As a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Director, Business Incubator Manager, and Business Broker, Charles has provided training and counseling to thousands of entrepreneurs.
He currently serves as the Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) specialist for the Northern California SBDC Tech Futures Group. Charles has twenty years of experience assisting businesses with securing SBIR/STTR funding. This includes direct experience through his company OPTEMA Development Corporation which developed a rapid prototyping technology with funding through a National Science Foundation STTR Phase I, Phase II, and Phase IICC grant. Charles was previously the Statewide Director of Business and Entrepreneurship for the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program. Prior to this position, he was the Director of the Solano College SBDC, where he managed a team of 23 business advisors and served as the Associate Director of the California Community College’s Statewide Economic Development Network. Before moving to Northern California, Charles worked for the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center as Manager of the Inland Empire Business Incubator. Charles also worked in the defense industry as a systems engineer for TRW’s Ballistic Missile Program.
Charles earned a B.S. in Engineering Sciences from the University of California, San Diego, and an MBA from California State University, San Bernardino.
