BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION WEEK SPOTLIGHT (March 3-9)

AGILE CONSTRUCTION, INC.:

Meet Mirtha Villarreal-Younger, the President and CEO of Agile Construction, Inc.

Agile Construction is a general construction firm specializing in federal government contracting. Agile Construction offers general contracting, construction management, outreach and professional development services. Their client's construction projects is their top priority. Agile Construction believes in making your dreams and goals a reality.

Being part of an industry that literally builds communities and fosters economic growth is what inspired Mirtha to start her business.

What Mirtha loves most about the construction business is being able to work with other small businesses, which she finds very rewarding - "we collaborate, partner and support each other".

You can learn more about Agile Construction here: www.agile-aci.com


MARCH 2024

Black Diamond Graphics

"Connecting People with Custom Apparel for 35 Years" 

MEET THE FOUNDERS:

Meet Karan Bowsher and Michael (Mike) Bowsher, the Co-Founders of Black Diamond Graphics/Black Diamond Concessions 

Business City: West Point, CA

Karan Bowsher is the Co-Founder of Black Diamond Graphics and Black Diamond Concessions, a Woman-Owned Small Business. Karan is a native Californian and she moved to West Point in Calaveras County when she was one years old. She left for college and graduate school where she met Mike in New York State. Michael (Mike) Bowsher is the Co-Founder of Black Diamond Graphics and Black Diamond Concessions. The couple moved back to California to marry, and then moved back to West Point to raise their three children, Javan, Aviel and Alara.  

About Black Diamond Graphics:

The Black Diamond Graphics mission is that “it is our goal to make you, our customer, happy. We are creative with figuring out new ways to do things that are not done elsewhere. While we cannot say much, we are currently working on printing something that is used in research and development for self-driving cars! While apparel is our main market, we love the challenge of experimenting and creating.” 

Karan and Michael shared that they love being a part of events, teams, businesses and whatever else it is that gives joy. The duo pride themselves on printing or embroidering apparel to customer specifications and meeting deadlines. As a family-owned business, the two enjoy meeting customers and ensuring that their products meet customers’ satisfaction. They provide art services, screen printing, embroidery, signs, and promotional products. Simultaneously, they cater events and “Offering everything from tri-tip to cotton candy and corn dogs, we make food fun!” 

Karan and Michael shared what inspired them to start their business, stating, “When we were first married, Mike got a job as a graphic artist at a newspaper. Within a few months the newspaper had gone bankrupt, and he came home one day with no job. He got another one and the exact same thing happened. Karan had been working at a deli, and together we decided to have more control over our circumstances, so we bought an old press and dryer that a co-worker of Mikes had in his garage. We later realized that we had not really gotten a particularly good deal. Live and learn, we were too naive to even know what this sort of equipment should cost! It all worked out though because with that old press we were able to start, and we learned so much along the way. For the concession side, I could never stay away from a parade or event where I could set up a small stand and sell my corn dogs. The Ironstone venue was an act of grace that I fell into, and I am thankful for it every day. I love working at the venue, being part of the music, and having a crew of mostly young high school/college age people that are energetic and vibrant.” 

Karan came from a family of entrepreneurs as her parents owned corn dog and cotton candy stands that served the fair circuit in the states of California, Idaho, and Oregon. Karan started working in the family business at 7 years old and was managing a stand at 13 years old. When her father passed away in the summer she turned 18, she took over his half of the circuit and continued the business with her mother.  

Upon marrying Mike, an artist, they decided to start their own screen printing and embroidery business. Mike is the muscle and creative force behind their successful company while Karan takes care of customer service, and the legwork required to source products and manage the financials. 15 years ago, she also took on the contract for the concession foods at the Ironstone Amphitheater for their summer concert series.  

How did the Sacramento MBDA Business Center help your business?

