Welcome to your September news and events round-up from the Eastern Sierra BRC.
We’d love to see you this Fall at the BRC.
Thank you,
Meryl Picard
Director
Eastern Sierra BRC
Upcoming Events at the BRC
Empower Hour: Workplace Wellness | September 16, 6-7 pm
Your health and well-being play a key role in your success at work. Join us for this interactive Empower Hour designed to help you build simple, sustainable habits that improve your energy, productivity, and overall workplace wellness.
This hands-on session will include guided movement activities from presenter Lynne McDermott Greer that you can do right at your desk or workplace, practical wellness tips you can start using immediately, and opportunities to reflect on small changes that can make a big impact on your daily routine.
September 16, 6-7 pm – RSVP here.
In this session, you’ll learn how to:
- Incorporate movement throughout your workday
- Plan and prep healthy meals for busy schedules
- Improve time management and daily productivity
- Recognize and reduce workplace stress
- Build positive, healthy relationships with coworkers
- Create a healthier, more balanced work-life routine
Whether you work in an office, from home, or in the field, you’ll leave with practical tools to support your physical and mental well-being—both on and off the job.
Digital Presence for Your Small Business, Final Online Workshop | September 29, 2 pm
Looking to build a stronger digital presence for your business?
Businesses across the Eastern Sierra have already learned vital skills for growing a digital presence at our prior workshops, and there’s one more chance to learn how to efficiently and effectively grow your business’ online footprint from Krystina Maixner of Chalk Fox Studios.
September 29, 2-3 pm | RSVP here to receive the Zoom information.
If you want more one-on-one help growing your business’ presence, there are time slots available to work with Krystina directly through the end of September. Express your interest here.
You can also find recaps of the materials presented in the workshops, along with free downloads of worksheets from the sessions, in our three-part blog series, which kicks off here.
Youth Pitch Camp | November 7 & 8
Collaborate, Connect, and Learn at our first-ever Youth Pitch Camp.
Following the “Side Hustle” curriculum created by the ACORN project, our region’s youngest entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to gain valuable experience brainstorming business ideas, building a business plan, and pitching their ideas in a live showcase– all with the support of expert mentors.
November 7-8 | 9:30 – 4:30 pm
Pitch Showcase (Open to the public) November 8, 5:30 pm
No prior experience needed, and no need to come to the showcase with a real-life business idea. This program will teach you to identify business opportunities, plan the logistics of turning those ideas into action, and develop the in-person presentation skills needed to make a compelling pitch to investors.
Mark your Calendar: Matriarch Mixer Dates through 2027 Announced
If you’re like us, you like to plan… And, believe it or not, 2027 is right around the corner!
To make sure you don’t miss out on a valuable opportunity to network with fellow Eastern Sierra women leaders in 2027, we’ve announced the dates early.
November 5, 2026 | 5:30 – 7 pm
February 4, 2027 | 5:30 – 7 pm
May 6, 2027 | 5:30 – 7 pm
RSVP here for the dates of your choosing, or let us know we’ll be seeing you at all of them!
Matriarch Mixer is our popular, speed-dating-style networking event for businesswomen and entrepreneurs from across Inyo and Mono counties. Each quarter, we’ll tackle a new topic vital to your personal and professional success– from mindfulness and stress management to team leadership and fiscal management.
Dinner is served at each event, thanks to a rotating slate of generous sponsors, including AltaOne Federal Credit Union, the Bishop Chamber of Commerce, Inyo County, and ESCOG (via a Catalyst award from Sierra Jobs First).
BRC News & Updates
Milestone Loan Program: Microloans for Eastern Sierra Businesses
In April, the BRC began working with TMC Community Capital to directly issue business microloans up to $5,000 (or walk you through a warm hand-off to the TMC team, if you need business funding up to $50,000.)
Their Milestone loan program was created to equalize access to business funding for small businesses that have historically been locked out of more traditional loan programs, so this partnership speaks to our mission of equity and inclusion, and we are proud to offer it to you.
To learn more, visit our Milestone Loans page here, or reach out to mpicard@sierrabusiness.org
Share your Feedback on Past Events
Whether you’ve attended an event or workshop at the BRC, or just dropped in for business guidance, we’d love to hear from you!
As the end of the year approaches, we’re working to collect metrics and stories of the BRC’s impact, and also plan ahead for making sure our service offerings and event line-up reflects the needs of Inyo and Mono counties’ diverse business ecosystem.
Please take a moment to fill out the feedback form here.
Stories of Impact: Blue Heron Farm
Starting a business means navigating a lot of unfamiliar territory — regulations, accounting, staffing, and countless decisions along the way.
“Every single aspect of opening a business was a new word, a new phrase, a new regulation. It’s quite a barrier, and it’s quite a burden for a lot of people, so the BRC was incredibly impactful for us.” – Rachel Kulkin, owner/founder, Blue Heron Farm.
For Rachel Kulkin, owner of Blue Heron Farm in Inyo County, the Business Resource Center was there to help make sense of it all. Learn about her journey and how the BRC helped her navigate this new landscape in this story of impact:
Regional News & Events
SoCalREN’s Future Green Leaders Summit – October 8th at Cerro Coso Community College
The 4th annual Future Green Leaders Summit (FGLS), hosted by SoCalREN, is being held in Bishop October 8th. It offers an exciting and inspiring day of learning for local students, exposing them to the many technologies and career paths in sustainability and energy efficiency.
To learn more, visit SoCalREN’s website here.
Curious how the Sierra Nevada’s Priorities Fared in the California State Budget this Year?
Join SBC’s Sierra Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Partnership (CAMP) team for a legislative report-out on September 23rd at 12 PM.
Sierra Business Council’s Government Affairs staff will present updates and takeaways from the end of the 2026 legislative session and take questions from attendees. If you have specific questions in advance on the state budget or other outcomes from the legislative session, please email them to sierracamp@sierrabusiness.org, and we will make sure your question is fielded.
Join this meeting via Zoom to see how our regional priorities have fared this session. Register for the Zoom meeting in advance, or fill out the Zoom registration right before you join! Please look out for the calendar invitation soon.
Training Resources from Our Partners at NorCal SBDC
Webinar Wednesdays: Recognize Financial Distress Before it’s too Late
Cash flow tight, but your business still looks busy on paper? That gap is more common than most owners realize — and it’s exactly what this episode of Webinar Wednesday breaks down.
Host and Bakersfield SBDC Director Kelly Bearden is joined by Ben Nicholson, President of Fortis Business Advisors and creator of the Great Credit Distortion framework, for a practical look at recognizing financial distress early, understanding your true cost of debt, and using tools like the 13-week cash flow forecast to stay ahead of problems instead of reacting to them.
Ben walks through real strategies for reducing debt, a live case study on how MCA stacking can quietly sink a profitable-looking business, and a clear framework for deciding who to pay first when cash gets tight. The episode closes with a live Q&A covering EIDL loans, SBA workouts, and the warning signs every business owner — retired or active — should know. This is the 385th episode of Webinar Wednesday, SBDC Bakersfield’s ongoing business series delivering news and insights for employers and business owners.
View the webinar here.
