National Small Business Week takes over city of Lodi
LODI -- You might want to grab yourself a cup of coffee before you shop because in Lodi, National Small Business Week is taking over.
"It's just really fun to work downtown and to be a part of the community," said Gracie Diaz, a barista at Brew House Coffee.
Diaz has worked in countless small businesses across the city. She knows firsthand the importance of shopping local.
"It's hard to own a small business," she shared. "Having the people and the community of Lodi come together to support them, it means a lot to them. They're just people that want to start up, and they're just really chasing their dreams."
The city of Lodi is overwhelmingly local. Out of the nearly 2,600 businesses, nearly 94% of them are run by one to 15 employees.
You can take a stroll downtown and hardly see any chain restaurants or retailers, which means small businesses are the driving force of the economy.
That's why this week, the city, Lodi Chamber of Commerce and the San Joaquin County Economic Development Department are helping pave their paths to success.
They've hosted free webinars, summits and are even holding a mixer later this week. But that's not all.
"I was lucky enough to walk with the chief of police, and we went broke into groups and visited some local businesses to just try to understand what challenges they are facing right now and then also encourage them to utilize the resources that are out there," said J.P. Doucette, president of the Lodi Chamber of Commerce.
Jennifer Pratt is a small business owner of Her Pretty Things in Lodi. Knowing that the city has her back creates a sense of security.
"Sometimes being a small business owner can be very isolating," Pratt explained. "You kind of feel like you're on an island by yourself and so it's really nice to know that the city has our back and that they're trying to help us."
But she and other business owners know, Lodi loves local.
"You're feeding someone's family," Pratt continued. "You're putting gas in someone's tank. You're paying their mortgage. It really makes a difference and you get to know these people. On the flip side, we get to know our customers, and so we get to build those connections with our customers, which is also really rewarding."
This year, the city is featuring two initiatives -- Lodi's Microloan Program and the County's Spark Relief Grant.
The microloan program offers financing of up to $50,000 to first-time borrowers or owners who have had a hard time accessing traditional capital.
The grant provides utility reimbursements of up to $5,000 to help businesses across the county recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
37 minutes ago
- News24
Budget 3.0 on track: Bonds extend gains as finance committee backs fiscal framework
Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Top Restructuring Lawyers Kyle Ortiz and Brian Shaughnessy Join Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer in New York
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 4, 2025-- Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer announced today that leading restructuring attorneys Kyle J. Ortiz and Brian F. Shaughnessy have joined the firm as partners in its Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group. Ortiz and Shaughnessy advise debtors, creditors, and other parties in interest in complex restructurings both in and out of court. On June 1, 2025, Kramer Levin officially combined with Herbert Smith Freehills to become Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, known as HSF Kramer. Ortiz has represented debtors and creditors in some of the largest and most complex chapter 11 cases of the past fifteen years including Eletson Holdings, LATAM Airlines, Greensill Capital, Pacific Drilling, Westinghouse, SunEdison, American Airlines, and Lehman Brothers. He has also represented investors and other creditors in complex restructuring matters, including cross-border restructurings. An experienced trial lawyer, Shaughnessy has nearly two decades of experience in complex business disputes involving bankruptcy, securities and contract issues, as well as regulatory and corporate governance matters, among others. 'We are delighted to welcome Brian and Kyle as the first new hires of HSF Kramer,' said Justin D'Agostino, Global CEO of Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. 'Kyle is a widely-respected and dynamic adviser. Their addition enhances the pre-eminence and depth of our restructuring team and fits squarely into our strategic plan.' 'Kyle and Brian's deep experience in high-stakes restructurings and distressed situations will be instrumental in helping clients navigate an uncertain economic landscape,' said Amy Caton and Ken Eckstein, HSF Kramer's Heads of Bankruptcy and Restructuring, US. 'Their insight, creativity, and commercial acumen are a perfect fit for our solutions-driven group.' Paul Schoeman, executive partner of the U.S. region for Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, said: 'I'm thrilled that Kyle and Brian are joining our premier bankruptcy and restructuring practice. Their arrival underscores the commitment that we at HSF Kramer have to building on our strengths and attracting top-level talent in key markets.' Ortiz added, 'I have consistently enjoyed working with and across from Kramer Levin's world-class restructuring team. I'm incredibly excited to join this team and to take advantage of the global reach and industry expertise that the HSF Kramer platform now has to offer.' Ortiz received his J.D. from The University of Chicago Law School and his B.A. from Northern Michigan University. Shaughnessy earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.A., cum laude, from Harvard College. About Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (HSF Kramer) was formed in June 2025 through the transformational combination of Herbert Smith Freehills and Kramer Levin, creating a world-leading global law firm. With over 6,000 people including c.2,700 lawyers and spanning 26 offices, HSF Kramer provides comprehensive legal services across every major region of the world. Uniquely positioned to help clients achieve ambitious objectives, HSF Kramer delivers exceptional results in complex transactions and high-stakes disputes. For more information visit LinkedIn: View source version on CONTACT: Media contact: Jennifer Manton Tel: +1 212 715 7612 Email:[email protected] Christine Kiran Tel: +1 212-843-8364 Email:[email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LEGAL FINANCE SOURCE: Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 06/04/2025 10:12 AM/DISC: 06/04/2025 10:11 AM
