Dear ,

This week I had the pleasure of participating in a Tour of Missouri's Small Business Technology Development Center program. I was joined by representatives of the California SBDC Program, the University of California system, the California State University System, the California Community College System, and California's Innovation Hubs. It is amazing to see how all the pieces of the university research systems and SBDC business assistance systems work together to service the needs of technology companies.  

While the needs of technology companies mirror those of any other company, the complexities of identifying the value each partner can provide these firms is unique. Universities, with their research facilities, faculty and students represent an important competitive advantage for a technology firm. However, a university's primary purpose is to educate students. As a result, systems to identify the needs of small businesses often don't exist. Enter the Small Business Development Center program, with its competitive advantage in identifying company needs and creating an environment for high performance growth for small businesses. Over the coming months I look forward to working with our partners to expand this capacity to service California technology small businesses.