{"id":378536,"date":"2026-04-06T21:59:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T21:59:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/378536\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T21:59:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T21:59:18","slug":"new-santa-rosa-business-hub-backed-by-4-5-million-from-sonoma-clean-power-aims-to-be-launchpad-for-minority-entrepreneurs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/378536\/","title":{"rendered":"New Santa Rosa business hub, backed by $4.5 million from Sonoma Clean Power, aims to be launchpad for minority entrepreneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lea el art\u00edculo en espa\u00f1ol aqu\u00ed.<\/a><\/p>\n

Fueled by up to $4.5 million from Sonoma County\u2019s public power agency, a new nonprofit is preparing to launch an ambitious initiative to streamline permitting for small business owners from minority and underserved communities.<\/p>\n

The business assistance hub is a first-of-its-kind project for Sonoma Clean Power<\/a>, the public agency that purchases electricity to supply most residential and commercial customers across Sonoma and Mendocino counties.<\/p>\n

Dubbed the Business One Stop Shop, or BOSS, the nonprofit is setting up shop in a newly purchased three-story building in downtown Santa Rosa, where coworking offices and services will be available for those who struggle shepherding their businesses through local bureaucracy.<\/p>\n

The initiative is being spearheaded by Hector Velazquez, a local media and advertising executive who last year landed a combined $4 million loan and $500,000 grant from Sonoma Clean Power.<\/p>\n

Velazquez, who is also executive director of the Sonoma County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said the multimillion-dollar project will help those who struggle navigating the government system when applying for a business license.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany organizations that help them do not follow up,\u201d he said. \u201cBut BOSS will use a customer-relationship-manager program to follow each case. There will be a record of what that person has done to avoid repeating steps.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Sonoma Clean Power, the project marks its debut as a community lender, an offshoot of its core mission \u2014 local electricity supply geared to driving growth of cleaner, more renewable power production, and energy conservation.<\/p>\n

Agency officials said revenue from interest on the BOSS loan will be used to subsidize customer rates.<\/p>\n

The loan funds have already been put into action. Last November, Velazquez said he purchased the building at 350 E Street for $3.2 million and spent an additional roughly $500,000 on renovations using the Sonoma Clean Power funds. The loan was capped at $4 million, with an interest rate of 5%.<\/p>\n

The 19,346-square-foot space will offer room for other local nonprofits and companies providing services to new and underrepresented business owners. He said the first floor will receive clients and host workshops in common work areas, while the second floor will lease at least 15 office spaces.<\/p>\n

\"HectorHector Velazquez, who leads the project Business One Stop Shop (BOSS), shows the recently finished offices on the second floor of the BOSS building on 350 E Street, in Santa Rosa, on March 25, 2026. (Raquel Issenberg\/La Prensa Sonoma)<\/p>\n

Velazquez said BOSS will initially make interest-only payments \u2014 about $15,000 a month through the end of the year. He said the former property owner is currently renting space on the third floor for an amount that equals about 40% of his monthly mortgage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis helps us a little,\u201d Velazquez said.<\/p>\n

He said his monthly payments will climb to $22,000 in January 2027, when he\u2019s expected to pay higher payments that include mortgage principal.<\/p>\n

Geof Syphers, Sonoma Clean Power\u2019s chief executive officer, said the loan is part of a board-approved initiative to reach new customers by investing in local entrepreneurship. He said the loan is for 25 years, with a large lump-sum balloon payment due in 10 years.<\/p>\n

While this is the first time the agency has functioned as a lender for a community project, such lending is not expected to become a core part of its mission, Syphers said, at least for now.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen such an opportunity comes along,\u201d he said, \u201cwhere lending has the potential to help customers lower their energy costs and also helps lower rates for everyone, the board of directors might consider doing it a second time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The revenue from interest payments from BOSS will be used to bolster SCP\u2019s reserve funds, which can be tapped to subsidize ratepayer electricity costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis interest rate is slightly higher than what we can earn by investing in treasuries,\u201d Syphers said.<\/p>\n

The agency, which launched in 2014, serves approximately 235,000 customers across Sonoma and Mendocino counties, including 203,000 residential and 32,000 business accounts, equating to about 87% of electricity customers in the region.<\/p>\n

Velazquez said that BOSS aims to help the power agency more effectively expand its customer base among Latino, Black and Asian entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

