SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of Santa Cruz County has announced Brandon Napoli as its new director.
Napoli will succeed outgoing director Teresa Thomae, who after 28 years of service to the SBDC of Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College and the Santa Cruz County community retired on Monday.
“Brandon will be a great new leader for the SBDC,” Thomae said. “He is dedicated to small business advocacy and has a great background in lending, community development and launching businesses.”
Currently an Adjunct Business Instructor at San Mateo College, Napoli designs and teaches hybrid business classes. He is also the Founder and CEO of Sacred Space, a co-working facility in Palo Alto, where he offers Workforce Development classes.
Prior to these roles, Brandon was the Director of National Microfinance Initiatives and Business Development and the Director of Micro Lending for the Valley Economic Development Center in New York.
“I am looking forward to applying my small business, economic and workforce development expertise to helping entrepreneurs and small businesses in Santa Cruz County flourish,” said Napoli, who holds a bachelor’s degree in international development from Point Loma Nazarene University, and a master’s degree from San Diego State University. “In her 28 years as SBDC Director, Teresa’s mentorship and leadership has turned hundreds of entrepreneurial ideas into local small business success stories, and I look forward to continuing that impressive record.”
The SBDC Santa Cruz County is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide expert, no-cost advising, low cost workshops and small business training to guide small business to success and accomplishment. The organization is hosted by Cabrillo College and is a part of the Northern California SBDC network.
