Nadia Arbelo, promoted as the new Assistant Director for the Kansas SBDC at Washburn University.

Nadia Arbelo, adviser for the Manhattan Outreach Center, has been promoted to assistant director for the Kansas SBDC at Washburn University. Nadia will join Karl Klein in the Topeka office to drive entrepreneurial impact for Topeka and the 12-county region they serve.

As the assistant director for the NE Region and Business Advisor for the Kansas Small Business Development Center (KSSBDC) Nadia is excited about the collaboration and synergy this opportunity brings. Nadia worked in a similar role with Western North Carolina SBTDC and as an independent consultant in both public and private sectors.

Nadia has worked across sectors, from retail to manufacturing, and delivered educational and administrative services to public and private schools from Kansas City to Abu Dhabi. Nadia also entered the European Union’s only Ph.D. program in Philosophy and Theory of Visual Culture, focusing her research on gender equity and Female Identity in Public Spaces.

As an area SBDC Assistant Director, Nadia believes that- “Supporting lifelong learning-by-doing develops the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit in every individual.” Nadia’s role in KSSBDC and in cooperation with affiliate organizations is to encourage and support small businesses, put ideas into practice, forge relationships that lead to successes, and lift underserved urban and rural communities.

“Since Nadia was hired in 2022, she has created impact and spread entrepreneurial vibrancy in the Manhattan region through collaboration and bridge-building with the community, entrepreneurs, and the small businesses we serve. We look forward to the ongoing commitment of Nadia to the state, region, and clients we assist,” said Karl Klein, regional director of WU SBDC