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Program for jump-starting small businesses focus of Daemen lecture

by jmaloni

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Mon, Feb 23rd 2015 12:10 pm

"Straight Talk," which for nearly 20 years has provided education, training, counseling and networking opportunities to local small business owners and entrepreneurs, will be highlighted at the Daemen College Nancy Haberman Gacioch Entrepreneurship Lecture Series at 5 p.m. March 5 in the Wick Campus Center Alumni Lounge.

Featured speaker will be Franklin Sciortino, district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration Buffalo District office, who launched the Straight Talk program as a collaboration between the SBA and Buffalo Niagara SCORE. He will talk about Straight Talk's educational seminars that have been attended by thousands of aspiring small business owners; workshops on a range of topics, including business basics and marketing a small business; and mentoring by professionals with business expertise.

During Sciortino's 50-year career with the SBA he has held various financial management positions. Named branch manager in 1975, he was later appointed to his current post as district director, a position he has held for 25 years.

Past chairman of the Federal Executive Board, Sciortino is active on several economic development committees, educational advisory boards and charitable organizations. He has received many awards and citations in appreciation of his small business advocacy efforts in Western New York, including the Amherst Chamber of Commerce Small Business Person of the Year honor, Canisius College Distinguished Alumni Award and the SBA Managerial Employee Award.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Daemen Entrepreneurship Program, the Nancy Haberman Gacioch Entrepreneurship Lecture Series features several community entrepreneurs who recognize the potential that exists in the region's neighborhoods through revitalization efforts, new programming, job creation, or collaborative endeavors.

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