Small Business Education Series – April 14, 2026

Unlocking Opportunity: Free Resources to Grow Your Business

Discover the free tools and support available to help your business grow. Representatives from the SBA, SCORE, and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program will share insights on funding opportunities, mentoring, training programs, and other resources designed to help entrepreneurs succeed. Join us for this informative panel discussion and learn how to tap into expert guidance and support—at no cost to you.

Our distinguished panel, moderated by Steve Meka, owner of STEM Handmade Soap, includes:

• James Breiner | SCORE Mentor, SCORE

• Raymond Graves | Investment Representative, SBA

• Heidi Szeltner | Outreach Manager, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses in Partnership with Cuyahoga Community College

Event Details

📅 Date: April 14, 2026

🕗 Registration: 8:45am

🕗 Panel Discussion: 9:00am-10:00am

🕗 Direct Q/A: 10:00am-10:30am

📍 Location: Lakewood Public Library – Multipurpose Room at 15425 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood, OH 44107

Enter from the Arthur Avenue side entrance. Parking available in the back Library lot and on the street.This event is FREE, but space is limited. Please register.

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Participants

Moderator: Steve Meka
Owner of STEM Handmade Soap

James Breiner
SCORE Mentor, SCORE
James Breiner is a bilingual business coach (English–Spanish) specializing in digital journalism and newsroom leadership, with more than three decades of experience on both the editorial and business sides of newspapers. His work focuses on entrepreneurial journalism and developing new financial models for digital media. He has trained journalists in countries including Mexico, Spain, China, England, Poland, and Belarus, and has served as a consultant for organizations such as NewsU of the Poynter Institute, the Fundación Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano (García Márquez Foundation), the International Center for Journalists, American City Business Journals, and Crain Communications. He currently mentors small business owners as a volunteer with the Cleveland chapter of SCORE.

Raymond Graves
Investment Representative, SBA
Ray Graves is the Lead Lender Relations Specialist in the Cleveland District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), where he works with banks and lending partners across Northeast Ohio to help small businesses access capital through SBA loan programs. He joined the SBA in 2014 and previously worked with Certified Development Companies in both Chicago and Columbus supporting SBA lending and economic development efforts. Over the course of his career, Ray has nearly 30 years of experience working with SBA loan programs and small business financing. He lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio with his spouse, two kids, one cat, and so far, no snakes.

Heidi Szeltner
Outreach Manager, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses in Partnership with Cuyahoga Community College
Heidi Szeltner serves as the Outreach Manager for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (10KSB) program at Tri-C®. In this role, she leads recruitment and enrollment efforts for growth-oriented small business owners across Northeast Ohio and serves as a dedicated advocate for the program, which has supported a regional network of more than 1,000 alumni—including over 30 business owners in Lakewood alone. Heidi is passionate about helping entrepreneurs bridge critical gaps by connecting them with the tools, capital, and Circle of Peers they need to scale effectively. Through this no-cost accelerator, the 10KSB program equips business owners with strategic skills and a customized growth plan designed to expand their operations and create vital jobs within our communities.

Additional questions? Contact Lauren Small at the Chamber: lsmall@lakewoodchamber.org

This educational series is presented by The Lakewood Chamber of Commerce and The City of Lakewood.

This event is sponsored by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses in Partnership with Cuyahoga Community College