10,000 Small Businesses Graduation in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California
The graduation of 52 entrepreneurs on January 6, 2011 from the 10,000 Small Businesses program in Los Angeles served as a strong start to the initiative's contribution to job creation in the largest small business hub in the U.S. The 28 Long Beach and 24 Los Angeles small business owners represent the inaugural class for the area.
The diverse group of businesses received training at Los Angeles City College and The Long Beach Community College District through 11 courses during four months. The entrepreneurial approach of the curriculum, including leadership, finance, accounting, operations, human resources, and sales & marketing, was designed to be actionable and immediately applicable. The Los Angeles Community College District is the nation’s largest, serving more than 140,000 students, and The Long Beach Community College District provides educational services to nearly 30,000 area students.
Mayor Foster of Long Beach California and Mayor Villaraigosa of Los Angeles participated in a roundtable discussion with program participants, as well as Goldman Sachs senior managers. The roundtable highlighted the success stories of the program participants in contributing to the economic recovery of the Los Angeles area.
10,000 Small Businesses is a $500 million initiative providing greater access to business education, mentors and networks, and financial capital. It is based on the broadly held view of leading experts that a combination of education, capital and support services best addresses the barriers to growth for small businesses.
Fortune Magazine Profiles 10,000 Small Businesses in January 17, 2011 Issue