Launch Event to Commemorate the LA VBOC Grand Opening

Historic Battleship USS Iowa to Host Launch Event to Commemorate the Grand Opening of the Los Angeles Regional Veterans Business Outreach Center 

The event takes place during National Veterans Small Business Week and will highlight contributions made by veteran small business owners and entrepreneurs

Los Angeles (October 31, 2023) – The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced the selection of the Long Beach City College to expand the offerings for the Los Angeles Regional Veterans Business Outreach Center (LA VBOC), which is designed to support military service-related individuals who operate an existing small business or aspire to start a new small business.  

The grand opening announcement will take place aboard the historic Battleship USS Iowa Museum. This iconic setting will serve as the backdrop for the grand opening launch during National Veterans Small Business Week and will be followed by an Access to Capital Workshop for Veterans workshop, sponsored by Chase Bank.

The event honors the entrepreneurial spirit of our nation’s veteran business owners and provides critical tools, services and resources for local vets in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties to thrive and succeed in the small business ownership landscape. 

WHAT:     Grand Opening of the Los Angeles Regional Veterans Business Outreach Center

WHEN:    Thursday, November 2, 2023, 11:00 a.m.- Noon

WHERE:  USS Iowa Battleship Museum, 250 S. Harbor Blvd., Los Ángeles (San Pedro) CA 90731  

(The event will be held on the fantail (outside rear deck) of the USS Iowa).

WHO:      Isabel Casillas Guzman, Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration

    Tara Lynn Gray, Director, California Office of the Small Business Advocate

    Herlinda Chico, President, Long Beach City College Board of Trustees

    Dr. Mike Munoz, Superintendent/President, Long Beach City College

WHY:       According to the 2018 Annual Business Survey (ABS), veteran business owners accounted for 6.1% of all U.S. employer businesses, and employed approximately       4 million workers. VBOC programs provide significant benefits and support to military service member veterans and their spouses interested in launching or growing  a successful small business.