I am a small business and economic development expert focused on entrepreneurship as a wealth-building tool for traditionally marginalized urban communities. My research interests are at the nexus of economic and political participation in metropolitan areas in the US and globally; examining policies, institutions, and systems that support and/or create barriers to entrepreneurship in the legitimate economy.
Currently, I am the Director of Temple University’s Small Business Development Center. The SBDC, housed in the Fox School of Business, serves entrepreneurs at any stage of business development, with a mission to help businesses start, grow, and prosper. In 2020, we were awarded the Fox Community Impact Award for our outreach programs in the Philadelphia region.
Before joining Temple University, I served as director of Saint Joseph’s University’s Centers for Professional Development and Food Marketing, where I oversaw all custom and open-enrollment programs in executive education at the university’s Haub School of Business. In that role, I was awarded Best New Program 2017 at the ProEd Conference for Management and Executive Development and recognized for developing the symposium “What Women Want” awarded the 2016 Best Special Event/Initiative by SJU.
Previously I was the vice president at FINANTA, a community-based, mission-driven nonprofit financial institution supporting immigrant and under-served communities with credit-building loans. While at FINANTA, we won the 2016 SBA Raskind Award – Mission Lender of the Year, including an invitation to the White House.
Before pursuing my doctoral degree in Political Science at Temple University, I earned a Master of Organization Development and Leadership degree from Saint Joseph’s University, where I also completed an executive coaching leadership program. I attained a Master of Fine Arts degree from The Ohio State University, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rhode Island School of Design, both in glass.
Media (2020):
- WHYY Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane - The future of small businesses as the country reopens
- Black Talk Media - Wake Up with WURD Small Business Stimulus Segment
- Technical.ly Philly - Temple’s SBDC launches two new resource centers to help small businesses thrive past the pandemic
- 6abc Action News - Unemployment concerns rise in Atlantic City for casino workers
- The Philadelphia Inquirer - SBA loan forgiveness prompts relief, but also confusion about timeline and rules
Faculty Advisor: Elise Chor