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In our Seminars!

Attend FREE Hawthorne Business Expo Breakout Sessions to learn about new tactics, strategies and technologies that can give your business the edge it needs.

Knowledge is Power. We have offered a variety of Breakout Sessions at previous Expos on topics including:

  • Building & Protecting your Brand on Social Media
  • Accessing No Cost Business & Employment Services
  • Planning for the Success of Your Business
  • Tips To Create a Dynamic Website That Works
  • Contracting With Los Angeles World Airports
  • Commercial Insurance, Cyber Liability & Employment
  • Best Accounting Practices
  • Street Stories - Storefront Make-Overs
  • Social Media Tips for your Business
  • The Proper Care and Feeding of Your Website
  • Living & Doing Business in a Sustainable South Bay
  • Small Business & Permit Assistance for New & Existing Businesses
  • How Cyber Liability Insurance Can Protect Your Business Against a Data Breach
  • Free Business Services
  • And Many, Many More!

Participating in our complimentary workshops will give you hands-on experience with critical skills that you can implement in your business immediately.

2022 Hawthorne Business Expo Seminars

Deborah Deras

Deborah Deras Biography

Deborah Deras, Social Media Marketing Strategist, Trainer and Professional speaker has used her Social Media knowledge to grow her small business and to coach hundreds of small business owners to replicate her techniques to increase revenue in their businesses. She serves as a facilitator for the Beverly Hills Chamber, SouthBaySBDC and has presented on stages to conference of over 1000. She has booked speaking engagement with huge companies like Nasa, Verizon, J.P. Morgan, and Proctor & Gamble through the strategies she will share with you in this workshop. You will leave energized, inspired and with practical tools.

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Supercharge your Social Media: How to go from Likes to Sales

Jupiter Room - 12:00 - 12:50 PM

Presented by: Deborah Deras: El Camino College SBDC

Your business can transform likes to Sales, Shares to Raving Fans, and Comments to Customers.

Social Media Marketing can be overwhelming- from posting to monitoring comments to creating content. As busy small business owners we need to be efficient, lean, and ensure that our efforts lead to profit.
Deborah Deras, Social Media Marketing Trainer, for the El Camino College SBDC, has used her Social Media knowledge to grow her small business and to coach hundreds of small business owners to replicate her techniques to increase revenue in their businesses.

In this workshop, you will learn how to authentically connect and create compelling messaging on Social Media to develop lasting relationships that go beyond transactional customers to create a tribe of devoted followers to grow your business for success with ease and grace.

You will learn:

  • How to convert followers to sales
  • What platforms are right for your business
  • How to create compelling content
  • When to post and how to use time-saving techniques to post on multiple platforms.
  • All attendees will receive a copy of Deborah’s latest ebook on 5 C’s of Social Media Marketing Success.

Omari Valentine

Omari Valentine's Biography

With over a decade of experience managing software projects, Omari Valentine has guided the development of websites and mobile apps in games, finance and news media.

In 2017, Omari founded his agency, Off the Lip, bringing with him his passion for producing premium online experiences, this time for small businesses. Off the Lip offers clients performance-optimized websites along with a suite of brand asset creation services.

Omari recently joined the South Bay SBDC as an advisor, assisting clients through workshops and one-on-one consultations.

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Ernesto Comodo of 907k Marketing

Ernesto Comodo

Ernesto Comodo's Biography

Ernesto graduated in 2002 with a BFA in Fine Arts from Otis College of Art and Design and soon after, started working as a junior designer for a boutique web design agency of one of his former professors. Working at a small agency, he was involved in all aspects of the agency learning the business part of running a design agency, such as managing projects, clients, and pricing. 

With that knowledge, Ernesto opened his own design studio in 2003 Rapadura Design sharing a small office space in Playa Del Rey, CA with a colleague from college. Here Ernesto started to venture into print, working for a monthly financial equities’ magazine, a bi-monthly Brazilian publication, various jobs for other advertising, design agencies around Los Angeles and many startups and small businesses at the core of the firm.

The freedom of being a business owner was great, but it was a struggle working with Small Business owners, as they would come for projects such as a logo design or a web site and a year later the client would be out of business. A lot of great work had been done for these companies but was frustrating seeing these companies no longer in business.

Ernesto had to figure out a better way to help his clients and the answer was “Marketing”. These businesses were missing the fundamentals of being an entrepreneur from creating a business plan, marketing strategy and budgeting. To better serve his clients, Ernesto had to re-invent himself; he had to get re-educated by reading marketing books and taking a marketing courses.With this transformation a new company emerged in 2014 called 907K Fashion Marketing, hence majority of his clients at the time where in the fashion industry but within 1 year the name was adjusted to 907K Marketing to encompass all industries.

