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CAMEO in the News

June 30, 2023: Los Angeles entrepreneur Diana Diaz gave CAMEO a shoutout in this interview with Go Banking Rates


June 29, 2023: CEO Carolina Martinez shared advice for business owners seeking loans in a Forbes Expert Panel article.


June 1, 2023: CEO Carolina Martinez participated in a Forbes Expert Panel article that discusses effective resource management practices.


May 3, 2023: CEO Carolina Martinez gave an interview to KQED on the impact of bank closures on their region’s entrepreneurial communities.


April 24, 2023: CEO Carolina Martinez talks about the importance of the CalSavers program for a recent Capitol Weekly article. 


April 12, 2023: Carolina was part of a Forbes Expert Panel article providing tax deduction advice for small business owners.


April 12, 2023: CEO Carolina Martinez appeared on a CBS News Los Angeles report on pandemic small business recovery.


February 20, 2023: Carolina was interviewed by CBS Los Angeles for a story on Latina business owner Diana Diaz and her entrepreneur collective, Goddess Mercado Boutique.


February 15, 2023: Carolina was part of an expert panel sharing important tax advice for small business owners in this Forbes article. 


February 8, 2023: Carolina shared tips for business loan applicants for this NerdWallet article.


January 12, 2023: Carolina was interviewed live by KTVU on Governor Newsom’s proposed budget.


December 22, 2022: Carolina was interviewed by the San Jose Spotlight to talk about all the reasons to shop small this holiday season


December 14, 2022: Carolina was featured on a Spanish-language KRGV segment about the growth of small businesses in 2023.


December 7, 2022: Carolina was quoted in Forbes on a story about how businesses can protect from a recession.


December 7, 2022: Carolina was featured in a Public News Service story on the importance of shopping local this holiday season.


November 15, 2022: Carolina wrote an op-ed for CalMatters on how California’s new law could open the doors of economic success for street vendors.


October 18, 2022: Carolina is featured on The Hack Your Business podcast: Hack My Business: The Key To Finding The Support You Need.


September 30, 2022: Carolina wrote about how the California budget expanded support for the small business sector in Forbes.


September 26, 2022: Carolina joined WITF for Smart Talk for insight on the obstacles women entrepreneurs face and resources for success.


September 23, 2022: Carolina was on KCRA 3 News talking about resources for Latino Entrepreneurs Hispanic Heritage Month.


August 3, 2022: Carolina was featured in an article on Black Enterprise talking about black owned businesses


July 27, 2022: Carolina Martinez was featured in GOBankingRates story talking about why small businesses are important to our economy and communities.


July 27, 2022: Carolina Martinez was featured in Forbes talking about leveraging local nonprofit business assistance providers such as women’s business centers or small business development centers is an affordable way to connect with trusted experts who can provide one-on-one financial coaching, help you tackle financial risk and more.


June 6, 2022: Carolina Martinez was featured in Forbes talking about how we can build a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem that allows women business owners to reach their full potential.


June 3, 2022: Carolina Martinez was featured in the Public News Service talking the new budget deal reached between California state legislators.


May 28, 2022: Carolina Martinez was featured in Authority Magazine talking about the necessary work CAMEO does to ensure all small businesses, including those owned by women and people of color, have the resources and support they need to succeed.


March 14, 2022: Carolina Martinez was featured in Nerdwallet talking about three ways to lessen the impact of inflation on your small business.


March 9, 2022: Carolina Martinez was featured in Candid talking about three ways philanthropies can support CDFIs.


December 6, 2021: Carolina Martinez was featured in The Hill talking about how CDFIs have proven they’re the right tool to help small business, let’s give them what they need to do the job.


December 3, 2021: Carolina Martinez was quoted in an article for the LA Times. “Many small enterprises, still recovering from the pandemic’s financial hit, are counting on the holiday season to make up lost revenue, said Carolina Martinez, chief executive of CAMEO, a business development network. “It’s their moment to really get to some levels where they would feel comfortable continuing their business.”


November 24, 2021: Carolina Martinez was on Univision 34 Los Angeles talking about resources for micro-businesses in California.


November 12, 2021: Carolina Martinez has been all over California’s airwaves talking about the California Rebuilding Fund (KNX – Socal; KFBK – Chico/Stockton)


November 2, 2021: Carolina Martinez was on FOX 40 talking about the importance of the California Rebuilding Fund.


October 27, 2021: CAMEO was quoted in an OFN article on Expanding the Incubator to Support Mission-Driven Lenders Focused on Underserved Entrepreneurs.


October 3, 2021: Carolina Martinez was quoted in a Black Voice News article on programs available to assist small businesses during COVID-19.


September 8, 2021: Carolina Martinez was quoted in an TELEMUNDO 48 article on how California business owners can apply for pandemic grants.


August 19, 2021: Carolina Martinez was quoted in an AP article on how business owners can avoid predatory loans.


August 19, 2021: CalMatters published an article on small business owners’ attitudes toward the California recall election, featuring CAMEO Faces of Entrepreneurship Award winner Andrew McDowell.


