Ibrahim Alhussain will support entreprenerus as head of the Small Business Developent Center
Mt. Hood Community College has tapped business start up veteran Ibrahim Alhussain as the new director of its Small Business Development Center.
The SBDC supports entrepreneurs and operators of small businesses with buying or creating, growing and running successful enterprises including franchises.
“My hope is that the MHCC SBDC will be the place of choice and No. 1 destination for business startups, growth, establishment, economic development and success,” Alhussain said in a statement.
“I want us to be a major player in the growth and success of the entrepreneurial ecosystem within the region following the MHCC values of education, community, integrity and inclusion.”
The SBDC offers multiple services, including confidential one-on-one advising, online training, workshops and classes. It can help businesses with regulatory requirements connected with buying or beginning a business.
The services are offered to established businesses or people working to start or buy a company. No connection to the college is necessary.
The Mt. Hood SBDC also has a particular expertise in helping businesses with cybersecurity because it trains students from the college’s highly-regarded cybersecurity program as advisors to help businesses.
Alhussain, a father of three, comes to the college most recently from the North Iowa Area Community College Pappajohn Center and North Iowa Area SBDC.
He was the director of innovation and acceleration and was responsible for providing business consulting and accelerator services to start-up companies and existing businesses. He advised on funding, management and operational expertise to improve their chances of success.
Prior to that, he held positions at the Saudi Aramco Entrepreneurship Center. He was a mentor, coach and advocate to early stage startups and was responsible for creating and commercializing over 70 startups and small medium enterprises for Aramco.
Alhussain succeeds Ruth Swain, who was the interim director. She’ll now return to her role as a part-time SBDC adviser.
Alhussain earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration as well as his master’s degree in business administration from Valparaiso University in Indiana.
He also worked in Valparaiso’s Office of International Programs and increased the number of international students enrolled from 200 to 800 over four years.
Oregon’s Small Business Development Network was formed in 1983 as part of a national effort. Oregon’s system is a partnership between 17 community colleges, two universities, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Oregon Business Development Department.
Sidebar
SBDC is online
Like all other organizations and schools, the Mt. Hood Community College Small Business Development Center is still going strong during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has shifted to online classes for the duration.
In July and August, the SBDC will offer its basic class, “Going into Business: Start Smart,” via video conferencing. Learn about becoming a real estate broker in a video class that meets every Thursday from the end of June to the end of August.
SBDC is offering bookkeeping, cyber security and other classes.
Visit: learn.mhcc.edu to learn more.
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