Lucas Coleman is director of the World Trade Center team at San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. In his role, Coleman oversees the team’s three pillars of work: supporting regional exports, maximizing foreign direct investment, and enhancing San Diego’s global identity and connectivity.

Activities under Coleman’s supervision include the execution the MetroConnect export assistance program, stewardship of foreign investment projects, outbound international trade missions, and collaboration with regional stakeholders, such as the city, port, airport, and more, to further integrate San Diego into the global economy.

Coleman was instrumental in bringing an Export Specialty Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to the San Diego & Imperial Valley region, housed within WTC San Diego. The SBDC’s are a collaboration between the U.S. Small Business Administration and the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, providing funding and support to small businesses in need of no-cost, technical advising. As director of the Export SBDC, Coleman oversees a team of consultants boasting expertise in areas such as freight forwarding, customs brokerage, export financing, and global marketing and e-commerce.

Coleman hails from the San Francisco Bay Area and has a Bachelor of Arts from San Diego State University, with an emphasis in Japan/East Asia. He has spent time living in Kyoto, Japan, and is fluent in Japanese.