Pathways to Certification: How to Qualify as a Small Disadvantaged Business in California

Understanding the Small Disadvantaged Business certification process can feel complicated — especially with newer guidelines that focus on economic disadvantage and away from ethnic background. This workshop walks you through what matters, step by step. You’ll learn eligibility basics, what documents are needed, and how to prepare your application in a thoughtful, organized way. Whether you’re ready to apply now or planning ahead, you’ll leave with clearer next steps and a better sense of how certification can position your business for future contracting opportunities.

Intro to AI for Your Small Business

Artificial intelligence isn’t just the future — it’s here, and it’s already transforming how businesses operate. Today, 92% of Fortune 500 companies and more than half of small businesses are using generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and unlock new possibilities. The question is no longer if you should engage with AI — it’s how. Whether you’re curious and unsure where to start, or you’ve experimented with AI and want to better understand its real potential for your business, this work is designed for you.

Mastering the Media: How to Show Up Confidently On Camera, On Air, and Online

Telling your story well is an essential leadership skill. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to speak about your work clearly and confidently — whether you’re talking with reporters, joining a podcast, or representing your organization at public events. We’ll explore how the media works, how to shape messages that are simple and memorable, and how to respond when the questions get challenging. Whether you lead a nonprofit, small business, or community initiative, you’ll gain tools to manage nerves, stay focused on what matters, and communicate in ways that build trust and credibility.

The Art of the Ask: How to Request Funding, Services & Resources to Support Your Nonprofit

Asking for support is one of the most important — and sometimes often most uncomfortable — aspects of leadership. In the Art of the Ask, nonprofit leaders develop the clarity and language needed to make thoughtful, confident requests. Together, we explore how to move from hesitation to intentional strategy, and from guesswork to practical approaches that work. Leaders leave with tools they can use to request funding, partnerships, and resources in ways that feel authentic — while strengthening their mission and expanding their capacity to serve.

You’re already serving, leading, and solving real problems in your community. This workshop helps you understand what it takes to turn that passion into a structured, compliant, and fundable nonprofit organization. We’ll walk through the essentials — formation steps, legal and compliance basics, foundational planning, and an introduction to fundraising strategies. Whether you’re just beginning or formalizing work you’ve already started, you’ll gain clearer direction, practical tools, and a stronger understanding of how to build a nonprofit that is organized, credible, and positioned for future funding.

Learn the essential steps every nonprofit MUST take to remain in good standing. This workshop breaks down annual filings, state and federal requirements, board responsibilities, governance practices, and financial rules in simple, practical language. Perfect for new and growing nonprofits, this training helps you avoid penalties, protect your mission, and keep your organization compliant, credible, and ready for funding.

Money for Your Mission is designed to help nonprofit leaders understand what it really takes to fund their work in a steady, mission-aligned way. Instead of treating fundraising as guesswork or pressure, this workshop breaks it into practical steps you can approach with confidence. We explore how to attract the right donors, diversify revenue streams, and make thoughtful requests that feel authentic — not “salesy.” You’ll leave with tools you can begin using right away to build stronger donor relationships, increase financial stability, and ensure your mission has the resources it needs to continue serving well.

Entrepreneur Basics℠ helps leaders understand both the practical side of business and the inner work that shapes how they think, decide, and lead. The program blends core entrepreneurship principles with transformational learning and emotional intelligence, creating space to look honestly at the beliefs and patterns that drive everyday choices.

Participants learn to align habits, actions, and decision-making with their values and long-term vision — not just short-term pressure. Designed for new and experienced entrepreneurs across traditional, online, and network-based businesses, Entrepreneur Basics supports both strategic clarity and personal growth, so participants can pursue their work with greater purpose, confidence, and integrity.