2022 Bay Area Disability Entrepreneurship Week

The second annual Bay Area Disability Entrepreneurship Week 2022 was a success! Here are a few photos and highlights from our week of programming. The week included diverse trainings, small disability owned business visits and an in-person networking event. 

Peter DeHaas & Entrepreneur Rome Jones

                                          California State Senator Scott Wiener and San Francisco 

                               Assessor Joaquin Torres recognize the important work of the SFDBA.

                                                  Lea Maxwell on behalf of Safeway accepts

                                                        2023 Inclusive Employer Award. 

                                                   Small business owners Bali Nelson & Chelsea

                                                   House visit disability owned business Red Bay 

                                                   Coffee. 

                                        

Peter DeHaas with Marilyn Harrison & Christopher Morioka

at the Helpers Artisan Boutique. 

SFSU student Eliska Bednarova & Sarah at the Helpers Boutique visit. 

                  

SFDBA Bay Area Disability Entrepreneurship Week

On October 12th-16th 2021 the San Francisco Disability Business Alliance hosted the Bay Area Disability Entrepreneurship Week. This week long event ran in parallel with the National Disability Employment Month, celebrating small business ownership and entrepreneurship as a pathway to economic sustainability and a more diverse business community.  

The week kicked off with California Senator Scott Wiener as a keynote speaker as well as Kristen Pedersen, Executive Director of the Arc of San Francisco. 

The diverse week of programming included panel discussions with small business owners, budding entrepreneurs and business leaders. The SFDBA also offered a training in partnership with LinkedIn and the Future Entrepreneur Training in partnership with the Helpers Community. Small business owners and entrepreneurs gained skills on the "how to" of starting a small business, different business models to consider, funding considerations, how to market and brand a business, and heard first hand stories of how others started businesses. Over 100 participants attended the week of events and feedback from our survey reflected that the majority of participants experienced positive growth and were inspired by the diverse programming. 

Thanks to our partnership with WAG, American Sign Language interpretation was provided and the amazing captions were provided by the innovative team at AVA. 

Another highlight from the week of programming was the Story of Crip Camp facilitated by San Francisco Film Council President and Bay Cat Founder Villy Wang. Oscar nominated Crip Camp participants Judy Heumann and Neil Jacobson told inspiring stories about their individual journeys and how they harnessed into the spirited entrepreneurial advocates that they both are.  

This event was made possible by the generous support of the Kaiser Permanente Foundation, LinkedIn, UCSF Anchor Institution, AVA, the Helpers Community, Safeway Foundation and the Arc of San Francisco. 

A big thanks to all that participated and supported this event! 

www.sfdba.org

Safeway's Inclusive Employment Opportunities

John Kinaston has worked as a produce clerk for Safeway for 14 years. John enjoys assisting customers and supporting his team. It has been particularly hard through the pandemic given that people are wearing masks and it is difficult to read their lips. 

John was born deaf and grew up in the rural farming area near Roxburgh New Zealand. John visited San Francisco for the first time when he was 29 years old and knew that he loved the city. He applied for his green card and first moved to San Francisco in 2002. John first lived in Marin and worked at the Yardbirds Home Center. A year and a half later John moved back to New Zealand for 2 years and then back to San Francisco where he has resided ever since. 

He recalls how accommodating Safeway was during the hiring process and he is a proud and dedicated employee. Join us in celebrating John’s 14 years of employment and Safeway as an inclusive Bay Area employer. 

Safeway has a longstanding history of supporting people with disabilities going back decades. Their stores work with various community-based organizations on hiring efforts, including job coaching and training programs for people living with disabilities. Safeway takes great pride in fostering a diverse and inclusive environment that reflects the communities we serve. They are proud to have John on our team and commend his work ethic to overcome any obstacles.    

Join the San Francisco Disability Business Alliance in congratulating John for his outstanding work at Safeway and celebrating Safeway's inclusive hiring practices.

The SFDBA Entrepreneur Spotlight: 

Welcome Nader Bahu! 

The SFDBA is excited to introduce and welcome the talented filmmaker and entrepreneur Nader Bahu to the SFDBA community. Nader recently received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Cinema from San Francisco State University. Nader a Palestinian-American who has a rare disability that affects his muscles and mobility. These disabilities might limit someone normally, but Nader’s disabilities have empowered him create powerful short films that shed light on disability related issues including feelings of isolation and at times discrimination. When asked about the content of his short films Nader stated “My films center around my trauma and are documentaries about my past hardships. They focus on harsh topics like suicide, loneliness and discrimination. I have also touched upon lighter topics like friendship and being able to accept yourself.”

