I returned to Nevada in mid-September from my latest Euro-tour biz trip to Karpacz, Poland; Vilnius, Lithuania; and points in between.
Karpacz is a beautiful, tiny “locals” ski town in southern Poland on the Czech border, with one main street weaving all the way up to about 1,600 feet above sea level. I had planned to hike 20 kilometers to an observatory at the highest point, where I could have stood in Poland and the Czech Republic at the same time—but it never happened. I was there for the 33rd Annual Economic Forum, which drew European Union presidents, prime ministers, commissioners and corporate leaders. I was there because the host institution, the Warsaw School of Economics, sponsored me, as I’ve been a guest lecturer there for the last seven years.
The entire town of Karpacz was sealed off, and except for locals, no one went up the mountain to the resort without credentials. Police and secret police were everywhere, monitoring everything near the beautiful host resort, the Hotel Golebiewski. My team and I had a private meeting with our old friend, the marshal of Lubelskie, who was there to discuss a new program to help small and medium Polish enterprises that wish to do business in the U.S. (You may recall that I was pinned with the Polish/Ukrainian medal of solidarity last year by the vice marshal of Lubelskie. It was an honor I will always cherish.)
The initiatives discussed at the conference include programs to jumpstart Poland’s technology sectors, startup ecosystems, small businesses and economies. In the years I’ve been over there helping companies prepare to enter U.S. markets, one of my important tasks has been to break the myths of U.S. markets and how businesses here are funded. Many entrepreneurs believe that, when they get off the plane in the U.S., people will hand them bags of money.
We all know that this is not true. I never had any government funding for any of my companies—although, during my years in early virtual reality research and development, I helped a company access a Small Business Innovation Research grant to build a prototype computer keyboard utilizing pin technology for the blind. I believe we got a total of $75,000 for two rounds of grants. That won’t get you far in today’s tech push.
That said, there actually are some great programs here in the U.S. for small companies—if you know where to find them and how to exploit them, which most small business owners do not. The SBIRs I mentioned are still around and can provide up to $250,000 for two rounds of development. That kind of influx can get a small business some real traction. The Nevada Small Business Development Center at the University of Nevada, Reno, can help find programs for you.
Another funding program—one urgently needed in Northern Nevada and recently funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture—is the Southwest Regional Food Business Center. It’s a regional accelerator for farms and other food businesses that operates in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. Locally, it’s connected with the UNR Extension, and it is necessary to help our economy.
The center will award about $900,000 in grants as part of a five-year project—up to $10,000 grants for up to 10 producers per year that finish the technical assistance program. Additional grants of $50,000 are earmarked for producers working on getting products into local and regional food systems. These grant awards will not fund any production activities. The UNR Extension is expected to hire a grant assistant to help administer the funding.
“This backing is essential to ensuring the development of safe, high-quality food systems that serve our communities,” said UNR Extension professor Staci Emm.
So, what does this mean for you? As a consumer, it means that you should soon have access to more foods sourced within 400 miles of you. So, at the Great Basin Community Food Co Op, you’ll continue to find more and more locally or regionally sourced products. This is good for everyone in the supply chain, from the egg farm to the shipper to the grocer. If you make your own commercial ice cream, you may qualify for the grants. If you make commercial soup and source your beef, chicken, herbs and veggies within the 400-mile perimeter, you may qualify. If you make baked goods from grain grown in Yerington, you may qualify.
Shiva Kittusamy, a former student of mine in UNR’s undergrad and MBA programs, is the small business education/development coordinator of the new program. He teaches, assists and recruits producers to access local and regional markets with food products they are already producing.
While we caught up for this column, Kittusamy mentioned an additional aspect of the program. “We are launching an accelerator program that includes a 10-week course covering all aspects of building a food business, from initial concept to market entry. Participants will also receive ongoing mentorship throughout the program, ensuring they have the support needed to scale their businesses.”
Other UNR Extension partners for technical assistance are Jordan Hosmer-Henner at Desert Farming Initiative, and Kelli Kelly from the UNR College of Business’ Small Business Development Center.
Learn more about the program at swfoodbiz.org.