Staff

Erica Chase-Gregory joined the Long Island SBDC ( Farmingdale) in 2011 as a Business Advisor. In recognition of her leadership and dedication to small business success, she was appointed Regional Director of the Farmingdale SBDC in 2015.

During her tenure with the SBDC, Erica has led efforts that have supported more than 12,600 small businesses, helping entrepreneurs access $294.9 million in capital to start, grow, and expand their businesses. Her work has played a significant role in strengthening the small business ecosystem across Long Island.

Erica is a graduate of Farmingdale State College and remains actively engaged with the institution as a board member of both the Broad Hollow Bioscience Park and The Children’s Center, located on campus. She regularly conducts business workshops for a wide range of business organizations and is actively involved in numerous Long Island business networking groups.

Under Erica’s leadership, the Farmingdale SBDC has earned numerous awards for excellence and is consistently recognized as one of the top-performing SBDC centers in New York State.

Lauren Linakis joined the Long Island SBDC (Farmingdale) in 2019. Prior to joining the SBDC, she served as Associate Director of the LaGuardia Community College APEX Accelerator (formerly PTAC), where she helped small businesses navigate government contracting and effectively market their goods and services to government agencies.

Throughout her career, Lauren has specialized in assisting small businesses with government registration, certification, and the contract application process. In recognition of her collaborative efforts supporting clients across the New York SBDC network in the government procurement space, she received the New York SBDC’s Lead by Example Award in 2020. In 2022, Lauren was named one of America’s SBDC Top 40 Under 40 Young Professionals, honoring SBDC staff nationwide for innovation, leadership, and dedication to the SBDC mission.

In addition to her expertise in government contracting, Lauren has completed the North Star Cybersecurity Certification Program and supports small businesses in understanding and implementing cybersecurity best practices.

Lauren holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Barnard College and a Master’s degree in Economic Development from Columbia University.

 

Brandon DeFeo joined the Long Island SBDC (Farmingdale) in July 2024. Since joining, he has advised over 200 clients and helped small businesses secure more than $2.5 million in capital funding through a combination of SBA loans, owner investments, and grants.

Brandon is the center’s lead advisor on implementing AI solutions for small businesses. He attended the ASBDC National Conference, dedicating his time to learning how AI can enhance efficiency, marketing, and operations for entrepreneurs.

Prior to the SBDC, Brandon founded Rudy’s Tees in 2017, a full-service screen-printing and apparel company serving small businesses in the Town of Huntington and selling products online and through local consignment shops. In 2020, he received a Gold Stevie Award from the American Business Association for Student-Run Company of the Year. In 2021, he was honored with the Town of Huntington’s 30 Under 30 Award for his impact on the local community.

Brandon’s experience spans retail management, customer service, inventory control, marketing, and sales. He previously managed a local café and his family’s hardware store, deepening his understanding of small business operations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a minor in Graphic Design from Farmingdale State College.

Michael Genova joined the Long Island SBDC ( Farmingdale) in April 2014, where he played a key role in supporting the business community during the recovery from Superstorm Sandy. In this role, Michael assisted more than 200 businesses impacted by the disaster, helping them navigate available resources and rebuild their operations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael was asked to rejoin the SBDC to once again support local businesses through an unprecedented crisis. He worked closely with entrepreneurs to access critical local, state, and federal relief programs, assisting more than 300 businesses in securing disaster grants and loans to stabilize and recover.

Currently, Michael focuses on supporting start-up businesses, sharing practical resources and guidance to help entrepreneurs launch, grow, and sustain successful ventures.

Prior to his work with the SBDC, Michael owned and operated his own haircutting business and gained valuable financial services experience as a Relationship Manager for a large credit card processing company. This combination of hands-on small business ownership and financial industry expertise allows him to provide well-rounded, practical support to the entrepreneurs he serves.

Pierre has over 25 years of business experience in Management Accounting and Financial Reporting at global banking institutions, including JP Morgan Chase and Credit Suisse.  His responsibilities and expertise have ranged from financial forecasting to cost analysis and internal transfer pricing. 

Joining the NYS SBDC at Farmingdale State College after several years of association with the SBDC at Stony Brook University is a fitting extension of his long-held interest in community based economic development through education and entrepreneurship. 

Mr. Lespinasse holds a BS in Management from Adelphi University and an MBA from Long Island University.

Christina joined the Long Island SBDC (Farmingdale) in 2013. She came to the SBDC as an advisor helping Hurricane Sandy victims with the NY Rising grant applications and succeeded in obtaining over 4 million dollars in grant money for her small business clients. With over 30 years of experience in business, specifically in the areas of Retail, Purchasing, Human Resources, Marketing and Education, she has a myriad of experience to bring to the small business community.

From 2022-2025 she was the Statewide Coordinator for the NY SBDC Center for Disability Entrepreneurship and was essential to the success of this program which resulted in 1860 new clients and delivered 103 webinar trainings of which 776 established businesses.  In 2016 Christina was awarded with the NY SBDC State Star Award.
Christina holds a M.S. degree from Dowling college in Secondary Education and was NYS certified to teach High School Business. She holds B.S. and A.A.S degrees from the Fashion Institute of Technology in Marketing/Communications and Fashion Buying & Merchandising. Christina is also a John Maxwell Certified Trainer.
 

Jeff Sherman joined the Long Island SBDC (Farmingdale) in 2023. Jeff brings more than 20 years’ experience as a commercial banker within the Long Island and Metropolitan NY markets. He specialized in commercial lending by securing funding for small business clients in various industries, for working capital, expansion, purchasing equipment, vehicles and commercial real estate.

Jeff’s diverse background in public accounting, internal auditing, owning and operating a small business franchise and his vast banking experience brings valuable benefits to SBDC clients.

Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Brooklyn College.

Since joining the SBDC, Jeff has advised over 250 clients and helped small businesses secure more than $10 million in capital funding through a combination of SBA and Conventional loans, grants and owner investments. Jeff specializes in SBA 504 and 7a loans and provides clients assistance in preparing business plans, projections, tax return analysis and personal financial statements in order to submit complete loan packages to various banks for loan applications.