July 17, 2021: CAMEO and Carolina Martinez were featured in a Yahoo! Finance story on the possibility of new mask mandates in Los Angeles.


July 14, 2021: Carolina Martinez participated in a Milken Institute discussion on the future of California’s small businesses, which was covered by CalMatters.


June 14, 2021: Carolina Martinez wrote an op-ed for the Sacramento Bee with a plea to include street vendors in the state’s COVID-19 recovery efforts.


May 14, 2021: Carolina Martinez was interviewed by Telemundo Bay Area on the California Relief Grant program.


April 30, 2021: Carolina Martinez wrote a guest post for CalMatters on the continued need for investment in small businesses.


April 28, 2021: Carolina Martinez was interviewed by Telemundo Bay Area on the California Relief Grant program.


December 6, 2019:Entrepreneurship is declining in rural areas,” written by Heidi Pickman for the Santa Cruz Sentinel.


October 10, 2019:Needed: Protecting small businesses from predatory lending,” written by Carolina Martinez for Capitol Weekly.


August 23, 2018:Another Voice: Truth-in-Lending bill would benefit California’s small businesses,” written by Heidi Pickman and Small Business Majority’s Mark Herbert for the Sacramento Business Journal.


February 13, 2017:Investing in women entrepreneurs nets a huge return on investment,” published in The Hill by Claudia Viek and Jane Campbell of WIPP


January 19, 2017:Entrepreneurs thrash out future of flexible work” in the San Francisco Chronicle


January 2017:The Present and Future of On-Demand Work on the Shareable blog.


August 12, 2016: Claudia wrote a popular op-ed in American Banker – How to Tame the Wild West of Marketplace Lending.


May 5, 2016: Claudia wrote in Huffington Post – “Business Ownership Will Close the Wealth Gap


February 8, 2016: Read Claudia’s post Invest in Women Business Ownership for a Robust Economy on the ASBC website or in Huffington Post.


February 2016: CAMEO contributed a piece on the concerns about Merchant Cash Advance’s to the East Bay Express‘ “Good Local Money Guide“. We’re on page 25.


November 9, 2015: CAMEO op-ed in The HillThe small business case to designate California Desert monuments


October 18, 2015: Read CAMEO and Opportunity Fund’s op-ed on SB 197 in the Sacramento Bee


July 13, 2015: Claudia wrote Protecting the Berryessa good for environment and business in The Hill, a widely read DC publication. Thanks to American Sustainability Council for the collaboration.


January 10-15, 2015: Claudia was interviewed this week about the how microlending can help with the income gap by KGO, KPFA – Tune in at 26:19 and the Hal Ginsberg show.


September 23, 2014: Claudia wrote Huffington Post about the gender gap in business ownership.


May 21, 2014: Heid Pickman was quoted as saying “micro is really the foundation of a sustainable local economy” in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.


November 14, 2013: Claudia writes “Instead of Inequality for All, Entrepreneurship for All” in the Huffington Post. If we get to the heart of the problem of inequality… help people create their own businesses and have them close the income inequality gap themselves.


November 6, 2013: Claudia writes about how “Micro-Business Is the Backbone” of the U.S. economy in the Huffington Post. Very small businesses create the jobs. Period. Firms with one to four employees, known as micro-businesses, are stronger than other sized businesses when it comes to job creation.


October 25, 2013: Claudia talks about CAMEO’s efforts to increase self employment and by providing capital, connection and coaching for the micro-business community on Small Business File.


August 29, 2013: The Orange County Register writes about the big business of little loans and features Claudia Viek and Stacey Sanchez, our board president who also runs CDC’s microloan program.


August 29, 2013: The San Jose Mercury News ran Claudia’s op-ed, “Immigration: Reform will mean more entrepreneurs, more jobs”.


August 21, 2013: Bloomberg/Businessweek writes about how ‘Microbusinesses’ Drive Job Creation as in 5.5 million jobs between 2004-2010 (big businesses lost 1.8 million during that time).


August 9, 2013: The San Francisco Chronicle covered the the micro-business infrastructure in San Francisco.


July 29, 2013: The Santa Cruz Sun Sentinel covered the opening of El Pajaro’s Kitchen Incubator and Claudia kicks off the piece with her opinion on a mole’ sauce. Congrats to El Pajaro and ALBA for a fantastic collaboration and job creation engine.


July 23, 2013: Claudia wrote in the California Progress Report about the missed opportunity of the Self-Employment Assistance Program and how we need to help the unemployed start their own business.


July 18, 2013: New Jersey Today printed Claudia’s op-ed re: business technical assistance is the first step in the capital-access process. Also published here and here and here.


July 12, 2013: Small Business File quotes Claudia about our 2013 Congressional briefing in DC and it’s topic –small businesses are the job creators of the future.


July 6, 2013: We sent a Letter to the Editor to The New York Times to respond to “War on the Unemployed,” by Paul Krugman (column, July 1). Our letter was the first of three on the unemployed and makes a nice story when packaged together.


Small Business File quotes Claudia about the importance of business technical assistance. Watch from 3:26 to about 4:25.


Check out the coverage aon the CAMEO-Kiva collaboration:


March 20, 2013: Claudia Viek talks about microloans with the AARP.


