From Corporate Consultant to Confidence Builder: An Investor Partner's Journey with Ready to Grow

When Marty Ramirez retired in July 2025, he didn't ease into it. Within weeks, he was at SVP Portland's door.

"I've gained skills and experiences over a very long career," he says, "and it seemed wrong

to just put them away once I retired."

Marty had heard about SVP more than a decade earlier but hadn't been able to commit. Retirement changed that. He jumped in quickly, drawn by something specific: the childcare crisis in Portland. "Portland does not lack demand," he says. "We lack supply. And SVP does so much to improve this."

He'd soon find himself in the middle of that work.

Getting to Work

Ready to Grow is SVP Portland's business development program for early childcare and education providers. Marty joined the program as a volunteer advisor and got to work on the program's central challenge: helping childcare providers build a business plan for expansion.

His role was hands-on throughout. Each session, after the day's curriculum wrapped up, he connected the lessons to a specific section of the business plan and gave participants tools and guidance for completing it. At the completion of all modules, he sat down with each participant individually to go through their plans and offer feedback.

He expected it to feel like consulting work. It didn't.

"I thought the work would be transactional," he says. "But I found out it was really more about building confidence and giving encouragement."

What He Witnessed

The participants in Ready to Grow are childcare providers — people with deep knowledge of children and families, but often without formal business training. Building a business plan can feel out of reach.

"In the corporate world, building a business plan is intimidating even for people with formal training," Marty says. "The Ready to Grow participants lacked these fundamentals, and they thought they couldn't actually build a business plan."

Over the course of the program, that changed. "They gained knowledge and confidence, and their plans began to take shape."

Watching that transformation gave Marty pause in a way he didn't expect.

"I had a career in large corporations. I had infrastructure and the protection of a large organization. Many of the Ready to Grow participants were a company of one. The risk and pressures are immense. But they were willing to commit to this months-long process because they wanted to expand their reach and impact. That is the truest definition of courage."

Why It Matters

Marty is clear-eyed about what Ready to Grow is really doing in the community.

"Early childhood development is critical. It puts children on the path to success. Ready to Grow directly affects the number of children who are afforded this chance."

He's excited about what comes next, not just for the participants who go on to expand, but for all of them. "Even if many of the expansion plans don't move forward, the skills participants learned will definitely help them manage their existing centers. And fewer will disappear due to lack of business skills."

That last part isn't small. In a city with a childcare shortage, keeping existing providers stable and equipped is its own form of impact.

Marty came to Ready to Grow thinking he'd share what he knew about business plans. What he didn't expect was to leave feeling humbled — by people running companies of one, carrying real risk, and showing up anyway.

Read more about the Ready to Grow program and the Class of 2026 graduation here.