Bay Path University

www.baypath.edu In many ways, Garanzha is carrying on a Springfield tradition. "The community helped me build this place, and I'm hop- ing to help the community by giving them a place to come and new things to try. It's exciting to be a part of this revitalization, and I really believe in Springfield." Samalid Hogan G'12 Regional Director, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center, Western Regional Office Samalid Hogan G'12 knows the exact date she arrived in Springfield. It was January 16, 1996, when, at 16 years old, she moved from Puerto Rico with her mother and two siblings. At the time, she couldn't have imagined the ways the city would shape her—or how she would shape it. "My whole career has been based on help- ing improve economic development opportunities, creating economic opportunities for people, improving access to capital for small businesses, and working on community projects and infrastructure projects here in the city," Hogan explains. She has the resume to back up that statement. Upon receiving her bachelor's degree in economics from UMass Amherst, Hogan (nee Maldonado) went to work for State Representative Cheryl Coakley-Rivera's office, moving on to future jobs with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and the City of Springfield. "I worked for the city for eight years. I was in charge of bringing in the community to discuss plans for revitalizing the South End, not just the infra- structure, but also the programming, the park, the Hollywood section. These were areas that had prostitution, drugs, real public safety con- cerns, so my time was dedicated to those issues." It was during her time working for the city that she enrolled in Bay Path's MBA in Entrepreneurial Thinking and Innovative Practices. "Bay Path gave me the tools and the confidence to just go for it, put together my business plan and then sell it." That plan result- ed in CoWork Springfield, the city's first membership-based co-working space, where Hogan focused on creating a culture of collaboration and networking for small businesses and independent contractors. In her current role as Regional Director for the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center's Western Massachusetts office, she's able to continue to support aspiring business owners and entrepreneurs, helping them access capital and resources to either start or grow their businesses. In the flurry of pomp and hype that positions a brand, spanking new casino as the rising tide that will lift all boats, Hogan is the calm in the storm. When discussing the casino, she's quick to look past the narrative that portrays MGM as the embodiment of the city's cosmopolitan make-over and more excited to speak to the ways the tax revenue it generates can be channeled into the nitty gritty of public safety and public works; initiatives that will inevitably trickle down to the small business owners and community members. "In the South End, it's night and day from where it was a decade ago. There's so much opportunity to revitalize some of our vacant spaces with offices, headquarters and even some retail, but we need people with vision, commitment and resources to come and invest. I'm hoping, in the next 10 years or so, to be one of those people. Stay tuned!" 11 "Springfield needs people with vision, commitment and resources to come and invest. I hope to be one of those people." Samalid Hogan G'12

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