Are You Looking to Start or Grow Your Small Business?

International Rescue Committee SBDC Specializes in…

The International Rescue Committee SBDC in San Diego offers in-language technical assistance, training, and access to micro-loans to support entrepreneurs in starting or expanding their business – with a focus on helping refugees, immigrants, and low-income individuals.

Business strategies, a specialty of the International Rescue Committee SBDC

Business Strategy

We can help you prepare and manage a strategic plan including major goals and initiatives.

Family child care, a specialty of the International Rescue Committee SBDC

Family Child Care

Learn the in’s and out’s of exactly how to start your own child care business.

Micro-lending, a specialty of the International Rescue Committee SBDC

Micro-lending

We can assist you with micro-financing options so you can have better access to funding.

Assistance Available in the Following Languages

We strive to offer SBDC services in languages that will best serve our clients throughout the San Diego and Imperial Valley regions.

Consulting Areas at the International Rescue Center SBDC

Our consulting specialities offer a wide variety of services to help you gain knowledge and achieve success in areas ranging from business planning and operations to management and funding.

Our Clients Say

Roanna Canete, Owner of The Gluten Free Baking Company, A Success Story from the San Diego Small Business Development Center Network

“The SBDC’s ongoing support has been nothing short of life-saving! Just a phone call away – they give me the courage to pursue my dreams, knowing there is nothing I can’t do with this incredible team on my side.”

Roanna Canete, Owner, The Gluten Free Baking Company
Farooq Anjum, Co-Founder & CTO of GroGuru Inc.
“The Brink SBDC is providing an invaluable service to entrepreneurs by giving guidance and providing connections to both investors and customers. Events such as the San Diego Angel Conference are the icing on the cake, which spreads the spirit of entrepreneurship in the community by bringing entrepreneurs and new investors together, and resulted in an investment of over $100,000 for our company.”
Farooq Anjum, Co-Founder/CTO, GroGuru Inc
Gayle McEnroe, President of Urethane Masters
“We moved our company to San Diego from Minnesota, and the SBDC gave us instant access to a huge network of contacts that led to obtaining our startup capital and making other crucial connections. Being the “new guy in town” is never easy, but with their help, we hit the ground running”
Gayle McEnroe, President, Urethane Masters
Nahid Razi, Founder/CEO of AccuData

“The Brink SBDC and Dr. Martin Kleckner have been invaluable in the success and progress of AccuDava. They dedicated many hours to reviewing and giving advice on our SBIR grant application to the National Cancer Institute, which was successfully awarded $300,000. Their unconditional support continued with extreme efforts that helped us with a $50,000 NIH I-corps grant, which resulted in additional NCI grant funding of $150,000 to extend our diagnostic test application to non-small cell lung cancer.”

Nahid Razi, Founder/CEO, AccuDava

Our Team at the International Rescue Committee SBDC

Our team is dedicated to empowering your small business.

Our business advisors at the International Rescue Committee SBDC are highly skilled in their fields and industries as well as knowledgeable in specific business topics.

Abdulrahman Ibrahim, International Rescue Committee

Abdulrahman Ibrahim

Senior Childcare Business Program Specialist

Licensing process, application completion, capital access, small business consultation

Afal Al Sammarraie

Afal Al Sammarraie

Senior Women's Business Counselor

Afal Al Sammarraie is a Senior Women's Business Counselor with a background in Civil Engineering. Sh...

Christal Juarez Iniguez

Christal Juarez Iniguez

Small Business Development Counselor

Christal is a Southern Californian who has lived and worked in both Los Angeles, Davis, and San Dieg...

Daisy Alonso, International Rescue Commitee

Daisy Alonso

Advisor

Start-up, expansion, marketing, capital, speaks Spanish

Gulsom Esmaelzade

Gulsom Esmaelzade

Childcare Business Counselor

I'm Gulsom Esmaelzade, and I'm passionate about guiding aspiring entrepreneurs through the process o...

Hanna Rico

Hanna Rico

Small Business Development Counselor

Hanna is originally from Ukraine. She is fluent in both Ukrainian and Russian languages. Hanna holds...

Irene Bwayo, San Diego & Imperial SBDC Business Advisor at the International Rescue Committee

Irene Bwayo

Microenterprise Program Supervisor

Microenterprise, program developer/designer, start-ups

Jamal Raziqi

Jamal Raziqi

Childcare Business

Jamal Raziqi is a Childcare Business Counselor with IRC Family San Diego. In previous employment, Ja...

Maha Alkhateeb, International Rescue Committee

Maha Alkhateeb

Small Business Cultural Navigator

Refugee assistance, employment, administrative, speaks Arabic

Marianne Garner

Marianne Garner

Data & Quality Assurance

Marzia Rahimi, International Rescue Committee

Marzia Rahimi

Childcare Business Advisor

Trilingual (English, Dari, and Farsi)

Rena Tokhi

Rena Tokhi

Childcare business counselor

As a Childcare Business Counselor at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in San Diego, I bring ...

Shahad Aljanabi

Shahad Aljanabi

Small Business Cultural Navigator

I have a bachelor's and master's degree in public health from San Diego State University. I have ove...

Shakila Mahmodi, International Rescue Committee

Shakila Mahmodi

Microenterprise Business Advisor

Business plans and permits, micro loans and grants, trilingual

From 2016-2023, the San Diego & Imperial SBDC team helped strengthen our regional small businesses.

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BUSINESS FUNDING

International Rescue Committee SBDC Location

The International Rescue Committee SBDC is located in San Diego.

Due to precautionary measures, no in-person appointments are occurring or being scheduled. One-on-one appointments online or via phone are being provided during this time. Reach out to schedule your appointment.

5348 University Ave., Suite 205
San Diego, CA 92105
(619) 797-6807
kellie.quinn@rescue.org