Our members represent individuals, small businesses and corporations throughout the San Francisco Bay area and beyond. Here’s a closer look at a few of them.
Jason Snell
ProReferee
Jason Snell is President and CEO of San Jose-based ProReferee, a leading supplier of apparel and equipment for soccer leagues and referees. ProReferee is a NGLCC-certified LGBE Business Enterprise. The business was featured in the Silicon Valley Business Journal article about coping with the COVID-19 challenge. Jason and his business successfully pivoted during COVID-19 to sell PPE face masks.
You can reach Jason at (408) 320-5295 or [email protected]. Visit the ProReferee website at www.proreferee.com.
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Grey Nishio
Owner, Interstate Medicare, LLC
Grey Nishio is the board president of the New Mexico Out Business Alliance. Born in Houston, raised in San Diego, Grey has been on the networking circuit in multiple cities for over 20 years, before settling in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After 26 years, he retired from the US Army in 2020 and owns Interstate Medicare, LLC, an insurance agency, specializing in Medicare, ACA/Individual market place, and small group plans. He continues to network in Albuquerque and enjoys meeting new people and businesses.
Grey Nishio, Agent, can be reached at Interstate Medicare, LLC, 505-385-5979 or [email protected]
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Brian Gryder
Morris + D’Angelo Certified Public Accountants
Morris + D’Angelo CPAs of San Jose pride themselves as “not just another CPA firm.” And Brian Gryder, one of “The CPA Dudes,” definitely defies the stereotype.
At Morris + D’Angelo, Brian is the Director of International Tax Services. He focuses on closely-held enterprises and their owners. He provides financial services for entrepreneurs to determine how and where they should operate, expand, and consolidate. This includes how to optimize taxable income. “Morris + D’Angelo relies on clear communication, fixed and value-based pricing, and openness to new ideas.” he says.
This can be of incredible benefit to a business, whose records sometimes suffer over time. If you’ve had serial accountants, The CPA Dudes are also happy to take you on. “We clean up business messes, and turn them into gold,” Brian says. For example, one of his customers came to him after years of business with no continuous CPA. “We saved tax of $2.5 million dollars by digging back through their books,” he explains.
When not working, Brian spends time restoring his 1903 Naglee Park bungalow (second oldest in the neighborhood). He is currently restoring the original woodwork, which involves removing eleven layers of lead-based paint. “And there is so much more to do. I’ll probably never finish this house,” he laughs.
Contact Brian for your financial services and tax needs (or to ask him about historical restorations) at [email protected], or 1-408-292-2892.
Perry Clark, LMFT
Untangle and Grow Counseling
Bay Area native Perry Clark explored many industries before he chose to focus on counseling. “I’ve worked in retail, food services, construction, security, special needs education and more,” he says. When Perry decided to get his Master’s in Counseling Psychology, he realized that his exposure to all of these environments provide him a unique understanding of his clients’ issues.
Perry works with individuals, couples and adolescents. His centralized principle of looking at situations is this: Many things – physical, mental, emotional, and/or spiritual – appear in our lives as visible and invisible ropes, chains, vines, and roots. We become entangled, preventing us from moving forward in our life.
Perry’s role is to identify these restrictions and guide his clients in untangling themselves; thus freeing each person to grow into their fullest selves.
He’s been in practice for two years now. Like many other people, the pandemic forced him to work online with his clients. “When the initial wave hit,” Perry says. “I did a lot of stumbling, and had a dip in clients.” Now comfortable with virtual counselling, Perry is back on track with more clients than before.
You can contact Perry Clark at [email protected]. Visit his website here to read more about counseling practice.
Renee Johnson
Website Designer
“Web sites should be easy to navigate, clean and engaging,” says Renee Johnson. Through her business, Renee J. Design, she focuses on creating web sites for small businesses with that clear vision in mind.
Her background is a technical one. Working as a manager for the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for many years, Renee’s team maintained the electronic, electrical and physical infrastructure for four air traffic control towers, the largest being San Jose, as well as communication and navigation systems on the airports and remote sites..
After retiring, Renee combined her interest in technology and art by getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Web Design and Interactive Multimedia from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Why the Art Institute? “Since my entire background was technical, I thought I would focus more on my right brain side (artistic side),” she explains.
Renee designs, updates and maintains sites for a very diverse clientele; recent projects include updating a pet sitting site, and creating a site for a small business startup.that sells bedbug and other pest control products.
She loves expanding her skill set, and has taken advantage of shelter in place by taking a variety of classes online. Renee also serves on our Rainbow Chamber board of directors and creates our newsletter, and she is the current president of the Silicon Valley Rainbow Rotary. Additionally, she is a member of the Women’s Networking Alliance, where she is her club’s ambassador.
Thanks Renee, for the work you do for our Chamber, and your great, easygoing attitude!
Visit Renee’s website at http://www.reneejdesigns.com/ or contact her at [email protected]
Mark Patrosso, Certified Life Coach
Patrosso & Associates
In 2018, Mark Patrosso was managing a construction project team for Kaiser Permanente. He’d just finished a large assignment: the completion of the $160 million dollar Santa Clara Kaiser Medical Office Building near the San Jose airport. He felt ready for a break – and he retired. “But I’m not that old,” he says, “So I started a business.”
Mark decided to move from managing people to helping them to manage themselves. He enrolled in an intensive program at the Life Purpose Institute in San Diego, and became a certified life coach in March 2018. He launched his new business, Patrosso & Associates, in March 2019.
“I start out asking my clients: What do they want? What are their goals?” Mark says. “And then I help them develop an action plan and coach them through it.” He stresses that life coaching is not therapy. For certain issues such as financial planning, health/fitness and drug/alcohol issues, clients set the goals and he refers them to one of a trusted group of specialists.
During COVID, Mark is working via Zoom and telephone. “Some clients prefer the anonymity of a phone call,” he says. He recently coached one client through the process of starting up her dream business making and selling organic soaps.
Mark has been a long time member of our Chamber and President prior to Roak Clayton even before he owned a business. We wish him the best in this new venture! Mark’s website is Patrosso.com; or you can email him at [email protected]
Jonathan Martinez
Office Manager, Allstate Insurance
Jonathan Martinez manages the Allstate Insurance Office in downtown Campbell. He’s been able to continue working during the pandemic, and spends much of his time contacting current clients. “I am making a more genuine connection with each person,” he says.
Much of Jonathan’s social life is wrapped up with his community activism for causes including minority, LGBTQ rights and immigration issues. He attends meetings, marches and knocks on doors. And he uses social media to raise funds for causes; most recently for PPE and food drives – which he also helps distribute. “I’m very passionate about giving back,” Jonathan says.
Contact Jon at 408.374.8640 or [email protected]
