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Jenny McNulty, Executive Director
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Jenny oversees all Urban Solutions' programs and initiatives. She joined Urban Solutions in early 2002 to provide loan packaging and technical assistance to small business owners and to work on the creation and implementation of the Six on Sixth economic revitalization program. After serving as a Small Business Development Specialist and then Deputy Director, she moved into the role of Executive Director in 2005.
Jenny has extensive financial experience in both the non-profit and private sectors. She worked for four years in micro-credit programs, including two years in West Africa, where she was part of the management team for a micro-credit program providing credit and health education to 12,000 women. She also spent a year in a nature reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon teaching environmental education and promoting community health initiatives.
Jenny's family has been in San Francisco for five generations. Prior to working at Urban Solutions, Jenny worked as a financial manager at Providian Financial in San Francisco, doing financial planning and profitability analysis. Jenny holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Bristol, with a focus on Finance, and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. She is fluent in French, Spanish and Bambara.
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Helen Branham, Director of Small Business Services
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Helen works with small businesses and entrepreneurs and helps them obtain financing by packaging SBA loans, assisting in developing strong business plans, financial projections and marketing strategies. Helen developed and manages the Urban Solutions Fillmore office and splits her time between the two neighborhoods of SOMA and the Western Addition in the provision of services to small businesses. She helped create and supervises the Buzz on Biz Youth Entrepreneurship Training program currently offered at the organization. She organizes the technical assistance workshops for business owners and is responsible for day-to-day management of the small business services program and staff supervision. She has a background in business development, training, technical assistance and loan packaging. She has worked with micro-enterprise programs in the nonprofit and private sectors, including five years as Project Director at Women's Initiative for Self-Employment, where she worked with over 2,000 women business owners, and four years running her own small business consulting company, The Saba Group, which she still operates part time. Helen completed graduate studies in Business and Industrial Psychology at Tennessee State University and holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from The University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
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Tracy Everwine, Project Director
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Tracy
oversees property improvement projects in the
South of Market Redevelopment Project Area and
leads business attraction efforts. She has been
involved in economic development and urban revitalization
for over ten years. A graduate of the University
of California, Berkeley she began her career in
Philadelphia's historic downtown district marketing
a two-million square foot shopping center for
The Rouse Company. Working with business owners,
community organizations and the City's Redevelopment
Authority she helped strategize projects and programs
to improve the urban landscape around the Center,
it's subterranean level which serves as the City's
public transportation hub; and the waterfront
redevelopment of nearby Penn's Landing. While
in Philadelphia she also worked closely with the
Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors
Bureau to stimulate the City's business and tourist
industries. Subsequently, Tracy settled in San
Francisco and began marketing and leasing retail
space at Hilltop Shopping Center in Richmond.
In addition to working with many first time business
owners at Hilltop, she also aided the Richmond
Chamber of Commerce in their efforts to stimulate
the surrounding local economy. Most recently,
she oversaw the Northern California operations
of Corporate Real Estate Solutions managing commercial
property and capital improvement projects for
clients throughout the Bay Area in banking, retail
and state government. She is a member of SPUR
and CREW San Francisco. Tracy is also very active
in the local art scene and conducts tours to contemporary
arts venues locally and across the nation for
Margy Boyd Art Tours.
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Maureen Futtner, Development and Communications Director
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Maureen
Futtner oversees the communications and fund raising
needs of Urban Solutions. With 15 years experience
in media and non-profits, Maureen has a broad
and eclectic background. In New England, Maureen
was founder and Co-Artistic Director of the professional
ensemble Sleeveless Theatre, sat on panels for
the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and received
National Endowment for the Arts funding to tour
her one-woman play throughout Ireland. Maureen
is no stranger to the San Francisco community
development field, having worked in the Community
Relations department of Providian Financial, and
also having served for three years on the board
of the city's Jon Sims Center for the Arts. Since
completing her Masters degree in Interdisciplinary
Arts at San Francisco State University, Maureen's
work as a documentary filmmaker has been shown
at festivals throughout the country, including
the San Francisco Gay/Lesbian Film Festival. Maureen
is an active member of the San Francisco Bicycle
Coalition, City CarShare, and the Film Arts Foundation.
She is also on the board of the Central Market
Community Benefit District.
| Aaron
Burke, Project Manager
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Aaron
manages property improvement projects and business
attraction efforts associated with the Sixth
Street economic revitalization program. He also
manages the SRO Loan Program and assists business
and property owners to negotiate commercial
leases that benefit the community.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Aaron is a
strong advocate for, and has built his career
serving, small business. He believes that supporting
small business in communities creates measurable
advantages that significantly contribute to
social change. With a degree in Finance and
International Business from Georgetown University,
Aaron has served as a consultant for over ten
years; helping clients to build, buy and finance
small businesses. He is a Certified Business
Opportunity Appraiser and a licensed Broker.
