California Small Business Council
Our California Small Business Council consists of small business owners from various industries across the state. Council members volunteer their time and entrepreneurial expertise at board meetings, public events and in the media to help Small Business Majority identify and address the biggest issues facing small businesses today.
Mar Y Sol Alvarado
Mar Y Sol Alvarado is the proud co-founder and principal owner of ALRO Window Coverings, a thriving family-owned enterprise based in Mountain View, California. Established in 2008, the company has grown under her leadership into a trusted provider of custom window treatment solutions for both residential and commercial clients. ALRO Window Coverings has expanded into government and corporate contract work and has earned key certifications, including Small Business Enterprise (SBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE).
In addition to her entrepreneurial success, Mar Y Sol is a passionate advocate for Spanish-speaking and minority-owned small businesses. Since 2022, she has worked as an independent small business advisor, supporting entrepreneurs with business structuring, access to funding, regulatory compliance and workforce development. Her holistic approach blends operational strategy with cultural competence, empowering clients to build sustainable enterprises.
Mar Y Sol brings more than a decade of experience in community engagement and education, having previously served as program director for the Catholic Charities Youth Club.
She holds a Master of Arts in sociology from San José State University and a Bachelor of Science in business management from Menlo College. A bilingual leader, consultant and entrepreneur, Mar Y Sol is widely recognized for her commitment to women in business, workforce training and minority business empowerment.
Doctress Numbiya Aziz
Medical Liaison and Men’s Wellness Specialist Doctress Numbiya Aziz serves as a premier medical liaison specializing in men’s wellness and vitality treatments. With a deep commitment to patient advocacy, she acts as a bridge between men seeking optimized health and the providers delivering cutting-edge medical solutions.
Known for her precision and supportive approach, Doctress Aziz streamlines the wellness journey, ensuring every patient receives the education, clinical coordination and personalized attention necessary for successful treatment outcomes. Her work is rooted in the belief that effective wellness requires both medical expertise and a dedicated, human-centered support system.
Iva Chen
Iva Chen is an entrepreneurial leader and community advocate bridging business, culture and opportunity in the airport concessions industry. A licensed CPA turned entrepreneur, Iva began her career in corporate finance at Deloitte, Nestlé and CBS Paramount before pursuing her passion for building brands and experiences that connect people. Today, she is the founder and CEO of Jetsetera Ventures (formerly known as IOC Design & Consulting) and managing director of Lady Luck Gourmet, a woman-owned family business that has operated at San Francisco International Airport since 1999.
Most recently, Iva led the opening of the first-ever Panda Express at SFO Airport, marking a major milestone for both her company and the airport’s dining program. A two-time triathlon finisher and Army ROTC boot camp graduate, Iva is driven by challenge and purpose—dedicated to mentoring the next generation of diverse entrepreneurs and leaving a legacy of inclusion, innovation and community service.
Candice Elliott
Candice Elliot is vice president of people and culture at Lime Technology, makers of Unraid OS. She is also a speaker and the founder of Fortress & Flourish, an HR strategy firm.
She partners with visionary leaders to design equitable, human-centered workplaces by reimagining the systems that shape how organizations hire, manage and grow talent, including the integration of agentic AI in workflows. Her work combines strategy, culture, technology and care to create organizations where people and purpose thrive.
Christin Evans
Christin Evans is co-owner of Booksmith and the Alembic in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood and Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park. She is a co-founder of Small Business Forward, a progressive small business advocacy organization focused on access to capital, affordable housing, progressive taxation and effective public safety.
JB Herrera
JB is a highly accomplished entrepreneur, executive and board member with more than 40 years of business experience in companies such as Apple Inc., Creative Technologies and VNU/Arbitron. He has founded eight startups throughout his career. His latest venture is SynergiAI, the first values-driven AI ecosystem for the SMB market. Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Santa Clara University with an emphasis in psychology and sociology. He is a student of experts, from philosophers to business leaders, technologists, social psychologists and sports coaches.
JB has implemented the best of these thought leaders and experts inside SynergiAI’s flagship platform, Insight 360. He is an avid reader with interests ranging from psychology, medicine, artificial intelligence, classic science fiction, military science fiction and travel. He also enjoys cooking and barbecuing.
JB is a past president of the National Hispanic Organization of Real Estate Agents and a former board member of Young Men’s Ultimate Weekend. JB and his wife, Kim, live in Sacramento, California, with their dogs, Trixie and Guinness.
