California Governor's Office of Economic Development

The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) was created by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. to serve as California’s single point of contact for economic development and job creation efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development and assistance with state government. Kish Rajan was selected as the first Director of GO-Biz in 2012, but on May 8, 2015 stepped down from his post to head up a nonprofit in Southern California.

The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) includes the following units:

• Executive: Director, (vacant).
• Communications and Policy: Deputy Director, (vacant)
• California Business Investment Services (CalBis): Deputy Director, Leslie McBride
• Permit Assistance: Deputy Director, Paul Martin
• Small Business: Deputy Director, Barbara Vohryzek
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Deputy Director, Louis Stewart
• International Affairs & Business Development: Deputy Director, Brian Peck
• External Affairs: Deputy Director, Jorge Jaramillo
• Legislative and Inter Government Affairs: Deputy Director, Will Koch
• Legal Affairs: Deputy Director, Grace Arupo-Rodriguez

As part of the Governor’s 2012 Budget, the elements of economic development under GO-Biz were realigned to put stronger emphasis on job creation and promoting California as a place to do business. :

• Infrastructure Bank (I-Bank)
• Film Commission
• Travel and Tourism Commission
• Small Business Loan Guarantee Program
• Small Business Development Center