April 2016
BUSINESS
The Southwest Portland Post • 3
LGBT business builder conference offers four steps to certification
By Jack Rubinger
The Southwest Portland Post
Many faces, one dream was how
Camron Doss from the U.S. Small
Business Administration described
a networking event held on March
9 at the River’s Edge Hotel (0455 SW
Hamilton Court) in South Portland.
Billed as an LGBT [Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender] Business
Builder, the gathering brought
together entrepreneurs, bankers,
suppliers, and buyers and national
and regional representatives from
the SBA and the National Gay &
Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
Key attendees at the conference
included Mark Gibson, national
LGBT communications director,
U.S. Small Business Administration;
Brent Stewart, supplier diversity
manager, NGL chamber; Calvin
Goings, SBA, regional administrator;
and Paul Finlay, vice president,
Portland Area Business Association.
Ruth Miles, Oregon Secretary
of State, Office of Small Business
Assistance, delivered the keynote
address. “Small businesses are the
backbone of Oregon’s economy,”
said Miles. “It’s exciting when the
SBA, the State of Oregon, and local
resources all come together to help
‘grow our own’ in an event like this.
I was honored to be part of it.”
Oregon’s Office of Small Business
Assistance serves as an independent
voice for small businesses within
state government. Small businesses
account for 98 percent of Oregon
firms, employ over half the state’s
workforce and play a vital role in
our economy.
“There’s been cultural shift in
the United States,” explained
Eugene Cornelius, deputy associate
administrator, Office of Field
Operations, SBA. “The number one
export in the world is small business.
Large businesses keep costs down by
contracting with small businesses.
We’re reaching an underserved and
diverse audience that is dedicated to
creating new jobs, too.”
Through this national co-
sponsorship, a series of LGBT
Business Builder education and
outreach events are being held
around the country that focus on
SBA programs and services, and the
gay and lesbian chamber’s business
certification.
The SBA and the chamber have
partnered to increase economic
Crossroads Community Garden opening April 22
You are invited to celebrate
the opening of the Crossroads
Community Garden on Friday,
April 22, at 3 p.m. Located at
6948 SW Capitol Hwy near the
Hillsdale Community Church,
the new garden has three ADA-
compliant raised beds and a
Multnomah Village
Apartments
(Continued from Page 1)
visitors. The situation will only get
worse for the local businesses after
this project is built.”
N e i g h b o rh o o d c h a i r C a ro l
McCarthy said at the March general
meeting, “If we get a design review,
we can look at the guidelines which
include actual height, character, and
an opportunity to testify and appeal
most likely.”
Projects need to meet the
community design standards or
else go through design review. The
developers can revise their plans if
the city planners find things in their
design that do not comply with the
standards.
O v e r 1 , 8 0 0 s i g n a t u re s w e re
submitted to the city last year in
opposition of the apartment.
Jessica Wade of Multnomah, a
member of the citywide Public
Involvement Advisory Council, put
a motion on the floor at the March
meeting.
Wade’s motion requested the
neighborhood send a letter requesting
that O’Brien include approximately
seven affordable housing units is his
complex. Note: An inclusionary zone
requiring affordable housing recently
passed by the Oregon Legislature would
not be implemented until 2018.
wheelchair accessible garden
shed. Anyone interested in
information about plot availability
at community gardens should
contact Laura Niemi, Portland
Parks & Recreation Community
Garden program coordinator, at
503-823-1612.
Members debated and wondered
why O’Brien would do such a thing
since it currently is not required.
“Possibly being a good gesture as
a former neighbor giving back to the
community?” Wade responded.
“We are not going to stop the
development,” vice chair Martie
Sucec said during discussion of the
motion. “We were going to get a
design overlay but now we want to
just push it to a design review.
“And although I don’t want to
vote against affordable housing,”
said Sucec, “we have [O’Brien] on
tape that he won’t do affordable
housing.”
The motion failed.
“Frankly, we expected a more
imaginative, even ‘funky’ design
for Multnomah,” Peterson said in
his letter.
Funky was the word fondly
described by residents and visitors
alike who regard it as part of its
charm.
“There is no charm in this building.
It will not enhance Multnomah
Village,” said Peterson. “It would
be radically out-of-scale and would
overpower all other buildings in the
Village.
“If this building goes forward
a s p ro p o s e d , ” P e t e r s o n s a i d ,
“the guidelines will not be met
and the purposes of the design
overlay thwarted once again.”
Eugene Cornelius Jr., deputy associate administrator, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Small
Business Administration. (Photo courtesy of National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce)
opportunity to LGBT entrepreneurs
by highlighting SBA programs and
services coupled with the chamber’s
business certification.
There are four steps involved
in the certification process which
begins by building a profile
and submitting information to
my.nglcc.org.
Completion of application
(including supporting documents to
verify that the business is 51 percent
LGBT owned and operated).
Site visits verify the company’s
legitimacy and ownership. A third-
party body, the National Certification
Committee, reviews documents
and makes ultimate decision on
certification.
The business receives certification,
access to resources and exposure to
Fortune 500 companies including
Northrop-Grumman and Apple.
“Certification is like many of the
tools available in business. Becoming
certified doesn’t guarantee success
or more business,” said Robyn Davis
of Verbio.
“However, not being certified
could mean missing out on business
opportunities that are out there. It
could also be the edge you need to
move ahead of your competition and
win the business.”
So what do you get for being
certified? According to Davis,
“Nothing but a better chance to
win business. That’s what being an
entrepreneur is all about, positioning
your business so that when an
opportunity presents itself you are
ready.”
Jill Nelson of Hot Diggity Dog,
a dog walking service based in
Seattle, said she has quadrupled her
network and landed new clients all
over the United States through the
certification program.
• Saturday night music series starting
at 8 PM
• Monday night Trivia starting at 7 PM
• Craft beer Thursdays every third
Thursday of the month featuring a
local brewery, tastings and swag
• Newly remodeled with more
seating and over 13 TVs for all the
sports games
• 24 taps with 21 craft beers and ciders
• Chicago fans welcome
7827 SW 35th Ave.
in Multnomah Village
(503) 244-7345
Open daily
10am – 2:30am
$2 off Lunch
on food purchases of
$6 or more, with coupon.
The Ship Tavern
Multnomah Village
503-244-7345
Expires 4/30/16