Originally named the Small Business Alliance, the organization was started in August 2009 by a group of expat small business operators led by co-founder Mike Styles with the goal of supporting one another’s’ respective business ventures by networking and sharing information, contacts, and more at monthly mixers.  After only a couple of months several non-business members of the community expressed interest in participating.  In response to this broader interest, in early 2010 the organization morphed into the Community Action Alliance, with the broader objective of supporting the community at large.