Aaron’s enthusiasm for small business has led
him to owning several small restaurants himself.
He is proud to be a part of Urban Solution’s
team, and happy to have the opportunity to focus
his efforts in the South of Market Redevelopment
Project Area.
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Glenda Gutierrez, Leasing Specialist
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Glenda Gutierrez is a native San Franciscan. She received her BS from the University of California at Berkeley and a Masters in Business Administration from Golden Gate University. Glenda is a licensed broker and has been working in the real estate market for ten years, leasing residential, commercial and mixed use properties in the Bay Area. She has been involved in economic and workforce development projects that have dramatically changed the landscape of the San Francisco youth employment system. Directing the Youth Opportunity Program for four years, she worked to revitalize neglected and abandoned public and private facilities for the purpose of creating havens of opportunities for youth citywide. Glenda comes to Urban Solutions with 12 years of management experience in the real estate and non-profit sectors. Glenda is fluent in Spanish.
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Inemesit Udofia, Small Business Consultant
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Inem comes to Urban Solutions with experience in business operations, real estate, accounting, and computer science. He has been a sole proprietor of his own company, Prime Investments, and worked in Egypt for two years as a business developer for the Prince company. At Prime Investements, Inem was responsible for negotiating commercial and residential leases. Inem has experience analyzing financial statements, assessing risk, and evaluating credit worthiness. Inem received his Bachelor's degree in international business from Alabama A&M University. He also holds a California Real Estate and Real Estate Brokers License.
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John Urquhart, Communications and Technology Coordinator
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John Urquhart facilitates the data management and reporting processes for all programs at Urban Solutions. John also performs research on a range of projects and supports all aspects of the work being done at the organization. Originally from Portland, Oregon, John moved to San Francisco four years ago. John holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Prior to joining Urban Solutions, he worked as a researcher on national political campaigns. His additional work experience includes performing research and patient support services for a healthcare consulting firm, developing advertising campaigns with non-profits and small businesses, and working in a US Senate office.
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Tida Infahsaeng, Project Assistant
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Tida
Infahsaeng serves as the Project Assistant at
Urban Solutions, organizing the office, implementing
the Green Business Initiative and supporting the
staff in various areas. She received her Bachelor
of Arts Degree in Sociology with a minor in Journalism
from Northeastern University in Boston. Tida recently
moved to San Francisco from Connecticut, and has
also lived in Greece and Thailand. Before joining
Urban Solutions, Tida worked as a Women's Studies
Assistant Programs Coordinator and as a Freelance
Editor for a Thai sustainable development foundation.
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Claudia Stillwell, Bookkeeper
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Claudia
handles Urban Solutions' bookkeeping functions.
Ms. Stillwell holds an MBA from Golden Gate University
and has worked in non-profit administration for
over ten years, including as a CFO at the Robert
Moses' Kin Dance Company. She has worked closely
with non-profit boards, grant makers and corporate
partners on program development and evaluation.
Her current projects with nonprofits include advising
on accounting, cash flow management, budgeting
and audit preparation. She has presented workshops
on financial management and project management
for local service organizations.
| Ericka
Green, Program Specialist & Business Instructor
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Program
Specialist Ericka Green grew up in the Western
Addition. She studied at the University of California
at Berkeley and has a teaching certificate from
the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship.
She has worked as a Business Consultant/Instructor
for the Bayview Business Resource Center and as
a Program Coordinator for the Buchanan YMCA Youth
Business Program. Ms. Green has a background in
business development, event planning and marketing.
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Carl
Cheng, Economic Development Intern
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Carl
Cheng, a San Francisco Bay Area native, graduated
from the UC San Diego with a BA in International
Studies: Sociology and secondary studies in Japanese
Studies. Having worked with several non-profit organizations
in the past, he continues his passion at Urban Solutions
by assisting with business attraction efforts throughout
San Francisco for the NMI program, while also providing
organizational support for SOMBA. Carl also has
a background in graphic design and is fluent in
Cantonese, Japanese and Spanish.
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Owen
Lawrence, Green Business Intern
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Owen
works on Urban Solutions’ Green Business Initiative,
which helps local businesses identify cost-effective
ways to become more environmentally sustainable.
Owen is currently working towards his MBA in Sustainable
Enterprise at Dominican University. Owen received
his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University
in Environmental Science and worked as an environmental
consultant before coming to the Bay Area in pursuit
of his graduate degree.
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