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11:00am | Long Beach City College President Eloy Ortiz Oakley has joined the Presidents for Entrepreneurship Forum, a group of Community College Presidents committed to increasing the focus of entrepreneurship at community colleges. The Presidents for Entrepreneurship Forum is a new major program of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE).

The initiative is in response to the Obama Administration’s call to action to stimulate economic growth state by state by encouraging entrepreneurs to start their own businesses. To date, over 100 community college presents have joined NACCE’s Presidents for Entrepreneurship Forum.

LBCC President Eloy Ortiz Oakley, who has taken a national leadership role in promoting entrepreneurship and small business development, is in Miami, Florida today giving a luncheon address at the 19th Annual Workforce Development Institute. He is speaking about the Presidents for Entrepreneurship Forum, and the important role of Community Colleges in small business development.

“As part of the California’s higher education community, we feel it is imperative to support entrepreneurship through our academic programs and active engagement in the region,” said LBCC President Eloy Ortiz Oakley. “New businesses are vital to job creation and economic growth.”

President Oakley also spoke about the impressive jobs record and economic contributions that Long Beach City College has made through its partnership with the Small Business Development Center Network (SBDC), the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program.

In 2011, the SBDC, a federal SBA program which is managed and operated by Long Beach City College, produced the following economic impact:

• 3,670 small business jobs created or retained
• $97 million in revenue increases for regional small businesses
• $67 million in new capital infusion for regional small businesses
• 290 new business start-ups

Through the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program, Long Beach City College has helped more than 95 local small business owners who have participated in the intensive training and program:

• 50% of the small business owners in the program have added employees
• 75% of the small business owners have seen an increase in sales or seen their business grow after completing the program

The Presidents for Entrepreneurship Forum was launched at the While House in January 2011 and works to dramatically increase the prevalence and success of American entrepreneurs. Community college presidents who join the Forum make five commitments:

1. Develop transparency of community college and community assets
2. Create internal and external teams dedicated to entrepreneurship
3. Increase entrepreneurs’ engagement in community colleges
4. Engage in industry cluster development
5. Create broad exposure to their college’s commitment to entrepreneurship.

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