Consultants - Florida SBDC.

Robert Pierce III

Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County
Specialties: Startup, Financial Analysis, Commercial Lending

Robert Pierce is a thought leader that is known as a strategic thinker, a solid decision-maker, and a visionary with mature business judgment. Pierce gained these business attributes during his 20+ years in the financial services industry serving various communities in two states. His experience in retail banking, small business/commercial lending and insurance provided opportunities for him to learn and to share with others his knowledge. Pierce’s business development experiences across the United States and Canada have afforded him a diverse perspective on various business industries, profitability strategies, client service and leadership effectiveness. In his current role he serves the startup and existing business communities as he provides a variety of consulting services that cater to their specific needs. He also provides strategic and technical assistance to these business in the form of one-on-one confidential consulting and group training classes. Pierce has a bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University and an Executive MBA from Walden University. He also holds a Florida Property and Casualty insurance license and has completed the White and Yellow Belt certifications as he pursues his Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

December 3, 2021/by admin

Joey Young

Consultants, Tampa, Young

Florida SBDC at USF, Tampa
Specialty: Accounting, Cash Flow Management, Taxes, Startup

Joey Young has 22 years of experience in start-up and business development as an owner and business consultant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Auburn University, a master’s degree in entrepreneurship from Oklahoma State University, and a master’s degree in music business from the Berklee College of Music. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Young was involved in the start-up, expansion, and sale of five of his own businesses that range from health clubs and construction companies, to live music event planning. Through those endeavors, he maintained professional relationships with large corporations such as IKEA, World Gym International, and FabLocal. He has experience in accounting, finance, business valuation, tax implications, cash flow management, strategic planning for growth, and e-commerce. Young is a certified Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP).

January 15, 2021/by admin

Greg Manning

Consultants, Manning, Polk County

Florida SBDC at USF, Polk County
Specialty: Cash Flow Management, Strategic Planning, Startup

Greg Manning opened his first retail location in Lakeland, Fla., more than 30 years ago. While cash flow planning and analysis, and inventory productivity were constants in his businesses, he experienced virtually all aspects of starting, growing, and closing a small business over the course of 30 years. He negotiated dozens of leases and designed and implemented various marketing plans. With more than 250 employees, Manning dealt with various human resources issues. In addition to his operating career, Manning was also involved in the financing side of business as the president of the board of directors at Crown Managers Acceptance Corporation. The company had a facility of $150 million dollars to lend via term loans and working capital loans, providing a lifeline of funding to a multitude of retail customers. Manning earned a bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from the University of Florida. He is also a certified Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP).

January 15, 2021/by admin

Yanina Rosario

Certification Consultants, Consultants, Rosario, Tampa

Associate Director, NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP), Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP), Florida SBDC at USF, Tampa
Specialty: Women/Minority/Veteran Certification

Yanina Rosario, Florida SBDC at USF associate director and certified business consultant, specializes in business certifications, business planning, and marketing. She oversees operations in Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties. Rosario’s expertise comes from years of guiding pre-venture and well-established business owners through procurement, licensing, planning, marketing and financing, helping clients secure more than $5.2 million in small business loans. Rosario serves on the board of directors for the CareerSource Tampa Bay, is a member of the City of Tampa Equal Business Opportunity Advisory Committee, and the Minority Enterprise Development Week (MED Week) planning committee. She manages the Florida SBDC at USF’s Emergency Bridge Loan Committee. Rosario obtained a bachelor degree in marketing from the University of Central Florida and a masters in management from the Florida Institute of Technology. She also is a NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) and a certified Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP).

November 28, 2020/by admin

Christine Jaros

Consultants, Jaros, Tampa

Florida SBDC at USF, Tampa
Specialties: E-commerce, Marketing & Sales, Startup Assistance, Organizational Development

Christine Jaros provides business consulting in the areas of startup, business plan development, marketing and sales, e-commerce, finance, wholesaling and retailing, and business management. Before joining the Florida SBDC at USF, Jaros owned her own apparel wholesale sales and consulting business in New York City for 14 years. She has more than 35 years of experience as a professional businesswoman. Jaros built a global-focused career specializing in manufacturing, marketing and sales with organizations including Bidermann Industries, Liz Claiborne Inc, and Hartmarx Corp. Working with iconic brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Liz Claiborne, Calvin Klein, Polo-Ralph Lauren and Austin Reed, Jaros grew her portfolio of skills to include international sourcing and distribution. She is a certified TTI DISC Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst and TTI DISC Certified Professional Driving Forces Analyst and a certified Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP). Jaros obtained her bachelor’s in business management and marketing from Ohio University. She went on to study fashion and apparel in Paris, France, and later received a finance-focused Executive MBA from Pace University in Manhattan.

