Sonoma Clean Power Backs $4.5M Business Hub to Support Minority Entrepreneurs

The new nonprofit 'Business One Stop Shop' aims to streamline permitting and provide resources for underserved small business owners.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 2:05pm

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Sonoma Clean Power, the public electricity agency serving Sonoma and Mendocino counties, is underwriting a $4.5 million project to launch a new nonprofit business assistance hub called the 'Business One Stop Shop' (BOSS). The initiative, led by local entrepreneur Hector Velazquez, will provide coworking space, services, and support to help minority and underserved small business owners navigate the process of starting and growing their companies.

Why it matters

The BOSS project marks Sonoma Clean Power's first foray into community lending, aiming to boost its customer base by supporting local entrepreneurship, particularly among Latino, Black, and Asian business owners who often struggle with bureaucratic hurdles. The initiative is also designed to improve the agency's outreach and accessibility to multilingual groups in the region.

The details

Sonoma Clean Power is providing BOSS with a $4 million loan and a $500,000 grant to purchase and renovate a 19,346-square-foot building in downtown Santa Rosa. The hub will offer coworking spaces, workshops, and services to help new and expanding small businesses, with a focus on those from underrepresented communities. BOSS has already secured several tenant companies, including an insurance provider, an immigration law firm, and an environmental consulting firm.

  • Velazquez first discussed the business hub idea with Sonoma Clean Power CEO Geof Syphers in 2024.
  • In March 2025, the agency's board expanded its investment fund to allow support for local small business initiatives.
  • On October 2, 2025, the Sonoma Clean Power board voted 9-0 to approve the $4 million loan and $500,000 grant for BOSS.
  • Velazquez purchased the downtown Santa Rosa building for $3.2 million in November 2025 and spent an additional $500,000 on renovations.
  • The BOSS offices on the second floor were nearly completed by February 26, 2026.

The players

Hector Velazquez

A local media and advertising executive who is the executive director of the Sonoma County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the driving force behind the BOSS project.

Geof Syphers

The chief executive officer of Sonoma Clean Power, the public electricity agency that is providing the funding and loan for the BOSS initiative.

Sonoma Clean Power

The public agency that purchases electricity to supply most residential and commercial customers across Sonoma and Mendocino counties, and is underwriting the BOSS project as part of its efforts to reach new customers and support local entrepreneurship.

Sylvia Lemus

The mayor of Cotati and a member of the Sonoma Clean Power board who served on the committee overseeing the BOSS investment.

Grace Cheung-Schulman

The vice president of the Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition of North Bay, which has expressed interest in becoming a tenant in the BOSS building.

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What they’re saying

“Many organizations that help them do not follow up. But BOSS will use a customer-relationship-manager program to follow each case. There will be a record of what that person has done to avoid repeating steps.”

— Hector Velazquez, Executive Director, Sonoma County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

“This project is like a baby for the county, the community and different agencies. We are going to get there at one point.”

— Hugo Mata, Co-founder, BOSS

“We can train businesses. Make available information to them... about using alternative ways to save energy instead of using gas all the time.”

— Sylvia Lemus, Mayor of Cotati, Sonoma Clean Power Board Member

What’s next

The BOSS project still needs to secure at least a dozen tenants to make the initiative financially viable. Velazquez is reaching out to local chambers of commerce and the broader community to generate interest and involvement in the new business hub.

The takeaway

The BOSS project represents a novel approach by Sonoma Clean Power to support local entrepreneurship, particularly among minority-owned businesses, as a way to expand its customer base and promote more sustainable business practices in the region. The multimillion-dollar investment highlights the public agency's commitment to fostering inclusive economic development and empowering underserved communities.