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Images from left to right: Invitation (design by Francisco Mattos and Tessa Williams),
Karen Johnson of Marcus Books (photo by Joe Manio), London Breed, Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig
Issue Date: November 15, 2010
M E D I A A D V I S O R Y
Media are invited to the following:
W H A T Urban Solutions' Meet & Greet Event:
A Celebration of the Western Addition
Urban Solutions has been working with the neighborhood's small business community since 2003 and has a satellite office at 1290 Fillmore Street. During this period, the organization has provided individual consulting to more than 200 entrepreneurs for business plan development, financial projections and management, loan packaging, credit repair, HR management, marketing and legal advice.
The businesses Urban Solutions works with in the neighborhood include Bumzy's, 1300 on Fillmore restaurant, Sheba Lounge, Marcus Books, Infin8 Sync, and Gussie's Chicken & Waffles. Urban Solutions' event will celebrate these and other African American-owned businesses in San Francisco's Western Addition, but also recognize the diversity in the area with other businesses the organization has assisted, such as Progress Cleaners, Empress Nails, Brooklyn Circus, and Jubili.
While this event is free, it is designed as: (1) a networking opportunity for small business entrepreneurs, community members, supporters and media, and (2) a way to bring people into the neighborhood's main commercial corridor. RSVPs are requested at info@urbansolutionsSF.org.
W H E N Thursday, November 18, 2010 from 5 to 7 p.m.
W H E R E Gussie's Chicken & Waffles
1521 Eddy Street at Fillmore Street in San Francisco
Gussie's chef and owner Michele Wilson created this southern-inspired, family restaurant in the Western Addition in 2009. Food samples will be available for guests at the event. Regular restaurant service will resume after the event.
W H O
· Emcee: Barbara Rodgers, veteran Bay Area broadcast journalist.
· Special Guest Speaker: Former Mayor Willie Brown, who first lived and worked in the Western Addition when he arrived to San Francisco as a teenager.
· Honoree: Marcus Books, celebrating their 50th anniversary in the Western Addition as the oldest independent Black bookstore in the country.
· Community Champion Awardee: London Breed, former S.F. Redevelopment Commissioner and current Executive Director of the African American Art & Culture Complex.
· Media Innovator Awardee: Bay Area Black Journalist President Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig, editor of The Western Edition newspaper and shades Magazine: Celebrating All Women of Color.
· Wells Fargo, a major supporter of Urban Solutions, will present a $50,000 check and speak about their support to renovate neighborhood small businesses.
About Urban Solutions: Founded in 1992, Urban Solutions' mission today is to strengthen underserved neighborhoods by supporting small businesses, job creation, diversity and sustainability. Urban Solutions serves small businesses with a full range of services including small business consulting, loan packaging, real estate financing, marketing, merchant organizing, and green business consulting. Since its beginnings, the organization has worked with more than 4,000 small businesses, enabled the creation of over 500 jobs and secured over 300 loans. 88% of clients are still in business after one year.
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URBAN SOLUTIONS
1083 Mission Street, 2nd Floor . San Francisco, CA 94103
Tel: 415.553.4433 ext 106
Cell: 415.793.4432
Fax: 415.553.4434
E-mail: Janice@urbansolutionsSF.org
Urban Solutions is a 501c3 non-profit organization that strengthens
underserved neighborhoods by supporting small businesses,
job creation, diversity and sustainability.
> Read about us at www.urbansolutionsSF.org
> Become a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/urbansolutionsSF
> Make a donation online at www.urbansolutionsSF.org/support
Federal tax no. 94-3158182.