Resources
| The following is a list of local organizations that may be of interest to young professionals on the South Coast. | |
| Catalyst For Thought The mission of Catalyst For Thought is to advance the community, by educating and motivating individuals to create, develop and act on his or her entrepreneurial ideas.catalystforthought.org | |
| Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce The Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce (GVCoC) is a business-oriented membership organization founded in 1947 in the Goleta Valley, just a few miles north of Santa Barbara in the Central Coast of California. The mission of the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce is to create a strong local economy, promote the community, provide business resources and networking opportunities, represent business to government and support pro-business candidates.goletavalley.com | |
| Green2Gold Our mission is to develop, protect, mentor and rapidly commercialize new energy and environmental technologies, sustainable enterprises, products and services for the consumer, government and business market places.green2gold.org | |
| MIT Enterprise Forum Central Coast To promote a unique process and atmosphere to develop and strengthen the entrepreneurial community in the Central Coast through interaction with experienced executives who have successfully navigated the challenges of building an organization.www.mitcentralcoast.com | |
| National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Founded in 1975, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is the unified voice of America’s more than 10 million women-owned businesses representing the fastest growing segment of the economy. They are the only dues-based organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industrieswww.nawbo.org | |
| Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce The oldest and largest business organization in the Tri-County Region, the Chamber is a business association representing some 2,000 local businesses. Governed by a 20 person volunteer board of directors and managed by a professional staff, the chamber operates a visitor center and a resource center. The Chamber’s mission is to foster a vibrant economy and improve the quality of life for all who live and work in the region. Through it’s programs the Chamber generates more than $80 million in annual local business referrals.www.sbchamber.org | |
| SCORE Counselors to America’s Small Business SCORE is America’s premier source of free and confidential small business advice for entrepreneurs. They offer advice online and in-person.www.sbscore.org | |
| United Way’s Young Leaders Society The goal of United Way’s Young Leaders Society (YLS) is to promote and encourage philanthropy and volunteerism among the young leaders of Santa Barbara County, through participation in a variety of social, educational, volunteer and network opportunities.www.unitedwelead.org | |
| Women’s Economic Ventures Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV, pronounced “weave”) is a local, non-profit organization dedicated to creating a just and equitable society through the economic empowerment of women. WEV provides opportunities for entrepreneurs in every phase of the business life cycle: start-up, launch, grow, and sustain. Our programs and services offered fall under the areas of training, access to capital and business services. All services are open to men and women entrepreneurs interested in starting or growing their business.www.wevonline.org |