Grace Conners of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will be offering small business startup “Office Hours” this spring semester at the Blackstone LaunchPad in Bird Library. Office hours will be every other Friday, 3-4, starting February 2.
Grace Conners is a Lender Relations Specialist with the U.S Small Business Administration District Office located in Syracuse, NY. The Syracuse District Office covers 34 counties in upstate New York and Grace works with Lenders and Entrepreneurs in various capacities. As a Lender Relations Specialist, Grace works with lending institutions to provide technical training on SBA loan programs. In addition, Grace is the co-program manager for the Emerging Leaders Syracuse program as well as she provides counseling and training to small businesses who are looking to start or expand. Prior to joining the SBA, Grace worked for two community banks and has over 7 years of experience in commercial underwriting, portfolio management and systems management.
As an experience credit analyst, she is well positioned to help startup ventures require the expectations by lenders and funders to be considered “investment ready,” and to help understand the due diligence process.
The SBA provides small businesses with an array of financing from the smallest needs in microlending – to substantial debt and equity investment capital in the form of venture capital. The SBA provides free individual face-to-face, and internet counseling for small businesses, and low-cost training to nascent entrepreneurs and established small businesses in over 1,800 locations throughout the United States and US territories. The SBA also provides small businesses with subcontracting procurement opportunities, and conducts a vast array of research on American small businesses and the small business environment.