What are Regional Councils?

AEO’s Regional Councils are meetings of local microbusiness champions (government, private, foundations, non-profit, etc.) who want to elevate the issues facing microbusinesses in their regions to all local ecosystem stakeholders so that together we can focus on solving the most pressing challenges facing our communities. Ultimately, our goal is to provide local solutions to regional issues by convening key stakeholders in a series of virtual and in-person events throughout the year.

Three Ways to Participate

Become a Member:
participate in discussions, share learnings, and solve problems.

Sponsor a Region:
underwrite costs, share the work you are doing, and/or brand your organizations work to the ecosystem

Be a Convener:
host one of the in-person summits at your facility

Regional Councils Summit: Leveraging Regionalism to Empower Small Businesses

The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) is proud to announce our upcoming summit: “Leveraging Regionalism to Empower Small Businesses.” This groundbreaking event will convene experts, thought leaders, and stakeholders to delve into strategies aimed at fostering small business growth within diverse regional landscapes.

Date: Thursday, May 2, 2024
Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: National Press Club, 529 14th St, NW, Washington, DC 20045

In recognition and celebration of Small Business Week, our summit seeks to underscore the pivotal role of small businesses as drivers of economic vitality and community prosperity. By exploring innovative approaches to harnessing regional resources, enhancing infrastructure, and fostering collaborative partnerships, we aim to unlock new pathways for small business success.

The Regions

West

Alaska
Arizona
California
Hawaii
Idaho
Nevada
Oregon
Washington

Central

Arkansas
Colorado
Louisiana
Montana
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Dakota
Texas
Utah
Wyoming

Midwest

Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
Ohio
Wisconsin

South

Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Mississippi
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee

MidAtlantic

Delaware
District of Columbia
Maryland
Pennsylvania
Virginia
West Virginia

Northeast

Connecticut
Massachusetts
Maine
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Rhode Island
Vermont

Objective

Our mission is to elevate the issues facing microbusinesses, particularly those underserved, in our regions to all local ecosystem stakeholders so that together, we can solve the pressing challenges within our community.

The Regional Councils will seek to find pragmatic approaches to these challenges by: highlighting best practices; collaboratively devising strategies; and, advocating for the necessary interventions.

Our commitment is to ensure that knowledge and insights are shared with the larger ecosystem, thereby fostering a collective understanding of microbusiness interests and driving positive change across the country.