About Us - Small Business Development Center

Built on passion and ingenuity

The Small Business Development Center at Rock Valley College takes pride in the fact that we help the local community with their business needs at no cost. The lifeblood of our cities comes from the small businesses that choose to stay in the Greater Rockford community, so it's important we serve them.

Capital Advisory

Get expert guidance on what capital sources are best to fund your business needs.

M&A Advisory

Our expert advisors can help walk you through buying and selling your business or even planning a roadmap to retirement and sale of the business.

Business Strategy & Market Research

Real time market research can enable your business to strategically take advantage of trends in all industries.

Expertise = Outcomes

1.4k+

Satisfied clients

15M+

Debt & Non-Debt Financing

6k+

Advising Hours

165

Jobs Created

Illinois SBDC at Rock Valley College Success 2017-2023

Trusted by clients

Our clients trust us with their business.

Get to know amazing people

Meet our team of business experts

Nate Jordan

Center Director

Nate Jordan is an ambitious business professional and SIUC alumnus who holds a B.S. in Plant Biology and is a proactive member of the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors as well as the SIU College of Marketing's External Advisory Board.
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A firm believer in social impact and innovation, Nate founded Sprekk Technology Services in 2018, an on-demand phone repair company committed to community philanthropy. He also co-founded Sprekk Supply Group in 2020, a medical device distribution firm specializing in cutting-edge non-invasive pain management solutions for chronic pain patients.

His expertise in creating and executing robust business plans, optimizing processes, and navigating commercial real estate transactions make him an invaluable asset for companies looking to scale and succeed.
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Nate's consulting capabilities are further bolstered by his Go-To-Market experience at Cleo.com, a leading SaaS B2B EDI & API integration provider, and at ToroTMS, a SaaS company focused on streamlining operations for logistics organizations.

His background in diverse industries enables him to apply best practices and innovative solutions to meet the unique challenges faced by companies, ensuring they thrive and accomplish their strategic goals.

Nancy McDonald

Executive Director Grants & Small Business Development

Nancy McDonald is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and a Rockford native.
Her professional background includes several years of economic and fund development in Illinois and Wisconsin municipal government.

Included in this experience is administration of local US Department of Housing and Urban Development Homeless Assistance grant programs, Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District development and administration, Small Business development, Brownfields management, and municipal and nonprofit strategic planning.

When she isn’t working or volunteering, Nancy enjoys writing, reading, and crafting humorous cross stich creations which are given to unsuspecting recipients to enjoy or regift at a later date.

She lives with her husband, Doug, children Nathan and Megan, and cat, Fat Dave in Rockton, Illinois.

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“We have invested in a newer, nicer truck, have opened a line of credit, bought a second brand-new trailer, and have been able to afford a ton of advertising! Without the SBDC, we may have never even started this journey”

John Cantu

815 Junk Removal

"Edward has helped me tremendously with my business. Since working with Edward I am more confident than ever, and my business is becoming everything that I’ve imagined. He’s always there when I need him for help or any questions I may have. I am so blessed that he is a part of my journey! Thank you, Edward. SBDC rocks!"

Keayonia Starks

Kellie Cheree Candles

“Our banker mentioned the SBDC and we met with them to help us write a business plan and dig through the P&L’s. By doing our due diligence with the SBDC It was definite plus knowing that we could be profitable and run a self-sustaining business.”

John & Amy Randolph

Cherry Valley Garden Center

“The SBDC brought us so much value. There was content creation, ideas, scheduling, and the SBDC really helped us develop that and get it out to our social media platforms. As a result, through the first 16 weeks of 2021, we've had more sales than all of 2020.”

Schscha Lofquist

Crandall Stats & Sensors

“I'm so grateful for Edward and the SBDC for being able to assist us in our journey."

Brisa Berumen

SeaBreeze Non Emergency Medical Transportation

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What is the Small Business Development Center?