Economics

New Clinic Partnership Supports Underserved Entrepreneurs

Published

9 years ago

January 24, 2017

University of San Francisco News

USF School of Law’s Entrepreneurial Ventures Legal Services Project (EVLS) has launched a partnership with Centro Community Partners to provide legal advice and support to underserved Bay Area entrepreneurs.Several of Centro’s advanced entrepreneurship training program participants from San Francisco and the East Bay will be matched with USF law students and supervising faculty. The clients will receive pro bono legal services to help them create businesses with a solid legal foundation.

“Joining forces with Centro is a perfect fit for both USF and EVLS because our missions are so aligned,” said Professor Robert Talbot, director of EVLS and the four clinics that comprise it. “Centro’s clients, who are primarily women and minorities, are creating businesses with a social mission, and we are constantly strive to provide our law students with unique hands-on learning opportunities while making a positive impact in our communities.”

Centro’s entrepreneurship trainer and program manager Daniel Healy said finding affordable legal support is a big challenge for clients. “USF’s pro bono legal support will help our clients understand and meet the legal requirements they need to launch and run their businesses, and understand what they can do to reduce the legal risks facing their businesses.”

Gretchen Pfeffer, who joined Centro’s advanced entrepreneurship training program in September, decided to follow her passion for dogs and is creating a natural dog treat business with the goal of donating a percentage of her profits to local animal shelters. USF students Daniel Armstrong 3L, Lindsay Hill 2L, and Carmen Martinez Rodriguez 2L, worked with Pfeffer this semester on trademark research and registration, business formation, and permitting, licensing, and general business issues.

“Each student answered specific questions I had about forming a small business. But more importantly, each one told me things I had never even heard of before,” Pfeffer said. “I can’t tell you how many things they’ve taught me that could have been a potential future business killer for me.”

Hill is interested in working with women entrepreneurs and innovators focused on social justice initiatives, so her work with EVLS and clients like Pfeffer “couldn’t be a better fit” for her career goals. She loves “the legal facets of this work, but I am especially inspired by the creative brainstorming and business aspects of working with entrepreneurs.”

“EVLS provided the institutional support I needed to learn and ask questions, as well as the freedom and opportunity to work one-on-one with clients,” Hill said. “As a law student, this was such an empowering and unusual experience.”

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CITY OF SAN LEANDRO STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEERING DIVISION NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III

WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.

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PROJECT NO. 2020.0050

BID NO. 25-26.011

BID OPENING: The bidder shall complete the “Proposal to the City of San Leandro” form contained in the Contract Book. The proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. Incomplete proposals will be considered non-responsive. Sealed bids containing the completed Proposal Section subject to the conditions named herein and in the specifications for ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III/PROJECT NO. 2020.0050 addressed to the City of San Leandro will be received at City Hall, 835 East 14^th Street, 2^nd Floor San Leandro at the office of the City Clerk up to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.
OBTAINING THE PROJECT PLANS AND CONTRACT BOOK: The project plans and Contract Book may be obtained free of charge from the City’s website at:https://www.sanleandro.org/Bids.aspx Bidders who download the plans are encouraged to contact the City of San Leandro Public Works Department Engineering division at 510-577-3428 to be placed on the project planholder’s list to receive courtesy notifications of addenda and other project information. Project addenda, if any, will be posted on the website. A bidder who fails to address all project addenda in its proposal may be deemed non-responsive.Bidders may also purchase the Project Plans and Contract Book from East Bay Blueprint & Supply Co., at 1745 14^th Street, Oakland, CA 94606; Phone Number: (510) 261-2990 or email: ebbp@eastbayblueprint.com.
PRE-BID CONFERENCE: A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM and on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM as follows:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM
Zoom Meeting ID: 883 8752 6074
Passcode: 502955
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/88387526074?pwd=hZ5rjB8AWdLAUem3CtByFiZxqKarHj.1
And
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM
Zoom Meeting ID: 898 2672 0472
Passcode: 091848
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/89826720472?pwd=JgZX2nXMpLSRM5xDPr7EJUxl7QIznr.1The information presented at the conferences will be identical, all bidders must attend one of the pre-bid conference and sign the attendance sheet. A firm that didn’t attend the pre-bid conference isn’t qualified to bid on the project.Questions regarding the plans and specifications may be submitted in writing to the project engineer until 5:00 p.m. five (5) days before, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, bids must be received by the City. The City will not respond to oral questions outside of the pre-bid conference. The response, if any, will be by written addendum only. Oral responses do not constitute a revision to these plans or specifications.
VALUE OF WORK: The Engineer has estimated that the value of work is between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.
SAN LEANDRO BUSINESS PREFERENCE AND PARTICIPATION GOALS: The work performed under this contract is subject to Section 1-6-225 of the San Leandro Municipal Code regarding local business preference and participation. A list of companies that hold a San Leandro business license is located on the City webpage under the finance department, here: https://www.sanleandro.org/340/Business-License
SAN LEANDRO COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT: The work performed under this contract is subject to the Community Workforce Agreement adopted by City Council Resolution 2015-104. Contractors attention is directed to Section 10.