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Announcing a new partnership with Portland Community College - Small Business Development Center - The Zidell Family Foundation funds a new scholarship program to benefit local entrepreneurs.

Why this program resonates with the Zidell family:

"The entrepreneurial spirit is a mindset. It’s an attitude that embraces innovation and seeks out change. Sam Zidell, the founder of The Zidell Companies had this spirit in abundance. Sam was an immigrant with no resources, connections or education. However, what Sam did have, was vision. With determination and perseverance, he built a successful business that his son, Emery, a true innovator, then refined and expanded into a family enterprise. In response to industry shifts and market changes, The Zidell Companies, now under the direction of Sam’s grandson Jay, are again on the move - building a real estate development venture, while maintaining their traditional industrial ties. The Zidell Family Foundation prizes humble beginnings and we celebrate the spirit to build something great from a unique idea. It is our privilege to partner with PCC and the SBDC to provide training, support and specific education to help today’s entrepreneurs achieve their goals and attain long-term success for themselves and their families."

SBDC to use Zidell funding to help small biz owners

PCC's Small Business Development Center received a $10,000 grant from the Zidell Family Foundation to create a small business scholarship for owners who want to take their enterprise to the next level.

The grant will provide scholarships to selected owners, who will receive training within one of three tracks — retail business builders, restaurant business builders, or retail small business management.

The scholarship will allow participants to attend the program's classes at the college's CLIMB Center in Southeast Portland, where they will learn essential business skills required to grow a healthy company.

"The entrepreneurial spirit is a mindset," said Charlene Zidell, board chair of the Zidell Family Foundation. "It's an attitude that embraces innovation and seeks out change. The Zidell Family Foundation prizes humble beginnings, and we celebrate the spirit to build something great from a unique idea. It is our privilege to partner with PCC and the SBDC to provide training, support and specific education to help today's entrepreneurs achieve their goals and attain long-term success for themselves and their families."

PCC's SBDC is uniquely positioned to take advantage of such philanthropy.

The center provides business advising and training to small businesses in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Columbia, and Yamhill counties. It works to connect small businesses with specialized statewide services through the state's network of 18 SBDCs.

"Every day they face challenges in starting and growing their businesses, accessing resources, and learning how to be a business owner," said Tammy Marquez-Oldham, director of PCC's Small Business Development Center and Global Trade Center. "The Zidell Family Foundation grant supports opportunities for learning, growing and engaging with other small businesses, specifically retail and restaurant small businesses. This grant will make a difference for these small business owners."

For enrollment information, call (503) 939-8648, or email leslie.hildula15@pcc.edu.