Public Policy & Advocacy Projects

WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON SMALL BUSINESS, Washington, D.C.

Ms. Shimoyama served as an elected delegate to the 1995 White House Conference on Small Business. The White House Conference on Small Business forums were held at the local, state, regional, and national level to bring small business leaders together to make recommendations for the U.S. Congress and President of the United States on issues important to and impacting small business owners. Ms. Shimoyama, made recommendations in the areas of contracting/procurement programs for women and minority owned businesses; financial literacy

CALIFORNIA SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, CALIFORNIA SMALL BUSINESS EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Breakthru Solutions provided management consulting and project management services for the California Small Business Association and California Small Business Education Foundation. These services included: small business advocacy; assisted with the launch of health care insurance outreach programs for small business owners; facilitated small business roundtable meetings with California state legislators and small business owners for the California Small Business Association and California Small Business Roundtable; facilitated strategic planning with Board of Directors

STATE OF CALIFORNIA SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS (SBDC)

Ms. Shimoyama served as a board member of the State of California has one of the largest established SBDC systems in the country with over 25 centers throughout the state reaching from the San Francisco and Sacramento District to the San Diego District.

Strategic Planning for Non-Profit Organizations

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS

Breakthru Solutions has provided ongoing advisory services and designed strategic planning initiatives for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and the Enterprise Institute of the National Association of Women Business Owners (EI of NAWBO-LA. Breakthru Solutions developed strategies and implemented programs for NAWBO-LA the 501 (c )6, the trade and professional organization. The strategic planning and consensus building efforts also resulted in building of infrastructure, growth in membership, increased involvement in public policy at the local, state, and federal level, and formation of an education and research foundation. Made recommendations and established a 501 (c ) 3 education and research foundation to increase educational resources and opportunities for women owned businesses. NAWBO represents the voice for over 10.1 million women business owners and over 100 chapters across the United States.

SPRINGBOARD ENTERPRISES

Breakthru Solutions provides management consulting and community outreach services for Springboard Enterprises a national non-profit based in Washington, D.C. that raised over $1 billion in venture capital funding over a three year period. Springboard Enterprises established an educational forum in Los Angeles to small business owners in getting access to resources and education in the area of access to capital -- debt and equity. The partnership was developed with the UCLA Anderson School, community based organizations, trade and professional organizations, economic development corporations, corporations, government agencies, and small business owners.

Facilitation, Consensus Building & Community Outreach for National and International Forums

10 DOWNING STREET ECONOMIC SUMMIT, U.K. GOVERNMENT

Vivian Shimoyama, president of Breakthru Solutions was invited to be a member of a 20 person delegation to the landmark 10 Downing Street Economic Summit headed by Exchequer Gordon Brown and the UK Government. Ms. Shimoyama facilitated discussions around economic development and entrepreneurship initiatives and reported findings to summit leaders.

WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

Vivian Shimoyama, president of Breakthru Solutions was a facilitator for the 1997 White House Economic Leadership Summit. Ms. Shimoyama was invited by the White House Office on Women's Initiatives and Center for Policy Alternatives to facilitate development of agenda on entrepreneurship. 100 leaders from around the country were selected to develop America's Economic Agenda from Women's Voices. President Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton met with these leaders from state and federal government, elected office, grassroots organizations, non-profits, labor, academia, media, and business.

INTERNATIONAL WORLD CONGRESS OF LES FEMMES CHEFS D'ENTREPRISE MONDIALES

Vivian Shimoyama, president of Breakthru Solutions, chaired the International World Congress of Les Femmes Chefs d'Entreprise Mondiales (FCEM) which was held in the United States for world opinion leaders and the top women business owners from around the world. The 44th annual conference provided a forum for women business owners, corporate executives, financiers, exporters, importers, and public officials to set the economic agenda for women business owners in over 35 countries. Ms. Shimoyama directed planning efforts between leaders from both international and national organizations. Breakthru Solutions developed and directed the activities for fundraising efforts, proposal writing, program development, budget development and management, management of a team of contracted services and volunteers, community outreach, international relations, public relations, communications, marketing, sales, translation and interpretation services, promotion of Los Angeles as a travel destination, and formed of an international plaza. Within an eight (8) month period, Breakthru Solutions managed a national team effort to raise $450k in cash and in-kind donations, provided a week long international forum, and was profitable for the client organization.