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4 Steps For Building an Unforgettable Brand Presence While Optimizing for Search

Jupiter Room - 1:00 - 1:50 PM

Presented by: Omari Valentine & Ernesto Comodo

Building an effective and memorable brand should be a key element of your marketing strategy. The thoughts and feelings associated with your business can be an invaluable a shortcut into the minds of the consumer.

Creating the brand concept and assets is only the first step. Next, you need to activate your brand presence to put it into the forefront of the consumer consciousness.

Search Engine Optimization should also be a key element of your online marketing strategy. Yet many of the practices necessary for SEO can also pay dividends with your brand awareness.

In this 50-minute workshop, you will learn the basics of branding for small businesses. You will also learn a few simple techniques for building a great search presence, and how they can work together to grow your online presence.

You will learn:

  • What is Brand Marketing?
  • How to Pick the Right Customer Persona
  • What is Search Engine Optimization
  • How SEO can uniquely impact small businesses
  • Simple SEO and Brand Marketing Strategies That Work

Larry Johnson

Larry Johnson's Biography

Larry has deep executive experience leading established and start-up enterprises.  He is the founder and CEO of LR Johnson Associates LLC, a specialty foods sales and marketing firm.  In addition, Larry serves as Program Lead Advisor for El Camino College, where he provides advice and counsel for small business and entrepreneurs from the South Bay to the Westside of Los Angeles, through its Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Previously, Larry provided corporate finance advisory and investment banking services for both Deloitte and Price Waterhouse.  Larry maintains an affiliation with the Los Angeles consulting firm of Stanton Associates LLC.

 

He is active in Rotary International, having served as President of his local Rotary Club.  He also serves on the Board of Wells Bring Hope, a not for profit that drills water wells in Western Africa.   Larry received his MBA from Columbia University and has a BS in Economics from Boston College.  An avid golfer, Larry also is an aficionado of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

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How To Start Your Business In Hawthorne

Mars Room - 12:00 - 12:50 PM

Presented by: Larry Johnson: El Camino College SBDC

Interested in starting a business in the City of Hawthorne?  This Seminar will not only take you through the process of legal registration, but most importantly will review the core fundamentals critical to building a successful business.  We will also provide an overview of funding options and emphasize the importance of proper recordkeeping and financial controls.

You will learn:

  • Essential steps to take when starting a business in Hawthorne
  • City of Hawthorne Business License requirements
  • Federal, State, County requirements for new business starts
  • Core fundamentals to consider in starting a business
  • And more...

Joel Versh, Farmers Insurance Agent

Joel Versh's Biography

My name is Joel Versh, husband, father, and small business owner. My wife and I have been married for almost nine years and we are the proud parents of a seven-year-old son that runs our household.  I graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Psychology. I am a proud member of the Kiwanis Club of Hawthorne and enjoy giving back to the community.

My Agency is a full-service, Insurance and Financial Services Agency.  Meaning I can protect all your stuff including your money!

My Agency’s philosophy is simple.  You worked extremely hard to gain your assets and our job is to work awfully hard to protect them for you.

I am honored to be a presenter and look forward to speaking with all of you.

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Insurance Requirements for your Small Business

Mars Room - 1:00 - 1:50 PM

Presented by: Joel Versh: Farmers Insurance

You are either thinking about a business opportunity or perhaps you are looking to scale up and move out of your garage into an office space.  Maybe you are already in an office and are getting ready to hire an employee or two.

Let’s talk about insurance needs. The difference between General Liability and Professional Liability.

This session will explain the mysteries of insurance, what coverages you need and why.

You will learn:

  • Why do I even need insurance?
  • What does General Liability cover?
  • EPLI and what it protects
  • Cyber Liability and why it is even more important than ever now...
  • What are the your responsibilities when you have an employe?
  • And more...

Michael DeDonato

Michael DeDonato's Biography

Michael has been a business consultant, finance and accounting professional for 35 years. He is the Managing Member of DeDonato and Johnson Advisory Group, LLC which provides strategic merger and acquisition finance and accounting support to privately held clients, small to midsized businesses involved in mergers and acquisition. He has extensive sell and buy side expertise.

 

Since 2016 he has served as a business advisor for the Small Business Development Center hosted be El Camino College where he mentors startup and small businesses. In this role, he provides ne on one counseling. He also develops and, teaches business workshops such as Business Financing, Crowd Funding, Legal Structure and Investor Pitches.

 

He has spent decades as a Chief Financial Officer and Controller for privately held companies. He has industries include Manufacturing, Aerospace and Defence, Consumer Packaged Goods, Health Care and Construction. He has prepared and negotiated multimillion dollar aerospace and defense contracts and is well versed in Government Contracting and Government Accounting standards and procedures.

Michael combines and outstanding work ethic with self-determination, professional integrity, excellent education and a dedication to team-oriented results-driven performance.

 He earned his Juris Doctor (Law) from the University of San Diego and his Master’s in Business Administration (M.B.A) from Bentley University.

