Contact Us
500 W. Bonita Ave, Suite 1
San Dimas, CA 91773
- Phone: 909.315.3339
- Fax: 951.344.8327
- Mail: info@sccgp.org
About Us
Who We Are
SCCGP’s executive management team consists of individuals with diverse professional backgrounds and are leaders who understand the business community’s ever-changing dynamics. SCCGP seeks to actively support and strengthen enterprises and their communities and to be a champion of hope and empowerment for businesses in Southern California and beyond.
Mission
Our mission is to actively support and strengthen businesses and their communities. We serve as an established and trusted conduit to educational, civic, business, financial and global partners.
Board of Directors
David Honda
Chairman of the board
Chairman of the board
Karla Gonzalez
Vice Chair
Vice Chair
Sim Tang-Paradis
Secretary
Secretary
Alan Darby
Treasurer
Treasurer
John Gutierrez
Executive Director
Executive Director
David Honda
Chairman of the board
Chairman of the board
President, DS Honda Construction and DH Partners; Governor Appointee of 51st District Agricultural Association. He has been volunteering in the community for 40 years. David Honda has been acknowledged by numerous organizations for his work in business and volunteering, including the Small Businessperson of the Year Award, presented by California Assemblyman Richard Katz, the Mendenhall Memorial Leadership Award by the Van Nuys Chamber, 2008 CK Tseng Leadership Award presented by the Northridge Chamber and the 2009 Fernando Awards well as a multitude of other awards.
Karla Gonzalez
Vice Chair
Vice Chair
Karla Gonzalez is a Business Consultant for the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (IESBDC). She provides counseling and training services to businesses throughout the Inland Empire. Karla worked for more than five years with the Inland Empire Minority Business Enterprise, a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce where she counseled business owners on the managerial and technical aspects of expanding their businesses, as well as the importance of sound financial management. She has a successful track record in government procurement and job creation.
Sim Tang-Paradis
Secretary
Secretary
Sim Tang-Paradis is vice president and branch manager of Westlake Village Office of City National Bank. She volunteers her time with several non-profit and community organizations. She has been acknowledged by numerous organizations for her work in business and volunteering, and won awards including the Small Businessperson of the Year Award.
Alan Darby
Treasurer
Treasurer
Alan Darby is a successful executive with almost 20 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, private investment groups, and numerous non-profit organizations. He currently serves as a Chief Business Officer at El Camino Charter High School (ECR). Alan is a former Federal District Court Law Clerk Federal Law Clerk for the Honorable Cormac J. Carney, assigned to SEC calendar and other complex corporate litigation disputes.Throughout his career, Alan has learned from the ground up the importance of collaboration and the power of community support.
John Gutierrez
Executive Director
Executive Director
John Gutierrez provides one-on-one specific and technical assistance to potential clients in the areas of building capacity to small minority owned businesses to enhance their technical and management skills to effectively compete for procurement and export opportunities. Local, State, GSA, Federal (8A) Certification, loan packaging and financial management. Prior to joining MBDA Business Center Pasadena, U.S. Department of Commerce, he was a business consultant for MBDA Business Center in Los Angeles operated by the University of Southern California for over 9 years. Prior to joining MBDA Business Center in Los Angeles, Mr. Gutierrez has over 25 years of experience with various roles in management with national residential/commercial leading companies and international real estate development.
Mr. Gutierrez has been a consultant to small business owners and empowers them through education, technical and implementation techniques. He is driven by passion and a sincere desire to provide measurable economic impact to the small business communities.
Ming Yang Yeh
Board Member
Board Member
Ruben Guerra
Board Member
Board Member
Rev. Frank Jackson, Jr.
Board Member
Board Member
R. Nicolas Brown
Board Member
Board Member
Ming Yang Yeh
Board Member
Board Member
Ming Yang Yeh, founder of Ming Yang Yeh and Associates, Inc., has been involved in the fields of civil and structural engineering for more than thirty years in Southern California. He has participated actively in the structural design of commercial, municipal, residential and industrial projects of different types, and has directed the firm’s work for over a thousand projects.
Ruben Guerra
Board Member
Board Member
From humble origins as a son of Mexican immigrants, Ruben Guerra Ph.D. received his Ph.D. Honorary Doctorate from Charisma University. He has risen through the ranks to become one of the most active and leading advocates for Latino entrepreneurs on the national platform. Dr. Guerra is well-known in the California and national political scene, advocating with legislators for increased access to business opportunities for all Latino entrepreneurs. Dr. Guerra travels throughout the United States and internationally coordinating trade packs, such as the historic agreement with the City of Suzhou, China, and those with numerous cities and states in Mexico and Honduras.
Rev. Frank Jackson, Jr.
Board Member
Board Member
Rev. Jackson Jr. serves as the Community Initiatives Fellow at the University of Southern California, Center for Religion and Civic Culture/Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement. He is also the Chairman and CEO of Village Solutions Foundation in Irvine, CA. He is an ordained minister and in May of 2010 completed a fellowship assignment as ministry director at COR North on the California State University Fullerton campus, a ministry of Christ Our Redeemer AME Church of Irvine.He serves on the ministerial staff, and as community initiatives advisor to the Council of Presidents at New Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church of Inglewood, California, where he has served for 25 years.