Here is a link to a few of Nader’s short films: 

 

OUTCAST by Nader Bahu

 

When asked about harnessing his challenges Nader stated “I do not see the world as good vs evil, but as a world with many complications and trials. I have been told by many people that I can not achieve the goals that I have due to my disability, but I feel I am doing the things that I love.” 

 

Nader’s short films have won and been nominated for many awards and have even aired on television and different streaming platforms. 

The SFDBA is currently assisting Nader navigate the different options available to start a small business including advocating for him within the Department of Occupational Rehabilitation, creating a mentorship opportunity with a successful filmmaker, enrollment in the SFDBA Future Entrepreneur program and helping him find an internship in the film industry. 

 

In addition to building on his filmmaking career, Nader has a passion for manufacturing clothing as displayed in one of his previous projects where he created the unique sweatshirts displaying “ABLE” to help advocate for awareness in relation to the limiting perceptions people sometimes have about individuals with disabilities.

 

Join us in welcoming Nader Bahu to the SFDBA community and share his passion to succeed, live independently, to continue to educate others through pushing boundaries and creating awareness.

Get involved here: https://www.sfdba.org/

SFDBA Entrepreneur Mentorship Spotlight: Rome Jones

 SFDBA Entrepreneur Mentorship Spotlight: Rome Jones

This past March, the San Francisco Disability Business Alliance (SFDBA) launched at one of the last major events in San Francisco before the Shelter in Place. At the SFDBA launch event, over 100 Bay Area community members gathered to advance the mission of the first organization of its kind to focus on businesses owned by individuals with disabilities. The SFDBA has galvanized individuals from diverse backgrounds including entrepreneurs with disabilities, advocates, students and educators. One of these individuals is Rome Jones. Rome is enthused about the mission of the SFDBA, readily identifies with his disability, and is very active in his chosen profession of real estate and in the local community at the public policy level.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Rome was born and raised in San Francisco in the Bay View Hunter’s Point district. Having grown up in this neighborhood in San Francisco coupled with his disability, Rome has faced many challenges that he has overcome with his positivity and sheer determination. Rome has been a tireless advocate for individuals with disabilities and involved locally with District 10 as an activist for positive change in his community. Rome's passion was evident when SFDBA spoke to him and heard about his dreams of getting into property investment. Rome currently is a real estate agent with Stranberg Realty and co-founder of Pinpoint Building Group.

Through the SFDBA network, Rome was connected with volunteer advisor Noah Snyder, a seasoned property investor in the Bay Area. Noah has spent a considerable amount of time mentoring Rome on the “how to” of getting into property investment and breaking things down into a process. Jones said “Noah has really given me a clearer picture of where to start. Noah has been a strong listening ear and always provides information for me to learn more.“ Noah is planning on giving Rome a socially distanced tour of some of the properties that his company has invested in. Rome on the other hand said that the Pinpoint Building Group is starting to gain more momentum and they are searching for investors and their first piece of property. 

SFDBA network of disability-owned businesses supports entrepreneurs like Rome to fulfill their dreams. To learn more about the SFDBA and become a member, click here: www.sfdba.org or email: info@sfdba.org To learn more about Rome and the work he is doing email: romemjones@gmail.com

 

Survive & Thrive During & After COVID-19

How Can Disability Owned Businesses Survive & Thrive During & After the COVID-19?

Disability owned businesses are vital to the Bay Area and Northern California communities. We must continue to strategize, stay engaged and connected to ALL resources and partners. Historically disability owned businesses are creative and stay agile to the changing environment and economy. During the COVID-19 pandemic shelter in place, businesses locally have adapted to their environment to insure supplies and provisions are available.

1. Continue to improvise and adjust to your environment: Stay nimble- Is there something else you can offer your clientele OR service delivery in a different way? A few examples of what businesses in the Bay Area are doing:

• Seven Stills pivoted from making whiskey and beer to hand sanitizer: https://www.sevenstillsofsf.com/sanitizer
• Mozzeria Pizzeria is doing take out and delivery: https://www.mozzeria.com/
• HumanMade is making masks on their 3D printers: https://www.humanmade.org/
• AbilityHacks is moving their innovative meetups to an online format for the time being to keep their community connected and innovations: https://abilityhacks.org

The San Francisco Disability Business Alliance (SFDBA) is willing to consult with businesses owned by individuals with disabilities to insure that they are financially solvent and considering all options.

2. Evaluate business strategy and reshape strategy to insure continuity:

• Assess cash flow, financial risks, distribution, overhead and supply chain
• What operational risks need to be cut or adjusted? 
• Stay attuned to suppliers and consider alternate suppliers if need be
• Consider minimum operating requirements
• Consider alternate sources of capital, debt refinancing or additional credit support from banks or government entities, curtail unnecessary spending

Communication with all stakeholders and transparency is essential to insure flow of business and expectations from all involved. Stay engaged with all stakeholders to insure fluid delivery of goods and services and keeping the business solvent. 

