Continuous Learning for Individuals, Management & Business

Orientations offered by PCC’s Small Business Development Center (at no cost!) are a great way to learn about the opportunities we offer to help you turn your business idea into action. A typical orientation includes a small group of future entrepreneurs – but may also include sole-proprietors and small business owners seeking to find efficient, practical and effective solutions to common business-related challenges. You’ll leave our 2-hour orientation having identified new resources, and with an action plan to guide your next steps.

Global Trade Liaison, David Kohl, enjoys working with a wide range of businesses to assist them in understanding the opportunities and challenges related to global trade. He feels gratified when facilitating an increased perspective that leads to business success both domestically AND internationally. Here is his story. . . 

Jerry Lasselle is an instructor for PCC’s real estate broker test prep course and has taught the course for more than ten years. He’s worked as an accountant for a large national CPA firm and also as a staff attorney for large Northwest law firm. He’s lived in Portland all his life and says he’s amazed at the many changes the city has experienced. We recently checked in with him to learn more about his experience with real estate and what continues to inspire his interest. 

Ann Wagoner is a yoga therapist, has taught yoga for over 25 years and is a certified practitioner of Ayurveda. She researched protocols and herbs for the prevention of cancer recurrence and is a NAMA presenter. She is also a student of Rama Jyoti Vernon and publishes yoga books. We recently asked her about her experience with Ayurveda, and what inspires her about teaching and the subject matter. 

Jackie Babicky Peterson is a strategic adviser to small businesses at Portland Community College’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Her clients are interested in making a living doing what they love. Her most recent project is a book titled, "Age is Opportunity," and capitalizes on her energetic approach to equip SBDC clients with the ability to combine their small business ideas with decades of professional experience into a plan to become successful business owners later in life. 

Courtney Freed runs a production company in the Portland area and is a graduate of the PCC SBDC Solo Business Builders program. She is launching a production company that helps solo performers take their show on the road. Her current project is a one-woman show called Mercury Rising.

What is Mercury Rising? It’s a Freddie Mercury jazz tribute show and it celebrates his music. It’s a 1930s cabaret event, and it's super fun! We're doing a tour in the fall of 2018, going to Chicago in October and hopefully Los Angeles in the winter and we'll hopefully do another run of it here in Portland.

Across the country, hundreds of thousands of people participate in American Heart Association (AHA) trainings every year, and many of these courses are available at Portland Community College’s Institute for Health Professionals. These cardiology-focused trainings help nurses, doctors, medics, and even professionals in non-healthcare settings be ready to support or save a life at a moment’s notice. The American Heart Association is the top provider of these trainings in the United States, offering evidence-based strategies that help in a cardiac event.

Dave Amato has been active in the real estate industry for 45+ years and an active Real Estate Broker since 2003. During his 23-year career as a builder/developer his projects added over 200 units of housing to Portland metro market. He has served on the board of directors for the Portland Metropolitan Home builders and currently serves on the Board of the Oregon Association of Realtors. We recently sat down with him to learn more about his course.

Pharmacy technician job prospects continue to represent a success story in the American economy in 2018. Data from 2017 demonstrates there were nearly 80,000 job postings nationwide – with over 1,700 opportunities listed in the Portland-metro region. At PCC’s Institute for Health Professionals, students in the pharmacy technician program enjoy flexible schedules and can become qualified in just six months. 

by Ann Wagoner

Many factors inspire people to detach from outside stressors and embark along the path of an inward search. The need isn’t new, and it’s been explored for over thousands of years by cultures around the world. But, where to begin the journey? 

The ancient teachings of Ayurveda and Yoga are excellent conduits to guide us to deeper understanding. PCC’s Ayurvedic Yoga Health Advisor program combines ancient healing knowledge with contemporary applications about the inner workings of the mind, body and consciousness. When we can find our hearts and minds in a place of deep relaxation and vast awareness, we can discover our true potential and experience remarkable healing.