SBCC has received a $7,500 grant to support South Coast Bizconnect, an online business accelerator developed and operated by SBCC’s Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

SBCC was one of 10 community colleges from across the country awarded a total of $70,000 in the Elevator Grant competition funded by the Coleman Foundation at the seventh annual National Association for Community Colleges Entrepreneurship Conference held recently in Chicago.

Melissa Crawford, director for the Scheinfeld Center, said the Coleman funds will be used to create online social media marketing workshops and tutorials for South Coast Bizconnect. The online business accelerator will provide networking opportunities between students and small business and business to business, give small businesses and entrepreneurs social marketing tools and encourage video profiling. Members also will have access to tutorials and informational support from regional industry experts.

“Our Scheinfeld Center continues to be a leader in developing new and innovative tools for business people,” SBCC Superintendent/President Dr. Andreea Serban said. “This grant from the Coleman Foundation will help SBCC continue to expand our offerings in this important and growing field.”

— Joan Galvan is a public information officer for SBCC.