars and conferences. These services are delivered throughout California via an extensive network of 49 Small Business Development Centers. The California SBDC network serves more than 65,000 small business owners annually. Learn more by visiting: www.californiasbdc.org 

About SBA 

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. Small business is critical to economic recovery and strength, to building America’s future, and to helping the United States compete in today’s global marketplace. Although SBA has grown and evolved in the years since it was established in 1953, the bottom line mission remains the same. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Guam. www.sba.gov 

California Capital News and Updates

New Microbusiness Grant Program to Make a Big Impact

March 3, 2021 | The Office of Economic Development is pleased to announce the new Microbusiness Grant Program that is being funded by the State of California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) and administered by the County. Through this program, microbusinesses in the County that have been adversely affected by the pandemic will have the opportunity to apply to receive relief grants of $2,500.

The application period will be open April 1-29, 2022. More information about the Microbusiness Grant Program can be found on the website here.

California Capital In The News, Uncategorized

California Capital Named As Recipient of First Foundation’s ‘Supporting Our Communities’ Grant Program

February 17, 2022 | First Foundation Inc., a financial services company with two wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, First Foundation Advisors and First Foundation Bank, recently announced the recipients of its ‘Supporting Our Communities’ philanthropy initiative. California Capital Financial Development Corporation was named among the list of awardees. 

In its ninth year, First Foundation continues to build the legacy of its philanthropy programs through an expanded Supporting Our Communities initiative that includes grants for organizations that are working on the community development pillars of affordable housing, work force development, community service, economic development, and entrepreneurship.

“We are grateful to accept a 2022 Supporting Our Communities grant from First Foundation,” says Deborah Lowe Muramoto, president and CEO of California Capital FDC. “With this support, California Capital will continue to provide business advising, training, and access to capital for entrepreneurs and small businesses, to meet the diverse needs of communities throughout our region.” California Capital’s mission is to provide capital and capacity to serve communities, which these services are geared towards.

“We are thrilled to continue our ‘Supporting Our Communities’ initiative this year and gain more nonprofit and community partners throughout our regions,” said Scott F. Kavanaugh. “As we grow we always want to stay close to our founding principle of remaining connected to the communities in which we live and serve, and develop meaningful relationships with these wonderful partners who are helping when it matters most.”

The goal of the program is to drive community growth and sustainability in low- and moderate-income communities through small business development, entrepreneurship, access to affordable housing, and financial literacy education.

​​This year’s list of nonprofit recipients was compiled to include thirty organizations that are focused on causes important to First Foundation. More than half of the grants were selected based on specific programmatic requirements that will fund programs and services in the community.

The 2022 Supporting Our Communities grant recipients include:

“As the philanthropic landscape continues to change, First Foundation enhanced its commitment to connecting to our community through nonprofits,” said Sylvia M. Figueroa, Director of Community Development & CRA Officer.

First Foundation provides education, consultation, and strategic planning help to its nonprofit partners as they continue to navigate the current philanthropic environment. In addition to the cash grant, First Foundation provides in-kind professional guidance related to the organizations’ daily activities, including: fundraising; donor cultivation and stewardship; gift planning design; staff and board training; campaign planning; board building; development of critical policies and protocols; organizational planning; and counsel on ensuring best practices in their own fiscal matters such as cash management, wealth planning, and investment management.

“The strategic guidance and professional services our employees provide help nonprofits further their programs that we believe will create the types of communities we all hope to live in and take pride in.” said Emily Sukman, Community Engagement Officer.

Stay tuned for additional information about expanding Supporting Our Communities to serve the newly-entered Florida market. Given the timing of the close of the merger with TGR Financial just before year end, First Foundation plans to thoroughly examine the nonprofit landscape there and build upon existing relationships First Florida Integrity Bank has with local organizations.

Black-Owned Business, Client Success Stories

Keeping Her Community Mobile: How Josephine Odom Pivoted Her Used Car Business with a Loan from California Capital

For Josephine Odom, the Founder and CEO of Stepping Stone Auto Sales, commitment to her business journey has meant everything. With over 30 years of professional and business experience, Josephine has always had a passion for helping others and ensuring they receive the best service and experience possible. Stepping Stone Auto Sales was inspired by Josephine’s desire to provide reliable transportation for individuals in underserved communities, and was established as a wholesale used car dealership in March of 2019. With support from the WBC, and a loan from the Lending Center made possible through the Wells Fargo Open for Business Grant, Josephine entered the retail car sales space in 2021. 

