The Valley Economic Development Corporation’s Women’s Business Center has officially moved into its new digs with the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce. The two groups celebrated their grand opening earlier this month at 28460 Ave. Stanford in Santa Clarita. U.S. Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon, Alberto Alvarado, Director of the Small Business Administration’s District Office, VEDC President Roberto Barragan and Bruce Thompson, SBA Regional Administrator were all on hand for the opening. “I believe the partnership with the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber will allow the Women’s Business Center to help even more area entrepreneurs,” said Jenni Kwon, director of the VEDC’s Workforce and Economic Development Division. “The VEDC has been serving the northern LA County region for a while, and we’ve always known that it was an untapped business market.” The Women’s Business Center has been open since November of 2004, at first sharing space with the WorkSource Center. Later, as the WorkSource Center was moving, the VEDC decided that partnership with the Santa Clarita Chamber would give it more access to business owners. Since opening, the Women’s Business Center has helped 124 clients, held 15 business classes, approved six loans totaling $690,000 and helped to start four new businesses.