The challenges the two were facing prior to working with the Sacramento MBDA Business Center were that “Being on the older side of young, we have not been particularly good, or even interested in marketing on social media, even though we know it is important. We needed guidance and help on what to do and how to do it.” 

Fortunately, the two shared, "We were placed with a wonderful mentor, Kat from Sisbro, who really took the time to explain what we needed to do and the nuts and bolts of doing it. We have been working on a new website and had to get it finished to begin our social media campaign, but it has just been finished and we are so excited to use the tips and skills that we have learned from Kat to grow our business.”  

In explaining how working with the Sacramento MBDA Business Center has helped them with brand exposure, the duo stated, "We have learned how to better place ourselves so that we can be seen and easily found and to create excitement.”  

As a family of entrepreneurs, the couple were proud to also share that their children have since grown up and moved on but Javan, the oldest, has followed in the footsteps of family run businesses and owns Granite Arch Climbing Gym in Folsom with his wife, Amanda and daughter, Aubrey. Mike and Karan's daughter, Aviel, is a materials design intern at Tesla in Nevada where her husband Charlie, is a lead engineer as well. They have two daughters, Esa and Eila who engineer almost everything else! Their youngest, Alara, is a hair stylist with her own business and also works as a bartender. 

Upcoming Promotions, Events, News:

In April 2024, Black Diamond Graphics is rolling out a spring sale of 10% off any t-shirt order! Follow them on social media, as they will feature many fun and crazy frog designs at the 2024 Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee in May. They feature a huge standalone store called Frog-Mart where you can jump in and find just about anything frog related you desire! 

Follow Black Diamond Graphics at:
Instagram: blackdiamondgraphics
Facebook: Black Diamond Graphics
Website: https://blackdiamondgraphics.com/ 

 


PAST BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS

FEBRUARY 2024

ChalkWild, LLC

"ART HEALS!" 

MEET THE FOUNDERS:

Meet AnhViet (Charlie) Nguyen and Hien Ho, the Co-Founders of ChalkWild, LLC 

Business City: Modesto, CA

AnhViet “Charlie” Nguyen is a dynamic force in the entrepreneurial landscape. Holding a BSc in Biochemistry from UC Davis and MBA, Charlie has traversed a multifaceted career path, leaving an indelible mark in various industries.

With a keen eye for innovation and a heart for social impact, Charlie has spearheaded ventures in hospitality, travel, technology, production, media, and real estate. However, it's his role as CEO of the Chalkwild Therapeutic Art Program, built on his son’s invention of an erasable backpack when he was 11- year old, that truly reflects his commitment to making a difference. Besides making a positive impact on kids’ lives, Charlie also has been teaching his son, Hien, many valuable lessons in life and in business through working on this business together.

Charlie's mission-driven enterprise, the Chalkwild Therapeutic Art Program, extends its reach to children across the US and beyond, providing a platform for artistic expression to nurture resilience, self-esteem, and confidence. Inspired by his own challenges, Charlie's mission resonates deeply, offering a beacon of hope for young minds worldwide.

About ChalkWild, LLC:

Created by an 11-year-old student in Modesto, California, ChalkWild is the world's first erasable backpack that serves as a tool to help kids improve social and emotional skills. The backpack includes erasable chalk markers that allow kids to engage in art on the backpack anytime, anywhere. In designing this product, the co-founders aimed to help kids overcome anxiety; build resilience; promote mindfulness; boost creativity, self-esteem, problem-solving skills, and academic performance. It serves as a fantastic bonding tool for parents, children, grandparents and grandchildren. 

Hien had an idea of creating an erasable backpack so that kids could customize their backpacks by drawing on them with erasable chalk markers repeatedly when he was 11 years old. The idea came to Hien when he was at a local skateboarding park with his father. 