SEEKING GUIDANCE

In October of 2020, Josephine began working with the California Capital Women’s Business Center. Looking to overcome the challenges of operating her business during COVID-19, while also working full time as a truck driver for Old Dominion Freight, Josephine was matched with WBC counselor, Charles Thomas. She had completed the online business plan creat

ion course available through the Women’s Business Center, but still had plenty to work on. 

“[Mr. Thomas] helped me tremendously,” explains Josephine, who had not received one-on-one business guidance before. “I had a business plan, but I wasn’t sure how to do a balance sheet, and I didn’t know how to write a profit and loss statement.”

 Over the course of several months, Josephine overcame the challenges she was facing and was ready to begin advancing her business.  

PIVOTING FOR SUCCESS

Seeking a larger return on her investments in used car inventory, Josephine transitioned from wholesale to retail used car sales in 2021—but doing so required increasing inventory, and a significant capital infusion.

Working with the Lending Center, Josephine applied for a sizeable loan that would go towards buying new inventory and having working capital. The loan application process was detailed, but thanks to the work she had done creating her business plan, Josephine was prepared. “ I had learned about the 5 Cs of Credit and other topics, which helped me to answer the questions in more detail,” explains Josephine, who was ultimately approved for a sizable loan.  

AGILE CLIENT SERVICE

All that was needed was for the closing paperwork to be signed and processed, but with the California Capital office still closed and Josephine’s truck driving job keeping her schedule packed, the Lending Center got creative. The Lending Center’s portfolio manager met Josephine at the Stepping Stone Auto Sales lot in Stockton, and the two were joined by the chief lending officer via Zoom to finalize the closing documents. 

Since securing the loan, Josephine was able to increase her inventory, and Stepping Stone Auto Sales is now located on a lot with increased visibility. In addition to leveraging word-of-mouth marketing and increasing her inventory in 2022, Josephine recently established Stepping Stone Registration Services. With this new venture, Stepping Stone will be able not only to sell used cars, but to complete the automobile registration process for their customers in-house. “I am serving my community and keeping services in my community,” says Josephine, who is looking forward to building her clientele this year. 

Uncategorized

Sagepoint IOP Brings Innovative Substance Use Disorder and Addiction Care to Elk Grove

January 25, 2022 | For Caroline Bentley, starting a small business is part of a long-time dream of innovating her therapy practice. As a practicing psychotherapist with public, private, and non-profit organizations, Caroline spent 15 years envisioning techniques and programs whose implementation was not always possible. Now, with support from the California Capital Women’s Business Center (WBC), her goals of business ownership and therapeutic innovation have dovetailed. This month, Caroline opened Sagepoint Intensive Outpatient Program, Elk Grove’s newest IOP serving adults with substance use disorders, addictions, and co-occurring mental health challenges. With support from a multidisciplinary team of highly credentialed professionals, Caroline carries out unique programming of her design.

Responding to a Need

During the spring of 2020, Caroline was struck by the reports of substance use being on the rise across the United States as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. Indeed, as the American Psychological Association reported in March of 2021, the stress and uncertainty of early 2020 led to at least 13% of Americans reporting new or increased substance use. “With everything I was reading and experiencing with clients, I saw an increased need for treatment,” explains Caroline. With extra time on her hands–another early-pandemic side effect for many–Caroline decided to take action to meet the need in Elk Grove, which at the time did not have an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) with Master’s level clinicians. As described by the Sagepoint website, IOPs are “positioned between residential inpatient treatment and individual therapy”, and provide a highly structured program while allowing clients to live at home and balance other daily activities and commitments.

In the initial stages of founding her business, Caroline relied on Google to answer most of her entrepreneurial questions. “I was primarily relying on myself to find the answers she explains, adding that finding the right guides and mentors has been crucial to her business journey. “I have found that most people are gracious with their time and want to mentor those that are coming up. It saves a lot of time to receive guidance and insights from those who are already business owners.”

Preparing for Success

Eventually, after connecting with the California Capital WBC, Caroline enrolled in business consultant Natasha Palumbo’s 16-week Startup to Success Generator Series. Over the course of four months, Caroline worked with a cohort of fellow entrepreneurs and was guided through all of the essential pieces of starting a business, from creating a business plan to logistical and financial considerations. “Every week there was a topic that highlighted something I was unfamiliar with, but was navigating and needed to understand to open my business,” explains Caroline. “It was an incredible experience, and the WBC has been extremely helpful.”

