County and City provide major support for landmark project

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: Supervisor Joel Anderson presents half million dollar check to kickstart the incubator business center, joined by El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells and Dr. Noori Barka, Chaldean Community Council.

May 1, 2024 (El Cajon) – Opening an incubator business center to help refugees and immigrants start new businesses has been a dream of Dr. Noori Barka for more than a decade.  On April 11, that dream came to fruition at a ceremony launching the Chaldean Community Council’s new incubator business center at 405 East Lexington Avenue in El Cajon. The center will provide help for low-income and underserved refugee communities.

Supervisor Joel Anderson called the occasion a “joyous day” as he presented a check for a half million dollars from the County to the Chaldean Community Council to kickstart the incubator business center. He also issued a proclamation declarring April 11 El Cajon Small Business Incubator Day. Funding was through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Small Business Stimulus Grant program, and the County’s Community Enhancement program.

 “For years, I’ve said we need an incubator to kick start businesses,” the Supervisor said. “In East County, we’ve got enterpreneurial spirit to be tapped,” he added, predicting that the enterprise will produce new entrepreneurs, “bringing wealth and opportunities to East County.”

He praised El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells after the city agreed to lease office space for the incubator business center for just a dollar a year, over the next five years.