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How to Finance Your Business

Mars Room -2:00 - 2:50 PM

Presented by: Michael DeDonato, J.D., M.B.A., El Camino College SBDC

This workshop will provide an overview of available options for financing your business. Equity and debt options as well as crowd funding and the process for raising capital from friends and family will be discussed.

Details on what you need to know to obtain business funding be provided. The various types of financial institutions and which institutions are currently loaning money and what you will need to qualify will be presented.

We will make sure that you know all you need to know about credit!

You will learn:

  • Common Ways to Fund a Business
  • Micro and Alternative Lenders (Opportunity Fund, CDC Small Business Finance)
  • BA Loan Programs (7A, 504 and Disaster loans)
  • Areas of credit evaluation
  • And more...
Jerome Michalczak

Jerome Michalczak, Detective, Hawthorne PD

Jerome Michalczak's Biography

Jerome Michalczak, has been a police officer for approximately 22 years and has served in a number of capacities to include patrol, bicycle patrol and gang enforcement. He worked as a fraud detective with the Hawthorne Police Department for six years and has investigated numerous crimes to include identity theft, burglary, robbery and murder.

Bio
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Practical Cyber Security

Pluto Room - 12:00 - 12:50 PM

Presented by: Jerome Michalczak, Senior Detective, Hawthorne PD

I will be going over the importance of maintaining and updating your systems. This means keeping your security patches, firmware, software, and time clocks up to date. The importance of passwords, updating them regularly and making them complex. I would like to bring awareness to phishing emails and social media ads that attempt to steal personal information. We will explore the pros and cons of cloud services that offer robust security with a reoccurring cost. How to create a plan for data loss or breech.  Learn about your current system and what capabilities you may already have.

You will learn:

  • Update Your Computers
  • Change Your Passwords
  • Phishing Emails and Social Media
  • Cloud Solutions
  • And more...

Joon Lee, Senior Management Analyst

Damon Skinner Biography

Joon Lee is a Senior Management Analyst 2 who has worked for the City of Los Angeles for 21 years spanning three City departments.  His passion is leveraging technology and best practices to help make government more efficient and inclusive in order to make a positive impact on the denizens of this great city.

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Shaun Shimoda-Kobayashi
Certification Manager

Damon Skinner Biography

Shaun Shimoda-Kobayashi has been LAWA’s Certification Manager for the past four years. Much of his time is spent assisting small businesses in Certification processes for the various Business Enterprise Certification Programs. He has worked at LAWA since October 2008 and worked for the City of Los Angeles for over twenty years.

Bio

How to Do Business With Los Angeles World Airports

Pluto Room - 1:00 - 1:50 PM

Presented by: Joon Lee, Senior Management Analyst, LAWA & Shaun Shimoda Kobayashi, Certification Manager, LAWA

The Doing Business with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Workshop is a summary version of the 2-hour presentation covering the in-and-outs of contracting at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  This workshop will give a short overview on the business opportunities that LAWA offers including the Request for Bids and Request for Proposals process as well as learning about and registering a business with the City’s central online database of procurement:  Los Angeles Business Assistance Virtual Network (LABAVN).  There will also be a brief introduction to various LAWA Business Enterprise Certification Programs, eligibility requirements, and how to apply.

You will learn:

  • A short overview on the business opportunities at LAWA
  • The LAWA Request for Bids and Request for Proposals process
  • Los Angeles Business Assistance Virtual Network (LABAVN)
  • LAWA Business Enterprise Certification Programs
  • And more...

Chris Cagle

Chris Cagle's Biography

Chris Cagle is the Regional Affairs Manager for the South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB). He specializes in helping businesses succeed by connecting them with regional resources that promote growth. The Workforce Board provides “no cost” business and employment services throughout the Los Angeles South Bay area. Business resources include programs that provide wage subsidies and funding for employee training. Services also include assistance with hiring and recruitment and much more. Chris is frequently a guest speaker on workforce development issues at many community events and was previously a two term city councilman representing the residents of district 2 in Redondo Beach. He holds a master degree in Political Science and resides in Redondo Beach with his wife Diane.

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Apprenticeship and Employee Training Support AT NO COST for Your Business

Pluto Room - 2:00 - 2:50 PM

Presented by: Chris Cagle: South Bay Workforce Investment Board

You will find out how your business can benefit from a paid career pathway apprenticeship program designed by employers to assist them with their workforce development pipeline needs. Also learn how you can improve your bottom line with no cost Recruitment Services, Hiring Support, Subsidized Labor Programs and On-The-Job Training Programs provided by the South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB). For over 39 years, the SBWIB has been matching employers with qualified candidates in the South Bay region. Find out how you can take advantage of our many services for large and small businesses as well as job seekers.

You will learn:

  • Recruitment Services
  • Business & Support Services
  • Hiring Support
  • Subsidized Labor Programs
  • And more...
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