Convening the Sierra – Fall 2026
September 25, 2026
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Join SBC at these Upcoming Events Across the Region
Across the Sierra and greater Sacramento region, California Jobs First investments are creating new pathways for entrepreneurship, workforce development, and regional collaboration. From expanding access to capital for Eastern Sierra small businesses, to advancing bilingual business support, to launching career pipelines in healthcare, manufacturing, and working lands, these catalyst projects are turning planning into action. Read on for region-wide Jobs First updates and opportunities helping communities build a more inclusive and resilient economy.
This full-day session will be facilitated by the Sierra Jobs First Rec & Tourism Industry Sector Coordinators at MLTPA, and is funded through a Sierra Jobs First catalyst grant. It will focus on lessons learned from the Catalyst phase of California Jobs First in each respective region, the barriers to success for developed projects, and recommendations to the state to encourage the implementation of Catalyst projects developed through California Jobs First. Learn more here.
Through a collaboration with Tahoe Prosperity Center and made possible through We Prosper Together’s Catalyst grants, the Sierra SBDC has engaged approximately 80 community members in El Dorado, Nevada, and Placer counties to share information in Spanish about available SBDC advising services. In March, we hosted a Spanish-language webinar on business formalization, permitting, and regulatory requirements in Placer and Nevada Counties. We’re planning more in-person Spanish language entrepreneurship workshops in Kings Beach and South Lake Tahoe this spring.
Please join us in also celebrating the following Jobs First Catalyst awardees in the Sacramento region on the following milestones:
In March, the BRC announced a new partnership with TMC Community Capital, allowing it to directly issue business microloans up to $5,000 (or provide a warm hand-off to TMC for funding up to $50,000.)
Providing access to capital is a core tenet of the BRC’s mission, and microloans are a great way to equalize access to funding for entrepreneurs who have historically been locked out of more traditional loan programs. This partnership directly serves the BRC’s mission of equalizing access to business resources for small businesses in the Eastern Sierra. Learn more here.
Joining a mastermind group is a great way for business owners to get peer-to-peer support, network, and gain vital motivation to reach their goals.
The BRC is hosting an invite-only mastermind monthly, on the third Wednesday of the month at 4 pm. If you would like to join, or would like to find out if a mastermind is the right place for you to get the support and connection you need, please email BRC director, Meryl Picard.
Join SBC at these Upcoming Events Across the Region
Two SNEW services that are often requested by Sierra Nevada public agencies are energy benchmarking (sometimes including AB 802 reporting for buildings
California’s 2026-27 legislative session wrapped up September 1 after a turbulent final week of negotiations over wildfire policy, funding, and the state budget. While a last-minute proposal on wildfire liability ultimately stalled, the Legislature did restore and increase funding for climate resilience through Proposition 4 and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF)—a meaningful outcome for Sierra communities amid a challenging state budget year.
The final plan includes $329.5 million for wildfire and forest resilience through Prop 4 and $118 million for wildfire prevention through GGRF. While these investments are an improvement over the June budget, wildfire resilience funding remains near historic lows, with no clear plan for sustained investment in future years.
Read more about the final budget, Prop 4 and GGRF allocations, and what’s next for wildfire and climate resilience in the Sierra.