NEWS
Jose Corona's job is to grow urban businesses.
- East Bay Business Times
- May 12, 2006
- By Mavis Scanlon
- Favorite book: "Small Giants," by Bo Burlingham.
- Favorite restaurant: Huarache Azteca (Oakland).
- Favorite movie: "Remember The Titans."
- Passions: Soccer, but I'm mostly coaching these days. I also enjoy traveling with my wife, Mary.
- mscanlon@bizjournals.com | 925-598-1405
- ------------------
- Jose Corona
- Executive Director
- Inner City Advisors
- 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 260
- Oakland, CA 94612
- 510.271.0142 (office)
- 510.271.0168 (fax)
- www.innercityadvisors.org
It's fitting that Jose Corona works with entrepreneurs. The Mexican native emigrated to the United States when he was nine, and, as he says, "learned the value of hard work and developed my entrepreneurial spirit from watching my parents," who are strawberry ranchers near Watsonville.
He joined Inner City Advisors, an affiliate of Boston-based Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, in January 2005. Since then, ICA has instituted a more formalized application process, opened its doors to businesses doing less than $1 million a year in revenue, and broadened its fundraising efforts to include more foundations.
Its advisers, recruited from all areas of business, provide strategic consulting, referrals, technical assistance and mentoring to inner city client companies that are then better prepared to grow their businesses. That, in turn, stimulates economic and job growth.
Choosing Inner City Advisors: I worked at a San Francisco-based nonprofit (Mission Economic Development Association) for five years. During that time, I became more interested in finding a community organization that was able to blend the community, public and private sectors to create positive economic development. After I decided to leave MEDA, I learned of Inner City Advisors (formerly Oakland Advisors) from a couple of friends and a supporter of the organization. After I met with its leadership, I knew it was the right organization for me - it was entrepreneurial, full of opportunity and more importantly, added value to business owners seeking to grow and expand their operations in order to create local jobs.
ICA's business model: The Inner City Advisors program creatively assists emerging businesses to be economically successful. By combining the talents and high-quality strategic advice of ICA's board members and volunteer advisers with those of the inner city entrepreneurs, we can accelerate the development of those businesses and allow them to grow, seize the competitive advantages the inner city offers and create jobs for local residents.
We are currently serving 10 portfolio clients and three micro-enterprises (these micro-enterprises serve as a pipeline for our portfolio). As we grow, we will be able to expand the number of portfolio and micro-enterprise clients that we serve.
Recruiting advisers: Most of our advisers come through word of mouth or referrals from board members and other advisers.
Making a mark: I think I'm still in the process of putting my stamp on my position. My predecessor left me a great organization, and I'm still in a learning period about growing our own organization and about becoming a leader in my position.
Management philosophy: Listen to what others say, make sure your people know that they have been heard, make a decision and stand by it. Listening to others allows you to make informed decisions and also builds your credibility as a leader.
Most important lesson: Always ask for help from others. Too often, we forget that.
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