R. Nicolas Brown
Board Member
Board Member
R. Nicolas Brown worked for 29 years at the Los Angeles Department City of Planning, 16 years of which was spent as a zoning administrator. As such, he conducted public hearings and handled the process for the conditional use permits, zoning variances, and other land-use applications from builders and those wanting to improve their land. In 2017, he started Seat at the Table to assist developers in obtaining land use entitlements and building permits from the city. His education (i.e., undergraduate degree in Urban Economics, year of law school at U.C. Davis, and Master’s in Architecture and Urban Planning) provides strong analytical knowledge. Thirty-three years as a land use planner in the public sector and four years in the private sector provides practical experience building on his educational foundation.
Vision
Our vision is to be a champion of hope and empowerment for small businesses. We start by assessing past benchmarks for restrictions, failures, and successes. We then assist in making necessary changes for future prosperity and sustainability.
Our Experience
In 2011, SCCGP received federal funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Development Agency (MBDA) to operate the Riverside Business Center. The organization was the operator of the Riverside MBDA Business Center from 2011 to 2016.
In 2016, Pasadena MBDA Business Center/SCCGP received federal funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Development Agency (MBDA) to operate the Pasadena Business Center. The organization was the operator of the Pasadena MBDA Business Center from 2016 to 2021.
In 2018, SCCGP received California State funding from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development Small Business (Go-Biz) providing consulting services to small businesses.
In 2018, SCCGP received California State funding from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development Small Business (Go-Biz). The program was to expand the capacity of federal small business technical assistance programs in California.
In 2020, SCCGP received a second round California State funding from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development Small Business (Go-Biz). The program was to expand the capacity of federal small business technical assistance programs in California.
In 2020, SCCGP was funded by U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), to operate the MBDA Business Center CARES Act Program.
Team
John Gutierrez
Executive Director
john@sccgp.org
Executive Director
john@sccgp.org
Paul Amaya, Ph.D.
Senior Business Consultant
paul@sccgp.org
Senior Business Consultant
paul@sccgp.org
Tana Thammagno
Administrator
tana@sccgp.org
Administrator
tana@sccgp.org
John Gutierrez
Executive Director
john@sccgp.org
Executive Director
john@sccgp.org
John Gutierrez provides one-on-one specific and technical assistance to potential clients in the areas of building capacity to small minority owned businesses to enhance their technical and management skills to effectively compete for procurement and export opportunities. Local, State, GSA, Federal (8A) Certification, loan packaging and financial management. Prior to joining MBDA Business Center Pasadena, U.S. Department of Commerce, he was a business consultant for MBDA Business Center in Los Angeles operated by the University of Southern California for over 9 years. Prior to joining MBDA Business Center in Los Angeles, Mr. Gutierrez has over 25 years of experience with various roles in management with national residential/commercial leading companies and international real estate development.
Mr. Gutierrez has been a consultant to small business owners and empowers them through education, technical and implementation techniques. He is driven by passion and a sincere desire to provide measurable economic impact to the small business communities.
Paul Amaya, Ph.D.
Senior Business Consultant
paul@sccgp.org
Senior Business Consultant
paul@sccgp.org
With over 20 years of experience in higher education administration, international marketing, and business consulting in a broad range of fields including technology, biotechnology, K-12/higher education, and the non-profit sector. Dr. Amaya has extensive knowledge developing and implementing projects and monitoring performance. With expertise in traditional and digital media/advertising, qualitative and quantitative analysis, design and execution of marketing plans, and in the development of primary and secondary market research studies in support of strategic planning and specific marketing initiatives.
Dr. Amaya’s has a Ph.D. in Education/Higher Education Administration and Policy from the University of California, Riverside, and is a lecturer in the Masters in Educational Administration program at California State University, San Bernardino.
Tana Thammagno
Administrator
tana@sccgp.org
Administrator
tana@sccgp.org
Tana Thammagno has over fifteen years of experience in performing administrative duties. She has coordinated with various management teams and staff for operational support activities and has served as a liaison between management team and non-profit board members in the resolution of day-to-day administrative and operational issues. She has a history of providing effective and efficient administrative and secretarial support for various team members, and resolving a range of administrative issues and inquiries. She is efficient in managing daily operations of the organization and its programs with vast policy and administrative knowledge.
Strategic Partners
The executive management team of SoCal Corporate Growth Partners and its board of directors understand and recognize that every segment of the community has a role to play and assets to contribute; they all share risk, resources, rewards, vision and value.
Effective alliances and partnerships are a powerful means of enriching the solutions and value we provide our clients. We have increased our knowledge, capabilities and our organization as a result of key relationships. Accordingly, we have extensive experience working with financial institutions, domestic and foreign leaders/governments, educational institutions, civic organizations, trade associations, businesses, and individuals.