From marketing to business hub<\/p>\n

Velazquez said he first started talking to Syphers about his plans for a business hub in 2024. The power agency has been contracting Velazquez for multimedia and marketing services through his company Nexo Media Inc. for three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a commercial setting, as customers, (we considered) what more we could do for the community,\u201d Velazquez said.<\/p>\n

Syphers said the $4 million loan comes from SCP\u2019s Local Project Investment Fund, which supports renewable energy projects and energy-related initiatives. But in March 2025, the governing terms for that fund were modified and expanded by the board to allow investments that advance the reach of local small businesses.<\/p>\n

Soon after, SCP\u2019s 11-member board<\/a>, made up of local elected officials from county and city governments, formed an advisory committee to review the BOSS investment. On Oct. 2, the board approved the $4 million loan, along with the $500,000 grant, voting 9-0 with two board members absent, according to SCP minutes.<\/p>\n

The agency concluded the funding and the loan were consistent with its underlying joint powers agreement, essentially its constitution, defining the agency\u2019s goals and mission: reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing competitively priced electricity and related energy conservation and efficiency incentives.<\/p>\n

Syphers said the BOSS project is intended to connect the agency with niche small business owners who are typically difficult to reach, allowing for better promotion of Sonoma Clean Power\u2019s educational resources and financial incentives. He said the initiative also is designed to improve outreach to Spanish-speaking communities and other multilingual groups, ensuring that key program information is accessible to a broader, more diverse audience.<\/p>\n

Cotati Mayor Sylvia Lemus, a SCP board member, was part of the committee formed to monitor Velazquez\u2019s project. She said BOSS can be used to promote more sustainable practices among small startups.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can train businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cMake available information to them\u2026 about using alternative ways to save energy instead of using gas all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The agency said it is actively working with BOSS to help it develop a client engagement plan.<\/p>\n

Lemus also noted that many \u201cmom and pop\u201d businesses are closing because they lack the marketing tools to promote themselves, something they could possibly learn at a BOSS workshop.<\/p>\n

\"AsianAsian American Pacific Islander Coalition of North Bay vice president Grace Cheung-Schulman, left, and CEO of North Bay Black Chamber of Commerce Nancy Rogers tour the second floor of offices under construction at BOSS in Santa Rosa on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. (Christopher Chung\/The Press Democrat)
\nSearching for tenants<\/p>\n

As ever, the success of the new venture depends on whether Velazquez will be able to attract enough tenants to keep up with payments on his mortgage.<\/p>\n

Velazquez said workshops on media and marketing, or commercial insurance law, will be offered by the companies that will occupy the second floor, intended to meet the needs of both established and new entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

Trejo Insurance Services, a Santa Rosa-based company has moved into a BOSS office while construction on the downtown space advances.\u00a0Owner Antonio Trejo said general liability, commercial auto, and workers\u2019 compensation are the essential coverages new entrepreneurs frequently overlook.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat would happen if workers get hurt during a shift?\u201d he said. \u201cOr if a client gets food poisoning and wants to sue the owner of the food truck?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aside from the third-floor tenant\u2019s contribution and Trejo Insurance, the BOSS building has secured three other tenants: the immigration services firm Tu Br\u00fajula Legal; Soluna Outreach Solutions, a bilingual environmental consulting firm owned by BOSS co-founder Hugo Mata; and Velazquez\u2019s own Nexo Media, Inc.<\/p>\n

Velazquez hopes local chambers of commerce will maintain some type of presence on the first-floor space.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Velazquez held an open house event at the site for potential tenants. During the event, Velazquez and Mata discussed the layout, services, and potential rent with representatives of the North Bay Black Chamber and the Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition of North Bay.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project is like a baby for the county, the community and different agencies,\u201d Mata said. \u201cWe are going to get there at one point.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also noted that while the business hub can provide clients with resources needed to open a business, they\u2019ll still have to go to county or city offices to file their paperwork and secure their permits.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want people to think \u2018I\u2019m going to BOSS and I\u2019m going to come out with a business,\u201d he said. \u201cNo. There is a lot of work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

By Feb. 26, the offices on the second floor were nearly completed. Velazquez said rents for these unfurnished spaces range from $250 to $750 a month and will include basic services, internet, housekeeping, and tenants can use common areas and a meeting room.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo have a desk, it starts at $250 a month,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Velazquez said the first floor will offer four offices and a conference room, but specific details of the final layout were still being worked out.<\/p>\n

