Introducing Lidia Yen: Community Navigator for SBDC
Lidia Yen Connects Immigrant and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Business Owners To NH Entrepreneurs
The new Community Navigators Program will reduce barriers that underrepresented and underserved entrepreneurs often face in accessing the programs they need to start their own businesses, expand, or recover.
Lidia Yen is a busy woman. She helps new American children succeed and advance their education through her work at the Southern New Hampshire University Center for New Americans, is a member of the support committee for the American Friends Service Committee, and recently started her own business. When Yen was approached by NH Small Business Development Center (NH SBDC) to participate in the Community Development Finance Authority’s (CDFA) NH Community Navigator Pilot Program, she was intrigued. Despite all she has going on, Yen wanted to know more.
“I signed on to be a Community Navigator liaison because I like helping people in the community,” said Yen. “Whenever there’s an opportunity extended to me, I usually evaluate it and see if it aligns with my values. This was one of them, and as a new entrepreneur, I was excited to work more closely with NH SBDC to help them expand their outreach efforts through the Navigator Program. My work is helping NH SBDC reach more BIPOC business owners than ever before.”
Community Navigator Program Helps Builds Community Through Business
The Community Navigator Pilot Program is an American Rescue Plan initiative designed to reduce barriers that underrepresented and underserved entrepreneurs often face in accessing the programs they need to recover, grow, or start their businesses. This includes small businesses that are owned or being started by historically vulnerable community members, specifically Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC); immigrants and refugees; veterans; women; disabled, formerly incarcerated; and LGBTQ and gender non-conforming people.
By working with community-based partner organizations, such as the NH Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and regional development corporations, CDFA can more directly reach the communities it is trying to serve.
Yen is one of two Community Navigators working with NH SBDC today to reach business owners of color in the Southern New Hampshire region. This might include a consultation about the services available to business owners, visits to local businesses, or attending festivals and cultural events to network with business owners in the community.
The goal of the program, which aligns with NH SBDC’s Inclusivity Commitment, is not simply to inform business owners of color about services and programs available to them, but to create authentic partnerships that enhance communication with New American and BIPOC community leaders.
Community Navigators Are A Guide Along the Business Journey
As a Community Navigator, Yen has been focusing on outreach to the BIPOC community, including people she knows in her own community, to increase awareness of SBDC’s one-on-one confidential business advising and education offerings such as eCourses and webinar series, which are offered to businesses for free. So far, the news has been spreading.
When she connects with a small business owner, Yen asks about their goals, what they need help with, and has them fill out an interest form to get them prepared for the next step, meeting with SBDC business advisor Andrea O’Brien. If English is not their first language, Yen can arrange an interpreter for their meetings with SBDC.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people who have ideas or already own their own business or have registered a business but haven't done anything,” said Yen.
Small businesses are all at different stages in their journey, and SBDC can meet them where they are and help them achieve their goals. SBDC has always been proud to support entrepreneurs from every walk of life, but like many organizations, it knows it can do more to have its services be welcoming and inclusive to all.
Liz Gray, SBDC state director, noted, “SBDC is fortunate to have received funding from the NH Community Navigator program. This program is helping us be even more successful in reaching entrepreneurs of color through our Inclusivity Commitment.”
“Some clients have asked me to go to a meeting with them because they feel more comfortable having another person in the room who looks like them,” said Yen. Knowing there is a trusted person on their side can help business owners feel more at ease, she said, and help keep them on the path toward building their business.
“Usually, after reaching out to people I know, they reach out to others to recommend the program,” said Yen.
For information on SBDC programs and to contact a Community Navigator, visit SBDC’s Inclusivity Commitment page. Contact us if you want to know more about CDFA’s Community Navigator Program, get involved, or request support for your business.