Charlie shared, “When I learned from friends in the mental health field that it could be an awesome art therapy tool for kids, we decided to pivot our mission to help kids enhance their social emotional wellness and thrive academically. I grew up in Vietnam after the war and had experienced so much trauma and the negative impacts of trauma such as depression. When I had the opportunity to join the American Leadership Forum program a few years ago, I had the unique opportunity to discover my trauma and to share it honestly with my classmates. Being vulnerable was the beginning of my healing process. That's why my son and I are passionate about our mission of using ChalkWild erasable backpacks as an art therapy tool to help kids overcome trauma and anxiety that was exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. It took me over 40 years to fully grasp my trauma and to start healing. Our goal is to help as many kids as possible now so that they will have a higher chance of success when they get older.

How did the Sacramento MBDA Business Center help your business?

Charlie expanded more about the challenges they were facing prior to working with MBDA as well as the positive results came out of the relationship, stating:  

“Like any small business, we struggle with marketing, financing, how to get our message or story across... Lucie-Anne Radimsky, a consultant of Sacramento MBDA, has been tremendously helpful. We were able to get certified as California Small Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise. Lucie-Anne also introduced us to the California Office of Small Business Advocate. Learning about ChalkWild and how it started, CalOSBA designed a new program called The Future Is Now to feature and to promote young entrepreneurs. CalOSBA produced a video about Hien, ChalkWild, and the positive impacts the backpack program has on kids.” Charlie and Hien are excited to share that the video will be promoted on CalOSBA Youtube and social media in the next couple weeks, elaborating that, “It'll be a great marketing video for ChalkWild as well. Although we already are partnering with several school districts, this video will boost our credibility tremendously.” 

Upcoming Promotions, Events, News:

ChalkWild LLC is offering nonprofits an opportunity to use ChalkWild as a fundraising tool which works like an affiliate. When a nonprofit registers, it gets a unique link and a QR code. When people purchase a ChalkWild backpack through that link, the nonprofit gets $9.44 for each backpack ordered. The ChalkWild, LLC team will handle the fulfillment and are already working Lucile Packard Foundation Children's Health.  

ChalkWild, LLC welcomes more nonprofits to collaborate. 

The video for The Future Is Now will be released by CalOSBA soon. The ChalkWild co-founders, and son and father duo, would love folks to share it as widely as possible.

Follow ChalkWild, LLC at:

Website: A Backpack Worth Giving! – A Backpack Worth Giving! (chalkwild.com)

Instagram: https: //www.instagram.com/chalkwildthings/ 


JANUARY 2024

Infostellar, Inc.

"To positively impact, transform and simplify government systems through its agile technical consulting services." 

MEET THE FOUNDERS:

Meet Sweta Jain, President, and Arun Jain, the Co-Founder and CEO of Infostellar, Inc. 

Business City: Fairfax, VA 

Sweta Jain, the President of Infostellar, Inc., is a seasoned executive with 20+ years in IT delivery and management across federal contracting and commercial sectors. Sweta is a proven leader in building and managing teams for small to mid-sized companies, fostering partnerships and driving multimillion-dollar bottom-line growth. Extensive experience includes roles with major consulting firms, including PwC.  

Arun Jain is the Co-Founder and CEO Influential IT Executive with 20+ years’ experience driving large-scale technical implementation through strategic, agile development, solution engineering, and infrastructure security. 

 

About Infostellar, Inc:

Infostellar, Inc. specializes in human-centered design and agile software development, dedicated to helping agencies modernize their digital systems. They deliver highly usable, flexible, cloud-based solutions with a track record of successful modernization projects, including immigration, verification, and biometrics systems at DHS. 

The co-founders shared, “We started Infostellar, Inc. when open source and cloud were first coming about. To us, it presented an amazing opportunity to modernize IT. However, the larger organizations were slow to embrace technical advancements. As a small business, we run like a startup; we experiment, learn, innovate, and adopt as new technologies emerge.  We can pivot and be agile. That's why we started Infostellar, Inc.” 


How did the Sacramento MBDA Business Center help your business?