Lisa Kaczmarczyk
Dr. Lisa Kaczmarczyk is the founder and owner of LK Evaluation Consulting, a program evaluation firm that helps researchers identify and address project challenges. LK Evaluation Consulting provides evaluation services to academic institutions, government agencies and the high-tech industry. Services include the development of comprehensive developmental, formative and summative evaluation plans, as well as collaboration on grant proposal preparation. Evaluation activities include creating surveys, conducting interviews and focus groups, performing document analysis and constructing case studies.
A computer scientist and educator, Dr. Kaczmarczyk earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, where her interdisciplinary research focused on artificial neural networks in an educational context.
Rachel Klein
Rachel Klein is a producer and director with more than 600 hours of television under her belt. She is CEO of Fire Starter Studios, a boutique production company focused on documentaries, digital media and television, and a staunch champion for small businesses. She built the first woman-owned soundstage in Los Angeles, lobbying for tax credits for small soundstages in California when they were only available to large conglomerates. Rachel is a two-time Primetime Emmy nominee, serves on the national board of directors for the Producers Guild and is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Reyna Medrano
Reyna Medrano is a 40-year-old business owner with a bachelor’s degree in criminology and aspirations to become a human rights and immigration attorney. She owns Reynas Business Center, which has two locations, with headquarters in Sanger and a second location in Dinuba. She recently started a third business, a print shop that provides postcards, business cards, banners and all types of printing services.
Reyna has four children, eight dogs, five cats and two parrots. She is an active participant in several groups, including the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Democratic Party and San Joaquin Democrats. Her life’s work has been to learn and provide services her Hispanic community needs at prices they can afford.
Mary Sue Milliken
Mary Sue Milliken is a James Beard and Julia Child Award–winning chef, cookbook author, food system activist, media personality and co-owner of Mundo Hospitality Group—home to Border Grill, BBQ Mexicana, Pacha Mamas, SOCALO and Alice B.—with her business partner, Susan Feniger. She has co-authored five cookbooks, co-starred on Food Network’s Too Hot Tamales and competed on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters.
Milliken is passionate about food policy and collaborates with nonprofits around the world to help shape sustainable food systems. She also serves on the board of trustees for the James Beard Foundation, is a member of the U.S. State Department’s American Chef Corps and is a founding member of Regarding Her.
Leslie Murdock
Leslie Murdock is the founder and CEO of DeZigning Digital, a Silicon Valley–based AI strategy consultancy helping small businesses compete and grow in a rapidly evolving digital economy. As an entrepreneur and senior business advisor, Leslie brings firsthand experience navigating the regulatory, economic and technological realities facing California’s small business community. Leslie is also the founder and CEO of Pause-On-Positive, a leadership coaching practice grounded in cognitive neuroscience, behavioral psychology and emotional intelligence, focused on helping leaders convert evidence-based insight into measurable performance and sustained resilience.
Leslie serves as a senior small business advisor within the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Small Business Development Center (SBDC) ecosystem and as co-chair of the Procurement Process Committee for California’s Department of General Services. Leslie is also a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, an opt-in research community of business professionals. A graduate of Cornell University’s Bank of America Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship and Google for Startups Women Founders AI Program, and a full member of Harvard Medical School’s Institute of Coaching, Leslie is recognized for translating emerging technologies and behavioral insight into strategic advantage for entrepreneurs and executive leaders.
Service on the California Small Business Council reflects a commitment to advancing policies that expand opportunity, strengthen competitiveness and position small businesses for long-term economic leadership.
CP Phan
CP Phan is the owner of Hueman Studio, a branding, design and content creation studio based in Southern California. Hueman Studio specializes in working with municipalities, commercial businesses and nonprofit organizations on website design, branding and content production. CP is also co-founder and co-owner of FoundrSpace, a coworking brand supporting entrepreneurs, remote employees and hybrid teams since 2019. FoundrSpace currently operates two Southern California locations, with a third opening in 2026.
Princess Sims
The Final Sauce is a specialty condiment company founded in 2012 by sisters Princess and Brownie Sims. Their signature barbecue sauce was developed from a recipe their aunt used when she worked for a well-known local barbecue restaurant many years ago. Brownie was able to replicate the sauce to create a version that incorporates their history, mission and family nostalgia. The Final Sauce has a total of 30 products, including barbecue sauces, spice rubs, marinades and vinaigrettes. Princess is committed to encouraging entrepreneurship and creating jobs in her community.