3. Communicate with relevant stakeholders and stay engaged with your community:

• Keep customers apprised of adaptations or modified schedules/delivery of goods and services 
• Communicate changes and resources to employees and allow flexible work schedule and working from home if possible
• Discuss terms of loans with creditors & investors
• Stay in touch with suppliers regarding delivery of goods and services 

The SFDBA can provide advocacy to assist with connection to resources. Systems navigation can be challenging and isn’t always intuitive. The SFDBI can consult with businesses to make sure they are finding the right resources for their businesses’ needs.

4. What resources are available to help support your business or employees?

• SBA loan resources: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options
• California state loan resources: https://business.ca.gov/coronavirus-2019/
• Work reduction strategies: https://sfmade.org/blog/work-reduction-strategies/
• Employment Development Department Work Sharing Program:  https://www.edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019.htm
• Rent relief negotiation tactics: https://sfmade.org/blog/rent-relief-negotiating-tactics/
• Resources for businesses and employees: https://oewd.org/resources-businesses-and-employees-impacted-covid-19

Now is the time to prepare for the ‘new normal’. If we all stay nimble and think outside the box we will be more equipped and ready for the changes ahead. The COVID-19 pandemic will increase our humility and sense of humanity. It will also increase our ability to improvise and adjust to circumstances that are sometimes beyond our control. Stay positive, stay safe and stay connected to your resources and guideposts to weather the storm.

5. Build resilience now to be prepared for the new normal

• Take action and develop your strategies now to determine how you will flex with the changing times
• Review your business plan- How can you change course to make sure that you are heading the right direction?

Services Offered:

• Annual Membership to SFDBA with access to networking & educational events
• Assisting business owners with finding the right resources for their small business needs
• Provide business advising and peer to peer mentorship
• Assist disability-owned businesses to pursue preferential business certifications

SFDBA contact Information: 

Peter C. DeHaas

Founder & Executive Director 

San Francisco Disability Business Alliance (SFDBA) 

415-650-6841

peter@sfdba.org

www.sfdba.org

SFDBA 2020 Launch Breakfast

On Monday March 2nd the San Francisco Disability Business Alliance had their kickoff breakfast at the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco. Over 100 people attended the event including disability owned businesses, small business supports, advocates, students, local leaders, elected officials and allies. On Monday March 2nd the San Francisco Disability Business Alliance had their kickoff breakfast at the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco. Over 100 people attended the event including disability owned businesses, small business supports, advocates, students, local leaders, elected officials and allies.

Executive Director Peter DeHaas started the event with a brief history and background of the SFDBA and their vision for the coming year. The SFDBA will create a directory of disability owned businesses, co-sponsor two entrepreneurial events, engage more disability-owned businesses and create referral contacts for services and supports. Following Peter was San Francisco Chamber of Commerce President and native San Franciscan Rodney Fong. Rodney conveyed the importance of inclusion in business. 

SF Chamber President & CEO Rodney Fong

DeHaas talks with Drew McPherson & Francisco Peralta from AbilityHacks

DeHaas then lead a fireside chat with the following disability-owned businesses from the Bay Area including Mozzeria the nation’s first and only deaf owned pizzeria, Yantern an entrepreneurial support organization for folks with all types of disabilities, AbilityHacks an incubator of assistive tech solutions by and for individuals with physical disabilities and Desgin Trifecta an innovative custom woodworking manufacturer and producer of the famous 360 Knife Block design. They all discussed their experiences owning businesses, challenges and advantages to being an entrepreneur.

DeHaas chatting with Russ & Melody Stein of Mozzeria and Yantern

Lloyd Lewis from ARC Thrift of Colorado reflected on the importance of inclusion in business and shared some of his experiences and successes. Senator Scott Wiener finished the event with a riveting story about his own father who struggled with epilepsy and went on to be an ophthalmologist.

Lloyd Lewis from ARC Thrift 

State Senator Scott Wiener delivering keynote speech

The SFDBA would like to thank all of the disability-owned businesses who participated, its sponsors, strategic partners, allies and other partners who participated. The inaugural SFDBA launch was a complete success and we look forward to the momentum of this event creating more connectivity in the community and carrying us into our programming for 2020! Please email peter@sfdba.org if you would like to learn more or become a part of our growing alliance.

https://360knifeblock.com/

https://www.mozzeria.com/

https://www.yantern.com/

https://abilityhacks.org/

All photos © Meria.Agency

https://www.meria.agency/