Minnesota network’s State Star is Pat Campanaro

Pat Campanaro

Pat Campanaro, a business advisor with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) working through the Cook County Grand Marais EDA and the Northland SBDC, has been named by her peers as the Minnesota network’s 2020 State Star.

Campanaro was nominated by the EDA leadership team and chosen in a statewide vote for her outstanding leadership, exemplified during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In her nomination, her team noted that Pat’s effort throughout the pandemic went above and beyond making sure every business in Cook County was aware of all the opportunities available through state and federal funding streams. Pat created a weekly blog and worked with her clients to apply and obtain the funding they needed to survive. With the launch of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, she created a contact list that included all of the establishments that could apply and walked them through the process so that they were ready when the portal went live. In 2020 Pat generated $3,659,125 in capital raised for clients and participated in 14 new business starts.

“I was honored to be nominated by our team, and it means a lot to be recognized by my peers across the state,” Campanaro said.

The State Star award recognizes:

*Impact on clients,

*Innovative approaches,

*Team spirit, and

*Willingness to go the extra mile.

Campanaro earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and English and a Master’s degree in leadership from Augsburg College. Before working for the SBDC, she was a sales professional and national accounts director in the telecommunications field and taught college-level business and ethics courses.

About the Northland SBDC

The Northland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is a nationally accredited statewide network supporting entrepreneurs and business owners through no-cost, confidential consulting and business education. Regional SBDC experts facilitate improvement and growth for small and emerging mid-size companies and help launch successful new enterprises. The Northland Foundation hosts the Wisconsin SBDC. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the State of Minnesota and private foundations.