February 21, 2013: Heidi Pickman writes about alternatives to business attraction strategies for the American Sustainable Business Council blog.


February 13, 2013: Claudia writes about self-employment as a job creation strategy in The Huffington Post.


November 19, 2012: Steve Strauss talks to Claudia Viek all about micro!.


November 14, 2012: CAMEO op-ed on TheSelfEmployed.com that makes the case for bringing a Self-employment Assistance program to California.


November 7, 2012: Claudia Viek describes entrepreneurial training resources available for veterans on Bank of America’s Small Business blog.


October 26, 2012: Heidi Pickman is quoted about the progress and obstacles women micro-business owners face.


October 11, 2012: Heidi Pickman is quoted about the optimism of small and micro-businesses and the need to seek alternative financing.


August 21, 2012: Claudia Viek is quoted on nerdwallet about how small and micro-businesses are turning to CDFI’s for loans because traditional sources aren’t available.


August 13, 2012: CAMEO and members are featured in a blog post about why the federal government should support micro.


July 18, 2012: Heidi Pickman explains why the demand for microlending is picking up The Sacramento Bee.


May 31, 2012: Claudia Viek explains the increasing trend of self-employment in Information Week.


May 29, 2012: Claudia Viek explains why we should Support Capital, Coaching and Connection to create more small businesses in The Huffington Post.


May 25, 2012: Claudia Viek celebrates National Small Business Week on the California Progress Report blog.


March 29, 2012: Heidi Pickman blogs about how California’s Micro Businesses Are Job Making Machines on the California Economic Summit blog.


March 16, 2012: Claudia Viek explains how to get small businesses ready to borrow in American Banker.


February 3, 2012: Claudia Viek explains how the SBA needs to support micro-businesses because they are the job creators in The Washington Post.


January 2012: Claudia Viek talks about how CDFI’s are filling the role of banks for the under $250,000 loan market in Restaurant Magazine.com.


9/4/2011: Kurt Chilcott (CDC Small Business Finance) writes in The San Diego Union Tribune, “If one out of every three of these businesses hired one employee, our economy would recover. Strengthening very small businesses is key to generating jobs.”


8/9/2011: Carmen Herrera (El Pajaro, CAMEO Board) writes in San Jose Mercury News about the need to integrate support for very small homegrown businesses in the Lt. Governor Newsom’s economic development plan.


7/26/2011: Claudia Viek, CEO, CAMEO writes about creating small businesses is a key job-generating strategy in The Sacramento Bee.


5/2011: Claudia Viek discusses new innovations in microfinance with Gina Harman, CEO of ACCION Network, and Maika Hemphill, North America Portfolio Manager at Kiva International at the San Diego Microfinance Summit.


What do CAMEO, the Brookings Institution, and the Public Policy Institute of California all have in common? Read Claudia Viek’s opinion piece ub The San Francisco Chronicle to find out! A pragmatic solution for Governor Brown to stimulate home grown businesses!


Policy Update::

Our CEO, Claudia Viek, and several Bay Area CAMEO members, recently met with Mark Herbert, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s local policy staff, who asked us to frame our priorities. CAMEO proposed a bold recommendation for $1.25 billion to assist our State’s unemployed to become self employed. A briefing with the Congressional Labor & Education Committee to show how WIA funds could support Self Employment was also proposed.

Read the full letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.


Claudia met with Meg Whitman’s campaign representative on 8/11/2010 and Attorney General Jerry Brown’s campaign representative on 8/18/2010 to discuss their Jobs Platforms and the need to support Micro Business development. The San Francisco Chronicle quoted Claudia and our member Jorge Corralejo in an article detailing these candidates’ positions on job creation, on Sunday, August 8, 2010.


Hot off the Press: Check out this great article in the SF Chronicle that confirms that CAMEO members are indeed stimulating new businesses, creating jobs and moving capital into distressed communities.


CAMEO’S Shufina English in the San Francisco Chronicle!!

Shufina English wrote this opinion piece in Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle. Shufina perfectly captured the rationale for why we need to invest in entrepreneurship during this great recession.


Viewpoint: Put Tarp Money to Work for Small Businesses
American Banker

Friday, October 23, 2009
By Jorge Corralejo and Claudia Viek

Credit to small businesses has been substantially curtailed since 2008, yet these businesses are far more responsible for domestic job creation than the banking industry or corporate America as a whole.

The national unemployment rate is officially 9.8%. But the real unemployment rate, including discouraged and part-time workers who want full-time jobs, is moving closer to 20%, according to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. And for our nation’s 91 million Latinos and African-Americans, the real unemployment rate in some states exceeds 30%. Read the rest of the article.


CAMEO Members and legislative leaders discuss creating more jobs in Rural areas.


The Conversation: Micro business provides one answer to problem of underemployment.
Buzz up! By Claudia Viek.

Published: Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009 – 12:00 am | Page 2E The Sacramento Bee.
Last Modified: Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009 – 8:26 am

Californians are hurting. Lost jobs, lost hours, lost wages and lost investments are stealing away dreams.

But what they are finding out about themselves can change California’s economy.
Read more