Small Business Commissioners

Stephen Adams, President

Kathleen Dooley, Commissioner

Stephen Adams, Commission  President

Steve Adams manages the San Francisco branch network for Sterling Bank & Trust and is known for his accomplishments and advocacy in community organizations throughout the city. 

As Board President of the Merchants of Upper Market since 2007, Steve worked with the mayor’s office of economic development, LGBT Center and Castro Community Benefits District to develop a successful program that resulted in the Upper Market and Castro commercial districts consistently having the lowest retail business vacancy in the city. He also drove the creation of a Farmers Market in the Upper Market NCD, helped attract the MILK filming to the neighborhood, created a neighborhood retail brochure that is distributed in hotels and visitors centers in SF, and significantly enhanced the merchant holiday promotion.

Steve has also served as Vice Chairman the Board of Project Open Hand and was on the board of the Golden Gate Business Association for several years. 

As a banker dedicated to supporting small businesses in San Francisco neighborhoods, Steve expanded the Sterling Bank & Trust network from one to fourteen branches throughout his tenure at the bank. He also pioneered and implemented the TIC mortgage program that supports home ownership and small business loan programs that help local businesses grow.

Kathleen Dooley, Commissioner

Commissioner Dooley is a 25 year resident of Telegraph Hill and a longtime North Beach small business owner. After graduating from Mills College, and a stint in NYC, she moved to San Francisco in 1983 and established Columbine Floral Design in 1985. After 20 years as a shopowner on Grant Avenue in North Beach, she transitioned to freelance design in 2005 and continues to provide custom designs for both businesses and private clients throughout the City. She has been an active neighborhood leader for many years, serving 2 terms on the Board of Directors of the Telegraph Hill Dwellers. She co-founded the North Beach Merchants Association in 2003 and currently is serving her second term as President.

During her service on the Board of the NBMA, Dooley has become active as a local liaison between small business owners who are being targeted with ADA compliance lawsuits and City government. As commissioner, she plans to continue to work to develop comprehensive City issued informational tools that will both assist small businesses to clearly understand ADA compliance requirements and also guide them to resources that will help them fulfill these obligations in an affordable manner.

Mark Dwight, Commissioner

Mark Dwight is the founder and CEO of Rickshaw Bagworks, a San Francisco-based manufacturer of messenger bags, computer carrying cases, bicycle packs and urban lifestyle luggage. Rickshaw manufactures it’s own products in its own factory in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco. Since its founding in 2007, Rickshaw has grown to 22 full-time employees. Mark is also the founder and Chairman of SFMade.org, an organization supporting San Francisco-based manufacturers and promoting job growth in the local manufacturing sector. Prior to founding Rickshaw, Mark was the CEO of Timbuk2 Designs (2002-2006), also a San Francisco-based luggage manufacturer. Before he started designing and making bags, Mark spent 18 years working in various Silicon Valley technology companies, including Cisco Systems (1997-2001). Prior to founding SFMade, Mark served on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce (2004-2011). Mark also served on the Backstreets Business Advisory Board (2005-2007), sponsored by Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, which produced a report with policy and land use recommendations for the City of San Francisco relating to businesses in the production, distribution and repair (PDR) sectors. Mark was born in Palo Alto, and raised in Los Altos. Mark has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (1982) and an MBA (1989), both from Stanford University. Mark lives in the SOMA neighborhood, and has been a San Francisco resident since 2002.

managing and developing companies in various sectors of the economy including electronic engineering, telecommunications and real estate. Founding member of Murphy & O'Brien Real Estate Investments head quartered in San Francisco. Prior to that worked as General Manager of local development company Pattani Construction. Strengths include strategic, analytical, entrepreneurial and decision making skills in both domestic and international business environments. Founding member and elected inaugural President of the San Francisco Coalition For Responsible Growth.

William Ortiz-Cartagena

William Ortiz-Cartagena, born and raised in the San Francisco’s Mission District has over ten years in the hospitality industry enjoying a successful career with Joie de Vivre hospitality.  After leaving Joie de Vivre William founded several companies and now focuses his efforts in the challenges experienced by underserved communities in San Francisco.  William also serves on the board of the Mission Economic Development Agency and is a Commissioner on the San Francisco Small Business Commission.

Monetta White, Vice President

Monetta White is Managing Partner of 1300 on Fillmore, a full service restaurant in the Fillmore District. 1300 on Fillmore opened in 2007, and has approx. 35 employees. Monetta heads all operations, finance, marketing and investor relations. She has served as Vice President of the Fillmore Community Benefit District and was instrumental in the Fillmore District revitalization and marketing of the district. Prior to opening 1300 on Fillmore, Monetta ran her own event marketing firm that partnered with marketing firm Opts Ideas producing top events ranging from Microsoft to Wall Street Journal. Monetta is a native San Franciscan. 

 

Irene Yee Riley, Commissioner

Irene Yee Riley is currently a member of the San Francisco Small Business Commission, previously a San Francisco Housing Authority Commissioner. Retired from Bank of America as a Senior Vice President and Senior Market Executive, managed the Bank of America community development programs in California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Hawaii including the development of affordable housing, specialized lending to community-based organization, affordable mortgage lending and investment in real estate development.

Riley has held a variety of leadership positions in operations and consumer banking. Since 1996, she served as senior vice president and consumer region executive for the Bank’s Special Markets Region in Northern California, which included 33 banking centers that serve a range of communities in the greater Bay Area.

Riley also owned and operated the Irene’s Fashion in the late 70’s and the Silkyway Inc., a retail store, in the 80’s.

Riley is a graduate of The CBA Graduate School of Retail Banking at the University of Virginia and The Federal Reserve Bank’s National Community Development Lending School at the Case Western Reserve University.

An active member of the community, Riley is past president of the Chinese Newcomer’s Service Center, the Chinese American Women’s Business League, the Park Presidio Lions Club and the Hong Kong Association of Northern California. She served on the board of directors of the Wu Yee Children’s Services, the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation and the Chinese Culture Center. She is co-chair of the San Francisco Taipei Sister City Committee, Past President of the Association of Asian American Bankers, Chairperson of the UCSF Asian Heart and Vascular Center Advisory Cabinet and she serves on the board of directors of the On Lok Senior Health Services.

Riley is the past recipient of the Outstanding Asian Women Award from the Asian Women’s Resource Center, the Asian American Achievement Award from the Organization of Chinese Americans and 2001 Outstanding Overseas Chinese Award from the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association and the Chinese Consolidated Women’s Association, and the 2004 Outstanding Community Member Award from the Wu Yee Children Services. In recognition of her achievements, Irene received the CEO’s Eagle Award, Bank of America’s highest associate honor for exceptional performance.

Irene was also honored by the City and County of San Francisco Board of Supervisors who designated May 8, 1996 Irene Yee Riley Day, and was also honored by Mayor Gavin Newsom for her outstanding contributions to the community and designated June 15, 2004 Irene Yee Riley Day.

Commissioners may be contacted through the Commission office at:

Small Business Commission
City Hall, Room 110
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102

Phone: 415.554.6408
Fax: 415.558.7844
E-Mail: chris.schulman@sfgov.org
Website: www.sfgov.org/osb

Small Business Assistance Center, City Hall, Room 110, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: 415-554-6134 Office Hours: M-F, 8 AM - 5 PM