CAMEO Network

Tuesday’s election presented a democratic process that allowed our nation’s voices to be heard. Like many of our members, we are taking the time to reflect and process the significant implications of this election with our colleagues and families. We recognize the importance of ensuring that this transition happens peacefully, reinforcing the resilience of our democratic institutions. In the midst of the serious and significant implications of this election, CAMEO Network’s mission remains unchanged. We will continue to be a leading advocate for very small businesses and entrepreneurs in California. These entrepreneurs play a crucial role in our economy, creating jobs, fostering innovation, and generating local wealth that strengthens neighborhoods, especially in diverse and under-resourced communities. We will also continue to support the deployment of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), as well as other federally funded programs that support the creation and growth of small businesses through technical assistance and capital. Our work in maximizing the impact of SSBCI funding has been instrumental in supporting these essential businesses, helping them to expand and thrive even amidst economic challenges. CAMEO Network will continue to work tirelessly to hold our government accountable and advocate for policies that empower very small businesses, particularly those in underserved communities. We are steadfast in our commitment to champion transparency, equity, and responsiveness in all federal programs, ensuring that small businesses in California—and across the nation—can thrive.

As an advocacy organization supporting the nation’s smallest small businesses, we’re passionate champions for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and its mission to power the American dream of business ownership. That’s why we’re concerned about how Project 2025, a detailed policy blueprint published by The Heritage Foundation, would affect the SBA. Here’s what Project 2025 proposes for the SBA: - End all SBA direct lending, which would effectively end the SBA’s disaster relief loans that have been crucial to recovery from fires, flood and other disasters - Eliminate the SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program hubs and other support programs for disadvantaged communities - Cut funding and outreach resources, which are crucial for delivery of SBA’s support services for diverse small businesses - Open SBA lending programs to medium-sized businesses, forcing small businesses to compete with larger firms; the SBA definition of small businesses (fewer than 500 employees) is already 5 times that of Europe’s definition.? New small businesses are starting at a historic rate, and the SBA has expanded to support them. This past week, the SBA announced a record surge in small business financing. This expansion is exactly what we need to ensure all small businesses have the resources they need to grow and thrive – including capital, connections, and coaching. CAMEO advocates for a strong SBA and nationwide support system for all small businesses. We are also worried about Project 2025 and the serious threat to the stability and predictability that underpin America's strong economy. The plan could replace 50,000 non-partisan civil servants with political appointees, politicizing key agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission and jeopardizing the consistent and predictable application of the law. Additionally, it would eliminate Dodd-Frank 1071’s transparency in lending. #HandsOffSBA #SmallBusinessStrong #SmallBusinessAdministration

The CAMEO Network team thanks the awesome team at SolAgave and all of our wonderful members and colleagues who made for a great night at #ofn40. Rudy Espinoza from Laura Hoover Reggie Knox tag your teams!!! Inclusive Action for the City Working Solutions CDFI California FarmLink Carolina Martinez Liza Rivera-Gonzalez Baldev Birk Adriana Williams Emily Gasner Mark Herbert Douglas Craven Everyone else post your photos!

California is the largest domestic economy in the United States and 5th largest in the world... home to the Silicon Valley innovation economy... yet 99% of 33.2M businesses in the US are small... 26M are sole proprietors... and CA is home to 4.2M small business owners... the largest SMBE market in the U.S. No one in the state knows more and is more engaged with ESOs, CDFIs, capital providers, economic development agencies, politicians, large corporations, philanthropy, policy leaders and community power advocates than Tara Lynn Gray, Director Office of Small Business Advocacy California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and Carolina Martinez, CEO at CAMEO Network, who each in their own right are the biggest advocates at the state level and nationally for diverse small businesses and micro enterprises. Next Wednesday at CoBiz Richmond, Inc. we are thrilled to have them share their insights and perspectives on building community power through entrepreneurship. And the next day at Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center we will hear from Jessica Straus Fuchs, a national policy leader, tech company operator, VC, who works at the intersection of government and the private markets, and led the recent research report #revitalizinginnovation as part of the Venture Equity Project, focused on the role of the U.S. states in fostering equity within the venture ecosystem. She'll be sharing case studies from states leading the way in creating inclusive economic growth with highlights from Illinois, Michigan, Texas, Georgia, Maryland and Florida... spoiler alert... CA can learn from other regions and markets across the U.S. Learn more and get your tickets here: https://lnkd.in/gz9ATVTs #SCNBAYAREA #Buildwhereyouare #startupecosystem #communitypower #leadership #sharedprosperity

