Start Small Think Big is here to advance equity and inclusion in entrepreneurship by connecting small businesses with the resources and community they need to thrive.
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Start Small
Start Small Think Big was conceived like so many small businesses—on a "what if" premise. Our founder, Jenny DaSilva, resonated with how challenging entrepreneurship could be for those who want to forge their own path. She explored how she could most effectively use her legal training to provide other innovators and risk-takers in her community with the resources and support they needed to create sustainable businesses.
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Our Story
In 2010, that "what if" idea became a reality. Start Small Think Big began to serve the Bronx, New York community. A network of legal experts started providing legal assistance to entrepreneurs and enabled small businesses to thrive.
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2010
THE LEGAL PROGRAM
Law firms began providing small businesses in the Bronx with free legal services.
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2012-2014
GROWTH SPURTS
At the time, Start Small Think Big was exclusively serving Bronx-based businesses. However, applications for support started to come in from all across New York City. We hired our first full-time staff person, opened our doors to businesses in all five boroughs, and started to refine our model for scalable growth.
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2015
THE FINANCE PROGRAM
Recognizing that law cannot be practiced in a vacuum and that for lawyers to truly add value, they must understand the "big picture," next we started to build out a finance program. We hired additional staff and began to define exactly what financial services we needed to offer to help entrepreneurs grow more sustainably.
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2016
THE MARKETING & SALES PROGRAM
By this time, we had been working with several thousand small businesses. While we helped these businesses build a strong legal and financial infrastructure, their revenue wasn't increasing as quickly as we knew it could. It became clear that many of the entrepreneurs we assisted needed marketing support to establish a strong brand and promote their products or services. We introduced the Marketing & Sales Program to help entrepreneurs attract more customers and increase their revenues.
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2017-2020
CROSS COUNTRY EXPANSION
By 2017, we were seeing an ever-increasing demand for our services from entrepreneurs, community and corporate partners, and volunteers. In response, we opened a second office in Oakland, California, and a third office in San Jose, California three years later.
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2020
COVID-19 IMPACT
COVID exacerbated many structural inequities in the United States and permanently shifted the small business landscape. It required us to respond urgently and decisively to the immediate and pressing challenges that this crisis has created for small businesses across the country. We immediately transitioned all programming online. This change enabled entrepreneurs to access our services online and by phone much more quickly and enabled us to expand nationally. We also created an Emergency Relief Fund program, which provided cash relief to entrepreneurs in our community, enabling them to cover expenses and keep their businesses open.
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THINK BIG
Entrepreneurs are visionaries. And Start Small Think Big will continue to get behind those visions by creating more access to expert resources that expand the horizon of opportunities for small business entrepreneurs— because growth is good for everyone.
We see growth as something entrepreneurs can define for themselves based on their goals and dreams. Maybe this means opening a new brick-and-mortar location or an eCommerce site. For some, growth might mean having more time to care for themselves and nurture their relationships. We’re curious, what does growth look like to you?
#allforsmall
Our Commitment to Equity and Learning
Start Small Think Big is deeply committed to building an inclusive and anti-racist organization where clients, staff, and volunteers of all identities feel seen, heard, and valued.
We recognize the long history of exclusionary practices that have intentionally kept many marginalized communities out of the business sector, especially communities of color. We have a responsibility to play an active role in fighting systems of oppression and advancing equity in small business ownership.
We take an intentional approach to centering the needs and experiences of the most impacted communities to shape our strategic priorities across all areas of our work. We are committed to an active learning process to continually transform our policies, structures, and organizational culture to better support small business owners who face unique challenges stemming from structural racism that limit the growth and sustainability of their businesses.
By centering those at the margins, we aim to create the conditions for all groups to succeed.
*Start Small Think Big, Inc. is dedicated to partnering with individuals who share our values of diversity, equity, integrity, acceptance, and inclusion. We welcome business owners who, like us, accept customers, clients, and employees of all identities. These values support our vision of entrepreneurship and guide the way we work. For more information, see our values.
Our Values
Accessibility
We meet our community and staff where they are and aim to break down barriers to access and accommodate people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Conscious Curiosity
We remain open to learning and unlearning as language and the social and economic justice frameworks we are connected to are ever-evolving spaces.
Empathy
We communicate with our community and each other with respect, compassion, and acceptance.
Cultural Humility
We are committed to examining our own biases, prejudices, and viewpoints and strengthening our abilities to understand and connect with diverse populations and cultures.
Inclusivity
We have a responsibility to play an active role in fighting systems of oppression and advancing equity in small business ownership.
People-First
We put people first. People are at the core of our organization — above all, it is people who fuel our work — small business owners, staff, volunteers, and partners alike.
Our Staff
We are a diverse group of nonprofit and industry professionals passionate about entrepreneurship, small business, and community building. Our mission resonates deeply with people of all backgrounds and draws a team of dedicated, innovative, and kind people.
Josephine Panzera
Executive Director
Josephine Panzera
Executive Director
she/her/hers
"#AllforSmall is incredibly important to me. Having been a small business entrepreneur I have a deep appreciation for the work done by an organization like Start Small Think Big to support and advocate for small businesses across the USA."
Aan Chaudhry
Staff Attorney
Aan Chaudhry
Staff Attorney
She/Her/Hers
I'm #AllForSmall because supporting small businesses isn't just an economic high-five; it's a commitment to infuse our neighborhoods with heart, strength, and diversity.
Alvaro Aragon
Legal Program Coordinator
Alvaro Aragon
Legal Program Coordinator
he/him/his
"#AllforSmall means showing support for small businesses. It best simplifies Start Small Think Big's mission to provide legal, financial and marketing resources to small businesses that will benefit them in their path toward success."
