May 29, 2024

Grand Opening!
Wednesday, June 13, 4:30 - 7 p.m. (program begins at 6pm)
1115 Third Street, San Rafael 

What do an organic ice cream company, a jewelry artist, and a �green� janitorial business have in common?  Besides having owners who are creative, dedicated, and hardworking, all have participated in programs of Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center that have helped launch and make their businesses thrive.

The San Francisco-based nonprofit organization behind those small businesses is opening a new training center in Marin County at 1115 Third Street in San Rafael.

The center, which will be called Renaissance Marin, will offer training, individual consultations, onsite business incubation for new businesses, a drop-in co-working space, a commercial kitchen, and space that will be rented to local partner organizations.

Classes and workshops will be offered on such topics as developing business plans, marketing, management, operations, finance, and record keeping.

�These comprehensive services can help make an idea for a business become a reality for entrepreneurs,� said Sharon Miller, CEO of Renaissance. �We�re excited to bring this program to a county that�s well-known for its entrepreneurship, and where there�s a need to help low-income people thrive. The businesses that have started with Renaissance�s guidance have dramatically improved the financial well-being of the entrepreneurs who started them. And, they have in turn hired additional people to work in these businesses.� 

Thomas Peters, president and CEO of the Marin Community Foundation, which is a major funder of Renaissance Marin, said, �We are proud to be partners with Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center and the opening of its new center in Marin. This effort is a key component of our overall strategy to end the cycle of poverty in Marin�in this instance, to help people thrive by starting their own small businesses. The recent report, �A Portrait of Marin,� which the Foundation commissioned, pointed out that having stable, good-paying jobs is key to reducing the disparities in income and overall well-being that exist in Marin.�

The new center is opening its doors on June 13 with a grand opening celebration at its new facility. Margot Fraser, the founder of Birkenstock USA and a supporter of Renaissance, will speak, along with a graduate of the center�s programs, Neal Gottlieb, the owner of Three Twins Ice Cream.

Commenting on the opening of the center, Gottlieb said, �Planning and then starting my business with the support system and resources of the Renaissance community was truly valuable. I would encourage all prospective Marin entrepreneurs to take advantage of Renaissance's resources now that they are in Marin and would also encourage established entrepreneurs to give back by becoming part of the Renaissance community.�

Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center (www.rencenter.org)

The mission of Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is to empower and increase the entrepreneurial capacities of socially and economically diverse women and men, and thereby strengthen communities through the creation of sustainable new businesses, new jobs, and the promotion of financial self-sufficiency.

Since 1985, Renaissance clients have started and grown over 6,500 businesses�achieving self-sufficiency, contributing positively to the local economy and creating jobs for themselves and others. Renaissance�s clients represent the diversity of California: 90% are very low-to moderate-income; 65% are people of color, and 72% are women.

In addition to the new San Rafael site, Renaissance operates two centers in San Francisco and one in East Palo Alto.

Marin Community Foundation (www.marincf.org)

The Marin Community Foundation is the primary center for philanthropy in Marin County, CA and is one of the largest community foundations in the U.S.  It manages the assets of the Leonard and Beryl H. Buck Trust and over 400 funds established by individuals, families, and businesses.  The Foundation makes significant improvements in communities around the world in two ways: by spearheading initiatives for long-term, sustainable change in Marin, and by distributing grants from donor-advised funds locally, across the U.S., and around the world.  Now in its 25th year, the Marin Community Foundation has assets of approximately $1 billion, with annual grant distributions of approximately $50 million.

Contact information: Sharon Miller, CEO of Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center: 415.348.6243. Thomas Peters, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Marin Community Foundation: 415.464.2508

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