OBDC Client Ahmed Dobashi celebrates the funding of his loan request

Mr. Ahmed Dobashi grew up in the East Oakland Elmhurst neighborhood eating at the Kwik Way Restaurant on his way home after school. He always had a vision of one day owning that business and keeping it in the community.

The opportunity was presented to him when the owner moved out of state and sold the property to Mr. Dobashi in 2003. Immediately, Mr. Dobashi put together plans to renovate the dilapidated Kwik Way and add new commercial spaces to complement his center with a laundromat, 99 cent store, and a retail space.

As the financing to complete his project became a priority, Mr. Dobashi approached OBDC Small Business Finance in May of this year and received a $249,500 Enhanced Enterprise Community Revolving Loan to complete the development project. The grand opening of this brand new shopping center with four retail stores and 26 parking spaces is projected for this fall.

Contact Roberto Costa at (510) 763-4297 Ext. 103 to determine whether the EEC Revolving Loan program or other SBA Loan programs are the right ones for you. 

OBDC Loan Officer Mila Roudominskaia

OBDC is pleased to welcome its newest staff member, Mila Roudominskaia. Mila joins OBDC as a loan officer to help potential borrowers navigate their way through the loan process and obtain the funding they need to start and expand their businesses.

“Mila is a great addition to the OBDC team,” said OBDC Managing Director Megan Himan. “She’s got broad experience, including accounting, that she’ll be able to use to help our clients grow their businesses.”

In the past eight years, Mila has worked with both small private companies and investment banks. She brings knowledge of accounting and finance management, marketing and entrepreneurial experience to the company. Prior to joining OBDC, Mila worked in the accounting department at Reply!, a technology and marketing company located in Walnut Creek. Mila’s experience also includes working at IKB Deutsche Industriebank in Germany and managing the marketing department at Trade and Industrial Bank in Belarus.

Mila’s unique strength is that she knows first-hand the opportunities and challenges of being a business owner.  She co-founded an advertising agency in her hometown of Minsk, Belarus. “Like many small businesses, we had a lot of ideas but no money to implement them,” explained Mila. “We had to make decisions about where to invest our time and limited funds. I’m excited about working at OBDC because I’ll be able to help other business owners access funds to get them through this difficult stage.”

Mila holds a B.A. in Economics and Accounting from Belarusian State Technical Academy. She is fluent in Russian and German.

Would you like to attend a workshop to get recharged about your business and learn new skills? OBDC is helping sponsor a number of upcoming free and low-cost events in the next few months.

5th Annual Small Business Symposium: Thursday, September 29th
This all day event features workshops from some of the leading consultants and business owners in the Bay Area. Attendance is free and includes a luncheon but participants must register in advance. Go to www.oaklandsmallbusiness.com for more information and to register. The event will take place at the downtown Oakland Marriott.

Abierto para Negocios (Forum in Spanish): Saturday, October 15th
Talleres Informativos Gratuitos sobre Empezando un Pequeño Negocio: Credito y Préstamos, Permisos, Tipos para Seguro para Dueños, Como Prevenir Robos, y Recursos Humanos. 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Cesar Chavez Education Center, 2825 International Blvd., Oakland CA. Para información adicional or para registrarte llama al 510-238-6448.