FORT BRAGG, CA., 3/4/26 — The West Business Development Center, a Ukiah-based nonprofit that helps small business owners learn about finances and marketing, will open a new office in Fort Bragg with a grand opening slated for Friday.
The celebration will coincide with the First Friday Art Walk, when local galleries and museums often debut new exhibits and offer free food and drinks.
The development center, which opened in 1988 and was established by local female entrepreneurs, offers classes and workshops on business development, accounting, social media, tax preparation and other skills. The organization’s current CEO, Sarah Bodnar, has decades of experience in nonprofit leadership and economic development.
The organization also offers several of the trainings in Spanish for local immigrants who are interested in starting their own businesses.
In partnership with the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce and the Kelley House Museum, the West Business Development Center will celebrate the opening of its new Fort Bragg office Friday with an event that includes a ribbon-cutting ceremony, an office tour and an opportunity to meet the center’s staff.
The development center suggests that attendees also visit the Kelley House Museum after the event to see its exhibit, “A Woman’s Place Was Everywhere.”
According to Valentina Reyes-Petersen, one of the center’s directors, opening a center in Fort Bragg will help coastal businesses access resources more easily.
“Opening a center on the Mendocino Coast means local entrepreneurs and small businesses now have a welcoming place to connect, receive free and confidential advising in English and Spanish, attend workshops, and access resources to grow,” Reyes-Petersen said in a statement. “It’s also a celebration of community … We’re thrilled to create a space where coastal entrepreneurs can come together and thrive.”
The celebration will be held at the center’s new office, 335 N. Franklin St., Fort Bragg, at 4 p.m. Friday. For more information on the West Business Development Center or the event schedule, click this link.
West company has been in that location for several months. How is this news??
There is a Facebook post from that location dated September 23! What new location?