About Us

We help California small and medium businesses leverage digital tools to go global.

Our mission is to leverage digital services and tools to empower SMBs to grow sales in overseas markets.

The California International Trade Center (CITC), powered by California Community Colleges, is a first-of-its-kind organization specifically designed to enhance the competitiveness of small and mid-size businesses through digital trade. Building on the 30-year history of service and partnership led by the chancellor’s office on behalf of trade activities, the CITC program is uniquely focused on digital trade.

The CITC proactively embraces the rise of scalable data-rich online services and cross-border ecommerce consumption to shepherd in a new era of online, outcomes-based global trade and FDI promotion support. Serving as a “digital trade office,” CITC offers self-service tools and targeted training which brings together the best data, SaaS solutions and government resources to empower small businesses to grow their sales overseas.

The CITC is dedicated to assisting small and mid-size CA companies in enhancing their ecommerce capabilities and growing sales online and overseas.

Our Team

Leah Goold-Haws

Statewide Director

Oversees partner development, industry and government relations and the deployment of the global digital trade office statewide.

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Joshua Halpern

Advisory Board

Provides strategic planning and oversight to ensure programs and service offerings meet the needs of tomorrow’s businesses. Guides program development including digital trade services, oversees workshop content strategy and cultivates speakersfor SMB program engagement and drives ecommerce.

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Brian Jensen

Consultant - International Marketing

Experience in international sales, provides marketing consulting and training to SMBs.

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Brandon Church

Consultant - Digital Marketing

Leads innovative training modules in eCommerce and delivers trainings to businesses. Provides SMB with SEO consulting and leads the Hub & Spoke internship program which connects interns with SMBs for global ecommerce sales and marketing.

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Kuntal Warwick

Consultant - International Market Entry

Provides global branding and market entry strategy and planning to businesses expanding internationally. Provides private-sector partnership development and content support for workshops and programs dedicated to SMEs engaged in global eCommerce.

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Simona Racek

Consultant – International Expansion

Expertise focuses on exporting solutions including assessing export regulations and facilitating applications for export-related financing and government grants.

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Perry Goldstein

Consultant - Ecommerce

Provides thought leadership and consulting to businesses interested in increasing online sales through ecommerce. Perry also assists the CITC with building strategic relationships and partnerships.

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Patricia Melendez

Consultant - International Trade

Strategic international trade specialist with 15+ years of experience successfully executing export promotion programs, business development, market research, trainings, and marketing to increase the business community’s international trade.

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Patrick L. Perreault

International Ecommerce Expert

Provides strategic support to development incremental ecommerce internationalization plans. Leads ecommerce globalization training modules for both B2C and B2B small and medium businesses.

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Haya Saad

International Ecommerce Expert

Helps businesses develop, execute and evolve ecommerce strategies and optimize their domestic and international digital channels.

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BOOK A GUIDED ASSESSMENT WITH A CITC CONSULTANT

Discover digital tools to help you address your global opportunity

The CITC has created a digital toolkit to help California exporters solve the multiples puzzles that are part of any internationalization strategy. From improving your website to conducting due diligence on a potential buyer abroad, our tools are free and simple to use. Our online tools and resources that allow for “self-serve” results which include online SEO assessment and Ecommerce Readiness assessment – both valuable reports that help a company pinpoint exact areas of need. In addition to our suite of online tools, we also offer ongoing webinars and training in key areas of cross-border ecommerce knowledge and access to consultants in a variety of areas of expertise.

EXPLORE OUR TOOLS

Explore financing and grant options to fuel your global expansion

Our team of consultants can help you identify the various financing options that are available to your company. They can help you qualify and apply to grants, small business loans, and keep you informed of the new financing avenues that become available to you over time.

LEARN MORE ABOUT FINANCING