Mission-Driven Work

While growing in her business acumen, Caroline is still grounded in her mission to provide her community with much-needed compassionate care. She chose the moniker “Sagepoint” to represent both the wisdom (sage) that would ground their operations, and the journey into themselves that clients would experience (point). For Caroline, these tenets represent the core of her treatment philosophy. While providing evidence-based clinical treatment, Sagepoint goes even further for their clients. “Typical substance use disorder treatment has looked a certain way for many years, and a growing movement in our field looks at providing addiction treatment in a more compassionate and holistic way,” she says. “Sagepoint IOP provides programming that treats substance use disorders with the same level of professional care people have come to expect when seeking treatment for any other mental health disorder.

Though still adjusting to full-time operation and building a client base, Caroline is hopeful that Sagepoint IOP will be able to move to a larger facility by the summer of 2022, and will continue to provide discrete, high-quality care to the populations of Elk Grove and Sacramento.

Black-Owned Business, Uncategorized

With Hearts Connecting LLC, Tahirah Jannah Taalib-Din Is Turning Grief Into Service

Tahirah and her husband, Antar Jannah.

January 12, 2022 | Like many entrepreneurs, Tahirah Jannah Taalib-Din started her business after identifying a problem that she could solve. Unlike most entrepreneurs, Tahirah’s business journey blossomed from the call to transform grief into a vehicle for healing in her community. The passing of her husband, Antar Jannah, in July of 2020 led Tahirah to found Hearts Connecting LLC, to offer virtual funeral services for families unable to meet in person, as well as faith-based grief counseling and support. After working with the California Capital Women’s Business Center (WBC), Hearts Connecting LLC has expanded their services, and won first place at a recent national pitch competition, earning a $15,000 award. 

A Seed Is Planted

When Tahirah’s husband passed, most of her friends and family were still in New York City, where she lived until 2012. With covid-related travel restrictions in place at the time, they could not attend the funeral. “I was completely devastated, and my family could not be by my side,” she explained. Luckily, a friend recorded the proceedings, and Tahirah was able to share the video with her loved ones. “Sharing the video brought so much comfort to my heart,” Tahirah says, explaining that the first seed of a business idea was planted then. 

Four months later, when a friend of her husband in New York passed away, Tahirah organized a virtual component to the funeral. Though her intention at that time was simply to “pay forward” the support she received, a funeral director in New Jersey let her know that they were in need of virtual services. That, says Tahirah, is when the seed started to sprout. 

Putting Ideas Into Action

Hearts Connecting LLC placed first in the Launch + Grow Pitch Competition.

She started doing market research, and learned that there were no options for faith-based virtual services. Around the same time that she was beginning business research, Tahirah was in a virtual grief support group for widows, and identified another need in her community.  

“The experience was so beneficial, and I learned a lot,” explains Tahirah. “But I was the only woman in my thirties in the group, the only African-American woman in the group, and the only Muslim woman in the group. I knew that women who reflected me needed the support, too.” With this in mind, she created a Women of Faith Widow Support Group. The group offers support to widows free of charge, and works to attain sponsorships to cover any fees.   

After identifying her target market and an accessible price point, Tahirah envisioned exactly what her business would offer. She created a spreadsheet describing what her services would be; who she should serve; how the process works, and how to hire her. To solidify her vision, she completed a business development course, and worked with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish Hearts Connecting as an LLC and open a business bank account. With this foundation in place, she invested funds from the first few funerals she operated and created a website. 

Inspiration, Guidance, and Results

After a referral from the SBA, Tahirah connected with the California Capital WBC. With guidance from WBC business consultant, Danielle Marshall, Tahirah completed the self-paced DreamBuilder business plan creator. Several months later, Tahirah participated in the WBC’s Pitch Competition during Small Business Success Series 2021. Hearts Connecting LLC’s pitch placed fourth–for Tahirah, that was the perfect opportunity for feedback. 

“I connected with Danielle and asked her two questions,” she says. “Why did I make it to the top five, and why didn’t I make it to number one?” The feedback provided by Danielle helped Tahirah to refine her pitch for future funding opportunities, and ultimately was instrumental in her success at the Launch + Grow Pitch Competition, hosted by Operation Hope and CIT. Hearts Connecting LLC placed first, earning a $15,000 grand prize sponsored by the Francine A Lefrak Foundation, which Tahirah plans to use to achieve her business goals. 

Planning for Success

Throughout the year, Tahirah will continue to work with the WBC–from whom she receives information on available grants and other funding opportunities–, as well as the California Capital Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), who is assisting her in completing the requisite paperwork to begin winning government contracts. In 2022, Tahirah hopes to strengthen her connections with local hospitals and funeral homes; hire on-call facilitators for virtual services; launch a monthlyadvice column in Muslim Journal; facilitate 395 funerals; serve 100 widows in the Women of Faith Widow Support Group, and to provide monthly online classes to the general public in the area of pre-, during, and post-death preparedness. 

