Siskiyou Economic Development Council Awarded $1 Million by CalOSBA to Expand Shasta-Cascade Accelerate California Hub
California Peony Company in Callahan, CA is an example of the emerging innovation and entrepreneurship happening in California’s North. | Photo by California Peony Company/Circle Bar Co.
[Yreka, CA, June 8, 2023] - The Siskiyou Economic Development Council (SEDC) has been awarded a grant of $1 Million by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) for the expansion of the Shasta-Cascade Accelerate California Hub, a program to support innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture, outdoor tourism and clean energy sectors in California’s North.
The SEDC was previously awarded an Accelerate California Hub designation in 2022 to serve Siskiyou County businesses. In the initial year, the SEDC launched the AGccelerator innovation program to connect agriculture producers in Siskiyou County with leading expertise.
“In our first year, we listened to local needs, brought nationally recognized workshops to Siskiyou County, and matched producers with top expertise,” explains SEDC Program Director, Niki Brown. “With this announcement, our agriculture, outdoor tourism, and clean energy businesses will have access to an expanding network, and guidance to develop niche market opportunities over the next four years.”
The SEDC will expand programming to include Siskiyou, Shasta, and Trinity county businesses and entrepreneurs as early as October. The program will provide in-person and virtual services for entrepreneurs to collaborate, learn, and share ideas. SEDC is working closely with its partner team consisting of higher education institutions, industry leaders, and supporting agencies, to develop and implement impactful activities.
“Our region represents some of the most innovative, rural, and climate-impacted industries in the state,” said Brown. “Our innovation work across the three counties will help agriculture, outdoor tourism, and clean energy businesses build shared capacity, create new markets, and drive opportunity, together.”
About the Siskiyou Economic Development Council
Since its inception in 1985, the SEDC has developed strategies that result in the constructive, balanced economic growth of the region. Current programs include the Shasta-Cascade Small Business Development Center (SBA), Discover Siskiyou, Siskiyou Farm Co., the Siskiyou Climate Collaborative (SGC), and the Shasta-Cascade Innovation Hub (CalOSBA).
For more information email niki@siskiyoucounty.org or visit siskiyoucounty.org.
Siskiyou County Economic Development Council is actively sharing on the following platforms:
Twitter. twitter.com/siskiyouedc
Linkedin. linkedin.com/company/siskiyouedc
Facebook. facebook.com/siskiyouedc
Instagram. instagram.com/siskiyouedc