Reimagining Main Street

Miguel Liendo is the owner of Leonore Restaurant. Miguel began in the restaurant industry by managing his sister and brother's restaurant for five years. This inspired Miquel to found his own. When he was ready to open Leonore, Miguel went to the Roanoke Regional SBDC and met with Tom Tanner, who advised him on all the appropriate paperwork. Then Miguel started working with business advisor Heather Fay, who had helped him turn Leonore into a success.

The Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship has been working with aspiring entrepreneurs & early-stage small businesses in underserved communities since 2013. In 2020, CIE entered into a subrecipient agreement with the SBDC to provide training and services to aspiring business owners on the Olympic Peninsula and, most recently, to the Palouse and Skagit County. This growing collaboration enables significant synergies and offers a seamless continuum of services from startup to growth across Washington.

Moorefield, WV, was about to lose its only Emergency Medical Service, so a group of emergency workers made it a 501c3 for funding to keep it open. They needed money for payroll and operating expenses. “What the bank wanted to see was a business plan,” WV SBDC coach Hammer said. “That's something we do at the SBDC; as coaches, we help develop a business plan and financial projections.” Under the new classification as a non-profit, they worked with the county commission to secure funding.

George Paasewe's entrepreneurial journey started by writing a book detailing how black college students learn to alter themselves to navigate predominantly white institutions. This impacted higher education institutions nationwide, leading to the launch of two separate businesses. A few early obstacles were not having much working capital or guidance on starting the business. He reached out to the UW-Milwaukee SBDC for assistance. The Code-Switcher began in 2020 as both a publishing house and a speaking engagement business. George's speaking engagements began to overshadow the publishing house, so the entities were separated in 2022. Keep your eyes open to see how this entrepreneur continues to inspire change in the future.

Chronicles Distilling is a Veteran Owned small business started by former infantry Marines and brothers Aaron and Chase Lesher. They are located in The Asher building in downtown Cheyenne and make whiskey and vodka. The Lesher brothers said, “John's (SBDC Advisor) advice took us on the path of reducing what was going to be a risky few hundred thousand dollar loans, down to a minimal manageable loan, with a lot of long days, late nights, and elbow grease.”