Diverse Businesses Win Super Bowl With Pacific Communities Ventures and Business Connect

SAN FRANCISCO - Feb. 3, 2016 - PRLog -- Though kickoff is not until Sunday night, small and diverse businesses in San Francisco have already won the big game. Pacific Community Ventures (https://www.pacificcommunityventures.org/), a member of the Opportunity Finance Network (http://ofn.org/sites/default/files/OFN_Infographic_2014_Long_Version.pdf), has teamed up with the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee as part of the Business Connect Playbook for Success program. Business Connect will bring Pacific Community Ventures' free BusinessAdvising.org program to 400 diverse businesses in the Bay Area, with an emphasis on businesses owned by people of color, veterans, women, and members of the LGBT community.

"Super Bowl 50 is more than the NFL's marquee game of the year, it's a chance for the Bay Area's diverse small business community to tap into opportunities for new contracts and business growth," said Super Bowl Host Committee CEO Keith Bruce.

BusinessAdvising.org matches these entrepreneurs with mentors from Fortune 500 Companies to help these businesses grow for the Super Bowl and beyond. Growing these small businesses will bring economic development in communities across the Bay area, creating hundreds of quality jobs that will outlast the big game.

"Pacific Community Ventures' BusinessAdvising.org program has helped accelerate the growth of participating small businesses and add jobs at 167% the national average since 2011," said Pacific Community Ventures' President and CEO Mary Jo Cook.

"Pacific Community Ventures is just one of the latest examples of how community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are equipping small businesses with the tools they need to drive economic development in their communities," said Miti Sathe, Senior Vice President of Small Business Initiatives at the Opportunity Finance Network. "Providing proven technical assistance to small businesses owners who have been historically separated from critical resources supports small businesses' path to sustainability, growth, and strong portfolio performance."

Small business owners who want to participate in the program and professionals interested in becoming business mentors should visit BusinessAdvising.org for more information.

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About Pacific Community Ventures

Pacific Community Ventures engages small businesses, investors, and policymakers to build an economy that works for everyone. PCV does this by empowering small business owners with working capital, advice and mentorship, and access to the networks they need to grow their companies. Their programs strengthen local economies, create new quality jobs, and stimulate private and public investment in underserved communities. For more information, visit www.pacificcommunityventures.org.