Arun elaborated further, sharing how the Sacramento MBDA Business Center closely supported his business, “Sacramento MBDA was instrumental in introducing the OSDBU offices in various agencies. I was able to follow up with some of them and have one-to-one calls to get additional guidance on navigating their agencies. They were very helpful in providing feedback on marketing material and client presentations.” 

 

 

The positive relationship between the Sacramento MBDA Business Center and Infostellar, Inc. Is self-evident, as Arun said, “Sacramento MBDA Business Center is like an advisor to our business. We can reach out to them for questions, seek advice on specific issues as well as introductions to other companies who may be in similar positions like us. I have found that whenever MBDA brings a group of companies together with meetings with Small Business offices in agencies, they are more open for follow-up conversations.”

 

 

Follow Infostellar, Inc at:

Website: infostellarinc.com
LinkedIn: infostellarinc


Flawless Boxing & Gym

"TRAIN TO DOMINATE

MEET THE FOUNDERS:

Janelle Gonzales and Brandon Gonzales
Founders and CEO of Flawless Boxing & Fitness

Business City: Sacramento, CA

Brandon ‘Flawless’ Gonzáles, Co-Owner
Brandon is a former world-class professional boxer with a long list of accomplishments and accolades to his name. He was a member of the US National Team and achieved the distinction of being the #1 ranked amateur in the US and the #1 rated Super Middleweight in the world as a pro. His fights have also been broadcast on some of the biggest platforms in the world of sports, including HBO, ESPN, Showtime, and Sky Sport PPV, which is a testament to his skill and popularity in the ring.

Despite his retirement, Brandon continues to make a lasting impact in the boxing community, now dedicating his time and expertise to working with young boxers. With his passion for the sport, commitment to helping others, and impressive record, Brandon serves as a true inspiration and valuable mentor to the next generation of fighters.

Janelle Gonzales, Co-Owner
Janelle is a highly respected figure in the Sacramento community, renowned for her outstanding accomplishments as an amateur boxer and as a social work professional. As the Co-founder of Flawless Boxing & Fitness and Board Director for Flawless4Youth, Janelle has brought her extensive knowledge, experience, and expertise to bear on behalf of the organization and its mission.

Janelle's journey began in her hometown of Sacramento, where she started her boxing career under the guidance of Ray Woods. As an amateur fighter at 125 pounds, Janelle quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a multiple regional Golden Gloves and U.S. Championships champion. Her exceptional skills and dedication to the sport earned her a reputation as one of the most skilled and determined boxers in the region.

Janelle continued to pursue her education while honing her skills in the ring, earning a master’s in social work from Sacramento State University. Her background and expertise in social work have played a significant role in Flawless4Youth's efforts to develop and implement programs that provide vital resources to the community's youth and their families.

 

About About Flawless Boxing & Fitness:

Flawless Boxing & Fitness is a community-oriented boxing facility empowering individuals of all backgrounds through boxing training. Our adult program supports Flawless4youth, a non-profit benefiting Sacramento's youth since 2011. Through scholarships, we enable youth training, provide equipment, and offer a welcoming space for families to pursue their fitness and boxing aspirations. We provide small group training, private training and a competitive program for aspiring amateur and professional athletes. 


How did the Sacramento MBDA Business Center help your business?

We were inspired to start our business because we see the benefits and positive impact that boxing has on both adults and youth. We have always had challenges with funding, resources and partnering with other organizations. Working with the MBDA has been helpful in providing partnership, support and resources to our business and mission. Partnerships, support and resources that have helped to elevate our business.

Upcoming Events:

February 10, 2024: Capital Punishment 8
This is a community event that will showcase the top amateur boxers in the region.

Follow Flawless Boxing & Fitness at:

Website: Flawlessboxingfit.com
Instagram: @flawlessboxing
Facebook: Flawless Boxing & Fitness


Stay tuned for more featured businesses!


 

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