We are proud to be a partner in this work with ReWork the Bay to envision a more just economy and Bay Area. ? Watch CAMEO Network COO, Mark Herbert, and other nonprofit leaders, philanthropic partners and community members talk about the incredible collaborations that are making a real difference in people’s lives across the Bay Area. ? https://lnkd.in/grBamxdh

Have you booked your hotel for CAMEO Network's 30th Anniversary Celebration on November 13-14, 2024 in San Diego? The block discount at The Dana Hotel ends TOMORROW! Don't wait: https://lnkd.in/ghnwzxem

O'Melveny & Myers LLP has served as CAMEO Network's pro bono legal counsel for the last several years, and we cannot thank them enough for the great work that they do in supporting our mission! Without their time and effort, we wouldn't be able to do what we do. Thank you!

Carolina Martinez, CEO of CAMEO Network, has been named to the San Francisco Business Times’ list of 2024 Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business, which recognized 72 of the most prominent and powerful women in Bay Area business. Carolina is named alongside founders and funders, scientists, and c-suite executives. https://lnkd.in/gWNKfHFx

I've been thinking a lot about debt collection this week, trying to help a woman who is losing her home to foreclosure. She had pledged her home as collateral on a loan to the nonprofit animal rescue she runs. Now the lender is taking her home to collect $1.1 Million for the $450k they provided to her nonprofit. In that somber context, there is some good news to share this week that will help thousands of people in similar situations, starting next year. Yesterday, the Governor of California signed into law SB?1286, a priority bill for the Responsible Business Lending Coalition. This law now extends California's Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to apply to personal debts that people take to fund their businesses. Debt collection is part of lending, and responsible lenders need to be able to recoup the financing the provide. But how matters. Since the 1970s, it's been illegal to for lenders collecting on your debt to lie to you, call you repeatedly in the middle of the night, or publicly humiliate you or your family to pressure you. That's been illegal if the loan was for you to buy a home, or a car, or just a credit card--but not if you took out that debt for your business. Now, business owners in California are protected by the same standards they've had on other debts taken personally. I'm proud of the for-profit lenders in the Responsible Business Lending Coalition, including Bluevine and Quantum Financial Technologies who took to the time to consider whether this law would create a compliance burden, and found that it does not. After all, responsible lenders, and all signatories of the Small Business Borrowers' Bill of Rights, already have standards in place against using lies and harassment in collections. This becomes the 8th law that the Responsible Business Lending Coalition has helped to pass, to implement into law provisions of the Small Business Borrowers' Bill of Rights. (Other laws we've helped pass have set standards for Truth in Lending price transparency, junk fees, deceptive practices, and have also sought to catalyze more responsible lending by improving digital access to underwriting data.) This bill, like any real accomplishment, was a team effort. And we have some great friends on the team. Chiefly, this bill was possible because of the work of Desiree N. at the East Bay Community Law Center, the team at CAMEO Network, Small Business Majority, Bluevine, Quantum Financial Technologies, San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce, City of Irvine, Consumer Federation of California (CFC), Microenterprise Collaborative of Inland Southern California, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, California Coalition for Community Investment CCCI, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, La Cocina - Nonprofit Kitchen Incubator , Public Counsel, Public Law Center, Rise Economy, Housing and Economic Rights Advocates (HERA), Women's Economic Ventures (WEV), ICA Fund, among others, and of course Senator Min and his legislative aid Brett Hailey!

We’re so excited to share this victory! ????#SB1103 has been signed into law by the California Governor! This bill will protect small businesses and nonprofits from displacement and ensure a more inclusive economy here in California. These changes will go into effect in 2025. Thank you to Senator Caroline Menjivar and all our partners for standing with us to support this bill! ??? Small Business Majority Inclusive Action for the City Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area Bet Tzedek Legal Services Public Counsel