Lori Williams is a business consultant, speaker, and writer. She has over 30 years of experience in strategic planning, finance, marketing, and operations. Functioning as the chief strategist for her consulting agency, she has worked with middle market companies to build long-term sustainable growth. Her eBooks are distributed through Amazon, iTunes and Barnes & Noble.

Max Ordonez specializes in providing funding advice and direction for startups and established businesses, as well as specializing in management, strategic planning and business planning. Max has 20+ years’ experience as an entrepreneur and executive in an array of industries such as construction, re-development, manufacturing and distribution. In addition, Max’s expertise includes public-private partnerships. Max is the owner of his own strategic growth and program management consultancy in Los Angeles. He is a native Angelino and resides with his family in Whittier, California.

Ed Von Leffern has been with the SBDC since 2008. His numerous business qualifications include serving in the following positions: Director Emeritus and Audit Committee Chair of US Metro Bank Director of a small business with sales to Amazon, Target, Staples, and Bye-Bye-Baby Eight years as a chief credit officer/loan administrator of banks or regions. Twice approved by Federal and State Regulators as CCO Twelve years as a team leader of $75-500 million portfolios – always with direct account management and sale of diversified bank financial products President of the LA Chapter of the bank credit association in 1996-97 (awarded superior unit) and in 2000-01

Over the last twenty years, Charlie Lowe has acted as a business consultant to the Small Business Development Centers and Centers for International Trade Development for El Camino Community College, Long Beach City College, and for Loyola Marymount University. He has 30 years’ experience in small business and international trade, having done business in 45 countries throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.

As the Director of the Long Beach City College Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Brad Pollak specializes in business start-ups, leadership, management, marketing strategies, and business planning. Brad has 20+ years’ experience as a marketing executive and general manager in the music industry. He is also the owner of a career development consultancy in Long Beach. Brad grew up in the U.S., Mexico and in Europe and holds a BA from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.