Local Resources to Help You Work w/ the Federal Government

Meet the Speakers

Cheryl Brown

North San Diego SBDC Advisor

Cheryl Brown has been an advisor with the North San Diego SBDC since 2007 as an expert in government procurement. She’s counseled over 3,000 small businesses resulting in over $700,000,000 awarded contracts. As a small business owner herself, she brings a practical approach to counseling, moving small businesses forward through every step to achieve their goals. Her personal mission is to help small business owners create a better life for their families and the families they employ.

Cheryl has a bachelor’s in entrepreneurship as well as an MBA. She was awarded the Forbes School of Business and Technology Entrepreneurship Scholarship. She’s also a certified Small Business Consultant from the Association of Accredited Small Business Consultants among other certifications and academic achievements. She was awarded the 2018 SBA District Director’s Award for Mission Support, 2012 ASBDC State Star for the San Diego & Imperial SBDC Network, the 2010 SBA Women in Business Champion, and has earned certificates of recognition from senators, members of congress, assembly members, and San Diego County supervisors.

Mike Sabellico

Interim Regional Director for the San Diego, Orange, & Imperial PTAC

Mike Sabellico has served as a part time consultant, full time Senior Procurement Advisor and now is the Interim Regional Director of the PTAC.  He is a versatile executive management professional and has over 30 years of diverse work experience in leading programs, managing multi-million-dollar budgets and assets, and improving quality and processes. He is a twenty-year Veteran of the US Coast Guard with several Command Cadre tours. During his time with the Coast Guard, he gained a significant amount of experience in Maritime and Emergency Response, ranging from Search and Rescue and Maritime counter smuggling efforts to hurricane and natural disaster response. After leaving the Coast Guard, he managed a robust business development program for a San Diego based defense contractor with offices throughout the US. He left that company in 2010 to launch Vanguard Global Solutions, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business specializing in Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness, and specialized business consulting focusing on marketing, growth strategy, certifications, and sales. Mike is a hands-on program manager with an impressive ability to coalesce diverse technical and management skill sets within a team environment to achieve desired results. His government contracting experience in multiple industries provides an exceptional understanding and knowledge base into the challenges faced by small business owners entering government contracting.

Gretel von Son

Connect SBIR/STTR Director

Gretel von Son is the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Director at Connect, a position created to support the SBIR/STTR Program by helping make connections between government, industry and academia, more accessible. Gretel previously supported the NAVWAR SBIR/STTR Program Office, and has experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. She has published work in Advanced Materials, ACS Nano and Nature Communications. Gretel has earned a Bachelor’s in Chemistry, and a Master’s in Business Administration.