In all of this, says Tahirah, she is staying true to the core of her mission. “It’s paramount that as a business owner, I stay in the space of inspiration and intuitive guidance,” she says. “Coupled with an undertone of urgency and knowing that my next decision in business is divinely inspired.”

Uncategorized

Emily Autenrieth is Meeting a Need for Inclusive Community Space in Elk Grove with Grand Opening of A Seat at the Table Bookstore and Cafe

December 15, 2021 | When Emily Autenrieth attended a Facebook Community Summit in February of 2019, she didn’t intend to leave with a business idea. But two encounters led her to a vision for a new business that would meet a need for an inclusive bookstore and cafe in Sacramento County. Now, after building an online and pop-up business, Emily’s vision has come full circle with the grand opening of A Seat at the Table Bookstore and Cafe in Elk Grove. 

A Seat at the Table’s cafe offers local Temple Coffee and Kalani Kakes cupcakes.

INSPIRATION LEADS TO A BUSINESS IDEA

While attending the summit as the administrator of a popular parenting Facebook group, Emily met the owners of EyeSeeMe, a multicultural children’s bookstore in Missouri, and Eden Torres, Houston-based photographer and founder of PridePortraits.Org. Shortly after, Torres, whose work largely focuses on advocating for a more inclusive world for LGBTQIA+ people, shared on   social media that she would like to open an LGBT bookstore in the Houston area. Reflecting on the conversation about the impact that EyeSeeMe was having in their community, Emily connected with Eden’s sentiment.  

“I thought, ‘We need an inclusive bookstore and cafe in Elk Grove’,” says Emily, who immediately began envisioning all that this inclusive space could offer. She pictured a bookstore featuring titles from diverse up and coming authors; a cafe offering fresh, local food to encourage connection; a playroom for children to safely socialize while parents browsed the bookstore; and a quiet room where neurodiverse individuals and nursing parents could find calm and privacy. “My concept was so clear, I realized that I would have to be the one to create it.”  

PUTTING THE PLAN IN MOTION

Emily began her work in January of 2020, with pop-up bookstores at small businesses in Elk Grove like Savvy House Coffee Bar and Neighborhood Market. The community response was strong and positive. Ultimately, says Emily, that’s what has carried the project through the uncertainty of the covid-19 pandemic. “We’ve built a strong community who already believes we will succeed, and it’s given us a chance to get feedback from the community,” explains Emily, whose spouse Ryan has been a key partner while maintaining his full-time job as a school counselor.  

The build out of the brick and mortar space took up much of 2021, with pandemic-related delays and supply chain issues necessitating adaptability. Fortunately, Emily began working with Women’s Business Center consultant, Natasha Palumbo, in November of 2020. Through regular counseling sessions, Natasha played a key role in helping Emily translate her mission into an actionable business plan. Overall, says Emily, the challenges faced leading up to the grand opening were navigable because she was unwavering in her mission to manifest an equitable and inclusive space in Elk Grove. 

PREPARING FOR SUCCESS

Emily Autenrieth says she is “good tired” after business grand opening.

Now, with the bookstore and cafe officially open, the work of uplifting the greater Sacramento community can really take off.  “The biggest overarching success to me was that the community is clearly ready for our movement and mission,” says Emily, reflecting on the grand opening this past weekend. “I met so many people who were very moved by the representation on our shelves, and near tears because they’ve needed this in their life and community.” 

Emily is confident that she has put together a dedicated and passionate team, and they are eager to work with local authors, and to open their space to community organizations to host various events. (If you are an author in the Sacramento area and would like to inquire about author events or getting your book carried, head to their FAQ For Authors page!). Even their cafe is community-focused, offering cupcakes from Kalani Kakes, a local Woman of Color-owned bakery, and a full espresso bar with Sacramento-based Temple Coffee.  

With the successful opening, Emily is hopeful that more folks will catch on to all that they have to offer–a full menu, online and in-person sales, gift cards–and see A Seat at the Table as a resource for books, coffee, snacks, play dates, and education.  

“It was exhausting, but I’m good tired,” explains Emily with a chuckle. “It’s clear that people are ready to learn how to get everyone a seat at the table.” 

A Seat at the Table Books is also featured in the California Capital 2021 Holiday Shopping Guide. Visit them online at bookshop.org/shop/aseatatthetablebooks and in person at  9257 Laguna Springs Dr, Suite 130 Elk Grove CA. 

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