Our Story:

Prosperity For All

As the go-to small business support system for Orange County’s under-resourced communities, immigrants, and people of color, we have touched the lives of over 3,000 people and helped 350 of them launch businesses or become launch ready. Through individualized entrepreneurial training and coaching, we provide resources where there are none, connections where they are scarce, and support where it’s hard to find.

Mission

CIELO catalyzes hope, resilience, and stability in under-resourced communities by helping enterprising individuals transform their dreams of owning a neighborhood business into reality.

Vision

Be the mentors, network, and trusted partners that under-resourced communities turn to for help building thriving community businesses and opportunities for all.

Values

Ending Economic
Inequality Starts Here

Transformation

We help cultivate entrepreneurial aspirations to fruition, hard workers into smart business owners, and transform struggling communities into symbiotic, small business ecosystems.

Inclusion

Tools. Classes. Connections. Confidence. We facilitate it all with the ultimate goal of overcoming the economic inequality that has plagued the communities in which we work.

Community

Guided first and foremost by empathy and compassion, we’re a unified team committed to helping individuals make a dignified living and communities thrive.

Trust

We have a notable and widely respected track record of helping all people, regardless of race, religion, or economic status, to identify and realize their entrepreneurial dreams.

Our History

In 2012, CIELO began as an incubated project of Oak View Renewal Partnership (OVRP) to serve the under-resourced community of Oak View in Huntington Beach, CA. While CIELO’s programming was being tested and refined in this neighborhood, an economic study on potential community impact revealed staggering inequality for many of Orange County’s low-income and under-resourced entrepreneurs. CIELO was honored fill the gap. After officially launching in 2016 and operating as a fiscally sponsored project of OVRP for three years, CIELO received independent 501(c)(3) status in March 2018. Today, as a comprehensive small business ecosystem, CIELO is proud to lead the way in ensuring equal access to individualized entrepreneurial training and support for our immigrants and communities of color.

Board of Directors

Belinda
de la Libertad

Founder and Managing Partner
A-Z Tech Support LLC
Board Chair

Jacob
Rael

Director of Engineering
Broadcom Corporation
Secretary

John
Hobson

Principal – MarTech
Credera
Treasurer

Staff

Gaby Broughman

Client Navigator

Christine Silvestre

Outreach Manager

Alex Alvarez

Program Manager

Pablo Dominguez

Project & Product Manager

Iosefa Alofaituli

Executive Director & Co-Founder

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Copyright © 2022 CIELO | A 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Our tax identification number is: 82-1422603 | Privacy Policy

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