October 12, 2020/by admin

Brad Mix

Consultants, Manatee, Mix, Sarasota

Florida SBDC at USF
Specialty: Capital Access, Startup

Brad Mix has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry and as a business consultant. Prior to joining the Florida SBDC at USF, Mix provided consulting services to more than 2,500 businesses and assisted business owners in securing more than $100 million in capital and $60 million in government contracts. He has extensive experience with SBA loans, including 504s, Community Advantage loans, and microloans. In addition, he assists business owners in preparing business plans, financial projections, profitability improvement, business acquisitions, business valuations, marketing and capital solutions. He joined the Florida SBDC at USF in April 2020, after spending 20 years as a consultant and satellite manager for the Coachella Valley SBDC, located in Palm Springs, Ca. In 2005, he was awarded the California State Star Award by the California SBDC Network. He is a certified Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP).

June 22, 2020/by admin

Tres Stephenson

Consultants, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Stephenson

Florida SBDC at USF
Specialty: Finance, Startup

Tres Stephenson comes to the Florida SBDC at USF, located at South Florida State College in Avon Park, after serving more than 30 years as president and general manager at Sebring International Raceway. As part of his daily responsibilities at the Raceway, he directed the development of annual business plans and budgets, managed the organization’s financial performance and took actions to increase revenue, leverage resources, and minimize expenses. He also worked closely with the sales and marketing department to ensure retention of major sponsors and was responsible for the negotiation of Raceway agreements. Stephenson oversaw a $7M annual budget, implemented strategies that results in $1M in sponsorship revenues and $800K of hospitality sales, annually. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Florida. He is also a graduate of Sebring High School and is involved in various community organizations in Highlands County. Stephenson is also a certified Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP).

May 29, 2020/by admin

Simplice Essou, CPA

Certification Consultants, Consultants, Essou, Tampa

Florida SBDC at USF
Specialty: Accounting, Business Planning, Financial Management, Startup

Simplice Essou joined the Florida SBDC at University of South Florida in March 2020 as a business consultant, bringing almost two decades of experience in accounting, finance and entrepreneurship. Essou started and managed an international consulting firm in 2008, specializing in advising African government on issues related to small-to-medium-enterprise development. Previously, he has worked for large corporations, including Bank of America, BP-Amoco, General Electric, and Lehman Brothers. These roles gave him a wide breadth of experience, including the ability to handle forecasting, analyze revenue entries, actively communicate account receivable risks, and lead day-to-day analysis and reporting for credit losses. He earned an MBA in finance from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s in accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi.

May 29, 2020/by admin

Debra Schweikowsky

Consultants, Finance, Pinellas, Schweikowsky

Florida SBDC at Pinellas County Economic Development
Specialty: Finance, Capital Access

Debra Schweikowsky is a business professional with experience in business management, administration, banking and finance. She was a small business owner with more than 20 years of experience, including being a franchisee. As a business owner, she successfully implemented a variety of revenue enhancement strategies and is results driven. Schweikowsky successfully sold her business by following an established exit strategy. Four years ago, she entered the banking industry and gained a wealth of knowledge in assisting consumers and businesses to meet their financial and borrowing needs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from State University of New York, Empire State College.

July 31, 2019/by admin

Gina Smith

Consultants, Smith, Tampa

Florida SBDC at USF, Tampa
Specialty: Website Design, SEO

As a marketing practitioner, Gina Smith and her team have developed search engine friendly websites for a variety of industries including healthcare, legal, government, education, tourism, specialty products and a number of small businesses. She also specializes in ongoing SEO and content development. Gina Smith conducts website evaluations and delivers website reports on behalf of the Florida SBDC at University of South Florida. The reports are a comprehensive analysis, examining the overall performance, user experience (UX) and search engine optimization (SEO) of client websites. Her previous experience includes seven years providing strategic consulting, public relations and marketing consulting services for Berkeley County, South Carolina and more than four years managing large-scale events for the Mid-Florida Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Smith graduated from the University of Central Florida with degrees in motion picture technology and journalism (specializing in advertising and public relations) and a minor in sociology.

June 5, 2019/by admin

Robert Pierce III

Joey Young

Greg Manning

Yanina Rosario

Christine Jaros

Brad Mix

Tres Stephenson

Simplice Essou, CPA

Debra Schweikowsky

Gina Smith

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