He said BOSS will occupy one of those ground-floor offices. They plan to rent cubicles hourly, which includes a PO Box, limited access to a print copier, and full access to common areas. The tenants, he added, will have access to a podcast room with microphones, video, and recording devices, a media room with a photo and video camera, and a green room.<\/p>\n

The building does not have on-site parking, but Velazquez said the city parking garage at 735 5th St. is available. The rates are $1 per hour or $60 per month per space.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The new BOSS, Business One Stop Shop, site in Santa Rosa on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. (Christopher Chung\/The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A screen with information welcomes clients to the second floor of the Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) building on 350 E Street, in Santa Rosa, on March 25, 2026. (Raquel Issenberg\/La Prensa Sonoma)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A worker taking calls at Trejo Insurances offices on the second floor of the Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) Building, on 350 E Street, in Santa Rosa, on Feb. 26, 2026. (Raquel Issenberg\/The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"Recently<\/p>\n

Recently finished offices on the second floor of the Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) building on 350 E Street, in Santa Rosa, on March 25, 2026. (Raquel Issenberg\/La Prensa Sonoma)<\/p>\n

\"Hector<\/p>\n

Hector Velazquez at the office of his company Nexo Media Inc., on the second floor of the Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) Building, on 350 E Street, in Santa Rosa, on Feb. 26, 2026. (Raquel Issenberg\/The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A construction workers on the second floor of the Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) Building, on 350 E Street, in Santa Rosa, on Feb. 26, 2026. (Raquel Issenberg\/The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The new BOSS (Business One Stop Shop) offices at 350 E St. in Santa Rosa Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (Beth Schlanker \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The bottom floor of the new BOSS (Business One Stop Shop) offices currently under renovation at 350 E St. in Santa Rosa Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (Beth Schlanker \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The new BOSS (Business One Stop Shop) offices at 350 E St. in Santa Rosa Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (Beth Schlanker \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 9<\/p>\n

The new BOSS, Business One Stop Shop, site in Santa Rosa on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. (Christopher Chung\/The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a>
\nLooking for support<\/p>\n

During the Oct. 2 Sonoma Clean Power board meeting, the North Bay Black Chamber and the AAPIC North Bay expressed support for the project during public comment.<\/p>\n

Velazquez said he invited both chambers to become tenants in the new building and be part of the new BOSS board of directors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aim to build a strategic coalition of chambers,\u201d he said. That way \u201cwe are a perfect place for donors to invest.\u201d<\/p>\n

In early March, AAPIC North Bay\u2019s President Laurie Fong said the coalition\u00a0was still considering whether to become a tenant and hadn\u2019t yet discussed whether it would be part of the new board.<\/p>\n

Nancy Rogers, CEO of the North Bay Black Chamber, said in March they will have a desk at the site. She said the chamber is still discussing who will represent them on BOSS\u2019 board.<\/p>\n

\u201c(The chamber) looks forward to being part of the collaborative environment the space is designed to create,\u201d said Rogers.<\/p>\n

Velazquez said he needs at least a dozen tenants to make the BOSS project work.<\/p>\n

The building is essentially the collateral for the loan. If the mortgage payments fail, Velazquez said Sonoma Clean Power will take ownership of the property to recover its investment.<\/p>\n

He said he\u2019s reaching out to other local chambers of commerce and appealing to the community to get involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need a strong team right here in this building,\u201d he said. \u201cIndividuals who can contribute to growth and stimulate the economy by supporting those who wish to launch their businesses, or those who are looking to expand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Syphers said the project is a search by Sonoma Clean Power over the past four years for opportunities to support local organizations that serve the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe BOSS service center aims to do both,\u201d he said. \u201cTo provide a long-term set of services to small businesses and also lower administrative costs for a number of like-minded nonprofits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Velazquez said he had to hold back tears when the project was approved for SCP funding. Having shared this vision with Trejo and Mata since its inception, he now feels a profound sense of duty in managing a multimillion-dollar public investment and endeavor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe project itself validates the risk involved,\u201d he said. \u201cA responsibility I do not take lightly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staff Writer Martin Espinoza contributed to this story. <\/p>\n

Reach La Prensa Sonoma Editor Raquel Issenberg at raquel.issenberg@pressdemocrat.com.<\/p>\n

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