TechCrunch
an hour ago
- TechCrunch
Obvio's stop sign cameras use AI to root out unsafe drivers
American streets are incredibly dangerous for pedestrians. A San Carlos, California-based startup called Obvio thinks it can change that by installing cameras at stop signs – a solution the founders also say won't create a panopticon. That's a bold claim at a time when other companies like Flock have been criticized for how its license plate-reading cameras have become a crucial tool in an overreaching surveillance state. Obvio founders Ali Rehan and Dhruv Maheshwari believe they can build a big enough business without indulging those worst impulses. They've designed the product with surveillance and data-sharing limitations to ensure they can follow through with that claim. They've found deep pockets willing to believe them, too. The company has just completed a $22 million Series A funding round led by Bain Capital Ventures. Obvio plans to use those funds to expand beyond the first five cities where it's currently operating in Maryland. Rehan and Maheshwari met while working at Motive, a company that makes dashboard cameras for the trucking industry. While there, Maheshwari told TechCrunch the pair realized 'a lot of other normal passenger vehicles are awful drivers.' The founders said they were stunned the more they looked into road safety. Not only were streets and crosswalks getting more dangerous for pedestrians, but in their eyes, the U.S. was also falling behind on enforcement. 'Most other countries are actually pretty good at this,' Maheshwari said. 'They have speed camera technology. They have a good culture of driving safety. The U.S. is actually one of the worst across all the modern nations.' Techcrunch event Save now through June 4 for TechCrunch Sessions: AI Save $300 on your ticket to TC Sessions: AI—and get 50% off a second. Hear from leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, Khosla Ventures, and more during a full day of expert insights, hands-on workshops, and high-impact networking. These low-rate deals disappear when the doors open on June 5. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW Maheshwari and Rehan began studying up on road safety by reading books and attending conferences. They found that people in the industry gravitated toward three general solutions: education, engineering, and enforcement. In their eyes, those approaches were often too separated from each other. It's hard to quantify the impact of educational efforts. Local officials may try to fix a problematic intersection by, say, installing a roundabout, but that can take years of work and millions of dollars. And law enforcement can't camp out at every stop sign. Rehan and Maheshwari saw promise in combining them. The result is a pylon (often brightly-colored) topped with a solar-powered camera that can be installed near almost any intersection. It's designed not to blend in — part of the education and awareness aspect — and it's also carefully engineered to be cheap and easy to install. The on-device AI is trained to spot the worst types of stop sign or other infractions. (The company also claims on its website it can catch speeding, crosswalk violations, illegal turns, unsafe lane changes, and even distracted driving.) When one of these things happen, the system matches a car's license plate to the state's DMV database. All of that information – the accuracy of the violation, the license plate – is verified by either Obvio staff or contractors before it's sent to law enforcement, which then has to review the infractions before issuing a citation. Obvio gives the tech to municipalities for free and makes money from the citations. Exactly how that citation revenue will get split between Obvio and the governments will vary from place to place, as Maheshwari said regulations about such agreements differ by state. That clearly creates an incentive for increasing the number of citations. But Rehan and Maheswhari said they can build a business around stopping the worst offenses across a wide swath of American cities. They also said they want Obvio to remain present in – and responsive to – the communities that use their tech. 'Automated enforcement should be used in conjunction with community advocacy and community support, it shouldn't be this camera that you put up that does revenue grab[s] and gotchas,' Maheshwari said. The goal is to 'start using these cameras in a way to warn and deter the most egregious drivers [so] you can actually create community wide support and behavior change.' Cities and their citizens 'need to trust us,' Maheshwari said. There's also a technological explanation for why Obvio's cameras may not become an overpowered surveillance tool for law enforcement beyond their intended use. Obvio's camera pylon records and processes its footage locally. It's only when a violation is spotted that the footage leaves the device. Otherwise, all other footage of vehicles and pedestrians passing through a given intersection stays on the device for about 12 hours before it gets deleted. (The footage is also technically owned by the municipalities, which have remote access.) This doesn't eliminate the chance that law enforcement will use the footage to surveil citizens in other ways. But it does reduce that chance. That focus is what drove Bain Capital Ventures parnter Ajay Agarwal to invest in Obvio. 'Yes, in the short term, you can maximize profits, and erode those values, but I think over time, it will limit the ability of this company to be ubiquitous. It'll create enemies or create people who don't want this,' he told TechCrunch. 'Great founders are willing to sacrifice entire lines of business, frankly, and lots of revenue, in pursuit of the ultimate mission.'