Angela Galdamez
Staff Attorney
Angela Galdamez
Staff Attorney
she/her/hers
"I am #AllforSmall because small businesses play such an important role in fostering community and a sense of belonging. As a consumer, I support small businesses as a means to invest locally, meet neighbors, and reduce my carbon footprint."
Anjadai Seals
Technology Coordinator
Anjadai Seals
Technology Coordinator
she/her/hers
"#AllforSmall means leveling the playing field and allowing small business owners to step into the light and shine. Small businesses impact our community significantly, and representation from each and every color is what #AllforSmall is all about."
Arli Cornejal
Finance Program Coordinator
Arli Cornejal
Finance Program Coordinator
she/they
"#AllforSmall means uplifting, celebrating, and empowering Black and Brown small business owners. I am so thankful to the small business owners in my community who have made our neighborhoods richer and more diverse."
Cristal Jones
West Coast Community Engagement Manager
Cristal Jones
West Coast Community Engagement Manager
she/her/ella
"#AllforSmall means dismantling systematic challenges by creating opportunities of economic independence for communities of color."
Ellie Stephens
Senior Director, Client Relationship Management
Ellie Stephens
Senior Director, Client Relationship Management
she/her/hers
"Small business owners play such an important role in our local communities, and without them, our neighborhoods would not be the same. To support them is to support a dream or a passion, and I feel privileged to be able to do so."
Gabriella Mireles-Hinds
Legal Program Coordinator
Gabriella Mireles-Hinds
Legal Program Coordinator
she/her/hers
"I am #Allforsmall because I truly believe that small business owners help create a
strong and ever-evolving foundation within their communities through the amazing
services they provide. From my time here at Start Small Think Big I have come to
understand that at the heart of many small business owners is the motivational goal of
spreading communal wealth and entrepreneurial knowledge. And to know that I can be
even a minute part of that amazing goal is why I am proud to be working towards Start
Small’s mission and to be #allforsmall"
Ian Brown
Senior Director, Technology
Ian Brown
Senior Director, Technology
he/him/his
"Small businesses and entrepreneurship are the lifeblood of any thriving community. When we come together to support those businesses, we allow the creativity and diversity of our communities to flourish, which makes life richer for us all!"
Jacques Brunvil
East Coast Community Engagement Manager
Jacques Brunvil
East Coast Community Engagement Manager
he/him/his
"#AllforSmall means working with community partners to bridge the gap in connecting individuals to the resources and services they need."
José Garcia
Client Relationship Manager
José Garcia
Client Relationship Manager
he/they
"We are experiencing one of the toughest times for local businesses and entrepreneurs. Being #AllforSmall means giving back time and energy to those who are often overlooked, in hopes of lightening their load."
Katie Paolillo
Senior Client Relationship Manager
Katie Paolillo
Senior Client Relationship Manager
she/her/ella
"#AllforSmall is the acknowledgment that small businesses are the heart and soul of communities across the country. When I think of the places I love, I think of the local restaurants, shops, services that make those communities unique. When small businesses are thriving, communities are thriving."
Lauren Nogay
Senior Manager, Information Systems
Lauren Nogay
Senior Manager, Information Systems
she/her/hers
"To me, being #AllforSmall means supporting talented people with the bravery to pursue what is meaningful to them."
Maneesha Bhugwansing
Impact Assessment Senior Program Manager
Maneesha Bhugwansing
Impact Assessment Senior Program Manager
she/her/hers
"Supporting the people and businesses that make our communities unique."
Marley Warren
Senior Director, Marketing
Marley Warren
Senior Director, Marketing
she/her/hers
"#AllforSmall provides the needed support to communities to close the opportunity gap created by systems of oppression in this country."
Melina Dominguez
Development Manager
Melina Dominguez
Development Manager
"I'm #AllForStartSmall because every entrepreneur, no matter their background, deserves equitable access to the resources and support they need to succeed."
Mirielle Wright
Client Relationship Manager
Mirielle Wright
Client Relationship Manager
she/her/hers
"To me, #AllforSmall means creating new avenues of support and opportunity, chipping away at existing structures of inequality. It means empowering both small businesses and the communities they serve. "
Niya Branham
Director of Impact & Strategy
Niya Branham
Director of Impact & Strategy
She/Her
#AllforSmall means being a support for small businesses so that they can continue to be the heart and soul of their communities.
Robyn Frank
Legal Program Director
Robyn Frank
Legal Program Director
“I love #AllforSmall because it allows me to combine my passion for promoting DEI and my legal background to level the playing field and help small businesses to flourish. "
Shiri Wolf
Vice President of Programs
Shiri Wolf
Vice President of Programs
she/her/hers
"As a New Yorker, I am #AllforSmall because small businesses help build safe and thriving communities and neighborhoods. As the wife and daughter of small business owners, I am #AllforSmall because I believe the passions and dedication required to run your own business can transform lives"
Shrima W. Singh
Director, Community Engagement
Shrima W. Singh
Director, Community Engagement
she/her/hers
"#AllforSmall means investing in the immigrant-owned businesses that are the backbone to the vibrant neighborhoods that raised me."
Victoria Shadle Williams
Director, Development
Victoria Shadle Williams
Director, Development
She/Her/Hers
To me, #AllforSmall means coming together to create more vibrant and equitable communities. It means closing the opportunity gap so that small businesses owners don't just survive, but thrive.
Our Board
Leaders in finance, notable venture capitalists, philanthropists, and business professionals serve our board. We rely on their valued experiences and expertise to steer us in the best direction for success.