Rancho Cordova Chamber staff, business owners, residents and city staff attended the 14th annual Rancho Cordova Business Expo. Photo courtesy of the Rancho Cordova Area Chamber of Commerce

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - The Rancho Cordova Area Chamber of Commerce brought together local innovation, energy and community spirit June 26 at the 14th annual Rancho Cordova Business Expo, a half-day event that drew more than 400 attendees and nearly 100 local vendors to City Hall.

Held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2729 Prospect Park Drive, the expo featured 96 exhibitor booths, a 32% increase from last year, representing a broad range of industries including nonprofits, food services, education, media, healthcare, financial services and technology.

“The idea is to showcase our members and other small businesses in the community back to the community, other vendors and other businesses,” said Diann Rogers, president and CEO of the Rancho Cordova Area Chamber of Commerce.

California Care Givers participated in the Business Expo, showcasing their services and highlighting how they support the local community. Photo courtesy of the Rancho Cordova Area Chamber of Commerce

Throughout the event, visitors sampled foods, collected branded gadgets and exchanged business cards in a festive and welcoming atmosphere. Vendors used the opportunity not just to promote their services, but to make genuine connections with others invested in the growth of Rancho Cordova.

Chris McIlwain, co-owner of McIlwain Mobility Solution, said his team relished the chance to introduce their specialized offerings to the community.

“We’re a one-stop mobility shop,” McIlwain said. “We bring the fun things for people to enjoy no matter what their abilities are. A lot of our items let people enjoy things that they might have thought they couldn’t anymore.”

Exhibitors representing San Juan Soccer, a nonprofit youth club, saw the expo as a way to both raise awareness and secure funding for their mission.

“We’re here to build that revenue for our soccer kiddos and help keep as many players in the sport as possible,” a club representative said. “It’s been great so far, there’s a lot of great people and were meeting a lot of cool businesses.”

Western Health’s Raymond Banwait highlighted the preventative side of healthcare during the event.

“Part of what we are doing here today is we want you to stay healthy, so we are giving some utensils here to encourage people to eat healthy,” Banwait said.

Dr. Steven Gest, founder of MednRx and Same Day Health Care Pharmacy, used the event to educate attendees about growing gaps in pharmacy access.

“We try to address the problem that is coming up in our society, that pharmacies are closing, creating pharmacy deserts,” Gest said. “Through the use of technology, we are offering pharmacy and medical services right here in Rancho Cordova.”

Throughout the event, visitors sampled foods, collected branded gadgets and exchanged business cards in a festive and welcoming atmosphere. Photo courtesy of the Rancho Cordova Area Chamber of Commerce

Several organizations focused on social services and workforce development also participated, including Volunteers of America.

“We are a national organization,” said Chris Mann, director of employment for Volunteers of America. “We work with the small business community, so this is a great event for us. We get the client working, and we keep them working. We believe everybody has a right to work and everybody has the right to be helped if they want it.”

Military service and veteran support were also represented by the National Capital Officers Association (NCOA). Tammy Sullivan, chairman of the auxiliary chapter and international auxiliary president, shared the organization’s ongoing efforts.

 “The NCOA is a fraternal nonprofit organization that supports our military. What we do is lobby for our veterans, past, present and future,” Sullivan said. “Our membership entails being part of a community that supports our veterans.”

Scott Rodowick, treasurer of the auxiliary chapter, added, “It’s an advocacy group for our veterans and active-duty folks. We do things that help support that community and their needs.”

The event was as much a celebration as it was a marketplace, offering a platform for small business owners, nonprofit leaders and curious community members to share ideas and build lasting partnerships.

Planning is already underway for next year’s expo which will return on the fourth Thursday of June 2026 according to Rogers.

Seth Henderson contributed to this article.

Watch the reporter package here: https://youtu.be/sSQKckZNZy8