Inland Empire Community Newspapers • August 16, 2012 • Page A5

Center provides first steps to business success

By Naima Ford

Twenty-one women com-pleted the Citibank “It’sYour Time Program” and

are ready to start their own busi-nesses. The program was started by theInland Empire Women's BusinessCenter at Cal State San Bernardinowhich holds training and work-shops year-round to help womenbusiness owners start and maintaintheir own businesses. In this economy having your ownbusiness can be even harder thannormal but for some who have lost

their jobs or cannot find one, start-ing your own business is the bestoption. The It’s Your Time Program issponsored by Citibank and isgeared toward women who havenot yet opened their business orhave been in business for one ortwo years. The program includestraining workshops on everythingfrom applying for loans, budgetingand marketing. The goal is to showthem the steps necessary to build asuccessful business. “We help them unfold theprocess,” said Nicole Kinney, di-rector of the Inland Empire

Women's Business Center(IEWBC). She says many of the womenthey see come in with a great ideabut do not know how to run a busi-ness. Especially after they start thebusiness they learn that a greatidea is only half the battle. This is when a program like It’sYour Time is helpful.When the program began it washeld only once a year. Now it isheld twice a year with approxi-mately 60 women participatingeach year. One of those women wasNatasha Rumsey. In 2009 her re-

IECN PHOTO COURTESY IEWBCThe Inland Empire Women’s Business Center awarded top participants of the It’s Your Time programon July 28 at th California Theater. Pictured from left are Victor Ramirez, CitiBank, Theon McCollom,IEWBC, Sally Fam, first place, Linda Pobuda, second place, and Karyn Chapman, third place.

IECN PHOTO COURTESY IEWBCThe program teaches aspiring entrepreneurs how to start and main-tain their own business. Pictured from left are Mary Armstrong,Representative from Senator Gloria Negrete-McLeod’s office; pro-gram graduate Sandra Maiden; Michelle Skiljan, IEWBC Execu-tive Director; Victor Ramirez, CitiBank; and Nicole Kinney,IEWBC Director.ceived her degree and teachingcredential and began working as ateacher. After a year she was laidoff and unsure of what to do. Herpassion was to teach children withdisabilities and she always had thedesire to start her own business. “Instead of letting [the schooldistrict] dictate my life’s destiny Itook control,” said Rumsey “I de-cided to use my gifts, training andexpertise, and contacted IEWBC.”She participated in the It’s YourTime program and was able tostart Education 1st, an afterschoolprogram, that provides tutoringand homework support for chil-dren struggling in school.“I was able to glean so muchvaluable information to launch mybusiness and write my muchneeded business plan,” said Rum-sey.The ultimate goal of the programis to help the participants create astrong business plan. The planhelps them get the bank loans they

need and guide them through theirstartup. At the end of the program partic-ipants submit their business plansinto a competition. An unbiasedpanel of three judges choose thetop three strongest plans. The win-ners were announced at an awardsceremony on July 28. This year thewinners received $17,000 worth ofdonated prizes to help their busi-ness such as business cards, socialmedia consultations and more. This year the winner was SallyFam for her company AID Inno-vate. Second place was Linda Po-dura and third place was KarynChapman.The Inland Empire Women’sBusiness Center is located at theIECE Business Resource Center,202 E. Airport Drive, Suite 100 inSan Bernardino. For more infor-mation, visit the center’s websiteat iewbc.org or contact NicoleKinney at (909) 890-1242.

San Bernardino resident celebrates 100th birthday

By Cynthia Mendoza

To live up to 100 years ofage is noteworthy, and todo so with quality of life

and lots of love is a great blessingand Emma Shaw of SanBernardino is one of those people.

She celebrated her centennialbirthday on Saturday, August 11 atthe Inghram Community Centersurrounded by friends and family,and what a family it is.Shaw is the mother of 13 chil-dren, nine of whom are still living,156 grandchildren, 85 great-grand-

children and 12 great-great-grand-children. Born in Louisiana, Shaw hasbeen in San Bernardino since the1940s. “It was really nice,” Shaw said ofher birthday celebration. “All thekids were there.” The event drew about 200 peoplewho came in from Las Vegas,Chicago, Mississippi and Arizona. A few fun facts about EmmaShaw’s family. Her oldest grand-child is none other than SanBernardino City CouncilmanRikke Van Johnson, who is 57.Her youngest great-great-grand-child is about three weeks old andthere are four “on the way”, twogreat-grandchildren and two moregreat-great-grandchildren. Shaw’s own mother passed awayat the age of 104 in 1988 and thereare four preachers in the family. One of her favorite activities usedto be family barbecues when herhusband was alive. He cooked thefood and she made all kinds ofdesserts like cakes and bananapudding. “We’d have a good time,” shesaid. “He loved his kids. I misshim.”Her own family feels veryblessed to have her. Johnson lost his mother at the ageof 6 and his Shaw grandparentshelped raise him like their own. “She has a way of making us allfeel like we’re her favorite,” John-son said of his grandmother. “Shehas that gift.” Her daughter Barbara says shefeels blessed to still have hermother. “So many of my friends have losttheir parents,” she said. “She lovesall her grandkids.”

Her secret to a long and happylife?“Church,” she said without hesi-tation. “I just love it. When thechurch goes somewhere, I go too.”Shaw loves to sing and two of herfavorite songs include “He’s OnHis Way Back” and “Jesus LovesMe.” “I had so many favorite songs,”she said. “I sang out of the blue.”Shaw also shared a recent expe-rience in regards to her faith. A few months ago she was in herrestroom and she said she heard aloud voice say, “I’m coming backsoon. Be ready!”“He told me to tell the goodnews,” she said. “The Holy Spirit

got me that morning.”She asked her family if they hadheard that voice. They said, “nobut we heard you, grandma!” “I told my kids to get themselvestogether and be ready,” she saidwith conviction. “He’s comingback.”Good health habits are probablyanother big factor in such a longlife; Shaw doesn’t drink or smoke. And of course, the love of herfamily keeps her going strong. “I love spending time with my

family,” she concluded. “I justlove them. I got some new onescoming on. I really don’t knowwhat to do with them all. I don’thave a place to hold them all.”

IECN PHOTO COURTESY RIKKE VAN JOHNSONEmma Shaw, lifting hands, had a great time at her 100th birthdaycelebration on Saturday, August 11 at the Inghram CommunityCenter in San Bernardino. She has plenty to celebrate; nine livingkids, 156 grandchildren, 85 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren; she has two more great-grandchildren andtwo great-great-grandchildren on the way.

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