America’s SBDC Blog

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AnywhereCam Inc. From Pitch to Growth: A Success Story 

November 12, 2025

Mike Blecha grew up and lives in a small rural area in northeastern Colorado. Most of his family, friends, customers and neighbors are hard-working people, many with property and belongings spread around the region. During the pandemic, theft and robbery exponentially increased, and Mike, known in his local community as the ‘tech guy’, was the go-to person for a surveillance solution. 

After unsuccessfully trying to implement almost every option currently on the market, Mike decided to build a surveillance camera that anyone could use anywhere, regardless of their access to high-speed internet or power. He created AnywhereCam as a reliable and durable solution to help the people of rural communities have a sense of security regardless of circumstances.

When Mike Blecha launched AnywhereCam, he faced the classic startup dilemma: limited funds and limited reach. Marketing efforts generated brief spikes in sales, but without a steady budget, the momentum quickly faded. At the same time, raising a seed round proved equally difficult—few investors resonated with the vision or the scalability of AnywhereCam’s technology.

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Coreshell Technologies Wins $1 Million Investment, Named Grand Finale Winner of the 2025 Startup World Cup

November 5, 2025

Victory for East Bay SBDC Client Highlights California Entrepreneurship on a Global Stage

San Francisco, CA, October 23, 2025, — Coreshell Technologies, a battery innovation company based in San Leandro, California, has been named the Grand Finale Winner of the 2025 Startup World Cup, earning a $1 million investment and top honors among 100+ regional champions representing six continents. 

Prior to the Grand Finale, Coreshell participated in the StartUp World Cup East Bay Regional, an event created and hosted by East Bay Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Executive Director Nancy Mangold to showcase promising startups from across the region. After a strong performance at the East Bay Regional, Coreshell advanced to the global competition, ultimately securing the Grand Prize.

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TikTok, RedNote, and DeepSeek: A Quick Privacy Wake-Up Call for Small Businesses

January 30, 2025

By Jacob Blacksten

In an age of viral videos and AI-driven insights, small businesses often jump at the chance to reach new customers through engaging platforms. Yet amidst this excitement, data privacy concerns loom larger than ever. From TikTok’s looming ban to emerging competitors like RedNote and now the controversial AI solution DeepSeek, it’s vital to understand how these technologies handle the sensitive information that can make or break your business reputation.

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National Cybersecurity Alliance: Online Shopping

December 5, 2024

Online shopping may be convenient but it can present many opportunities for scammers and cybercriminals.

For many people, online shopping is simply “shopping.” Who can resist one-click ordering and next-day delivery? However, bad actors and cybercriminals may try to trick consumers into paying for goods that don’t exist or seek to capture personal information for financial gain.


You don’t need to abandon your cart, though. With some simple preventative measures, you can enjoy your online shopping spree with peace of mind.

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Lima Charlie Inc.: An Innovative Veteran-Owned Government Relations Firm

November 6, 2024

Lima Charlie Inc. has carved out a unique niche in the highly competitive government contracting space. Founded during the pandemic, this service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) has developed a completely remote, cloud-based model to provide expert government relations services to federal agencies and local municipalities.

Led by CEO David Waldbauer, a service-disabled veteran, Lima Charlie is known for its quality of management, which is well-organized, agile, detail-oriented, and focused on simplicity. These core strengths allow the firm to consistently deliver positive client experiences, reduce risk, and optimize costs.

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