Emily Blackmer
Director of Government & Community Affairs
The Resilience Fund gains momentum in Tahoe
SBC is excited to share that the Resilience Fund-Sierra continues to gain traction in the Tahoe region, having now funded 19 businesses and counting. Founded to save Sierra businesses forced to close down during the pandemic earlier this spring, the Resilience Fund has provided its first wave of clients with loans, coaching, and other valuable services.
Ready, Set, Pivot!
READY, Set, Pivot! In response to the immediate and essential need for small businesses to establish an online retail presence, the Sierra SBDC is excited to support the launch of Ready Set Pivot: Bringing Nevada County Small Businesses Online. This course is primarily geared toward local brick-and-mortar retailers who understand that adding online sales is […]
Impact, Stories, Resources: COVID-19 in the Sierra
COVID-19 may well be the biggest challenge of our time, putting politics, personal priorities, and party lines on the backburner as the world scrambles to keep up on news, contain the virus, and address the largest pandemic in modern times.
Martis Fund Down Payment Assistance Program Helps Local Families Achieve Homeownership Dreams
In October of 2018, Sierra Business Council was awarded the role of program administrator for the Martis Fund’s Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program (DPAP). This program provides down payment assistance for median income Tahoe/Truckee locals hoping to purchase a home in the region.
How a Circular Economy Could Change the World
In October of 2018, Sierra Business Council was awarded the role of program administrator for the Martis Fund’s Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program (DPAP). This program provides down payment assistance for median income Tahoe/Truckee locals hoping to purchase a home in the region.
5 Easy Ways to Green Your Business
5 Easy Ways to Green Your Business SBC recently launched the Sierra Green Business Network, a regional affiliate of the statewide California Green Business Network. The program provides local businesses with free environmental consulting services to help them earn their Green Business Certification. The certification comes with a myriad of benefits, including a window cling […]
Entrepreneurial Opportunities Abound at This Week’s Business Expo
Two years ago, I took the beautiful drive to South Lake Tahoe, CA to attend the Tahoe Chamber’s Business Expo at Harveys Lake Tahoe. I had heard about the party at the South Shore business event of the year and had to see it for myself.
Speaking for the Trees, Small Businesses, and Modern Community Planning
“I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees”. I read Dr Suess’s The Lorax to my kids so many times that I can pretty much recite it word for word. It seems practically prophetic that my profession led me to work for a triple bottom line organization where I speak for not just the trees, but the people, the community and economic prosperity by advocating for small businesses.
Could the Answer to Our Housing Problem Lie in the Triple Bottom Line? Part One
One might think that in the wake of Propositions 1 and 2 passing in November, with a combined funding power of $6 billion for housing programs, we’d be able to breathe a sigh of relief. As substantial as the funding might be, though, there remains a clear and present need to act quickly on the housing supply throughout California.