Simonida Cvejic is the owner of Bay Area Medical Academy, which provides training programs for students looking to become certified Phlebotomy technicians.

Simonida had her hands full when she dreamed of business ownership: as a single mother, she held down a day job while she worked on her business at night. In 2005, she came to the Renaissance and joined our Business Assistance Center and then became an Incubator Tenant. As an Incubator Tenant, she received intensive technical assistance, as well as a location for her business that allowed her to rent a fully equipped classroom on weekends, both of which were pivotal in her business expansion.

Since then, Simonida's business has seen rapid growth - her business grossed revenues of $160,000 in 2006 and projects gross revenues of over $500,000 in 2007. She now has four full-time employees, one part time employee and uses six contract workers. This success has recently earned her Renaissance's prestigious Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year award for 2007.

Renaissance has also given Simonida access to vital grants and awards that have helped increase the capacity of the business through technology: our Techquity awards helped her purchase a laptop and server; a Women and Company Microenterprise BOOST award helped her purchase a video camera to record lectures; and a San Francisco Mayor's Office of Economic Development Women's Grant helped her develop her web site and upgrade her student record management database.

As a Renaissance Incubator tenant Simonida feels her growth and expansion would not have been possible without the resources Renaissance offers. Simonida explains, "Renaissance provided me with the business planning tools, resources, guidance and funding to turn my idea into a thriving business."