2023 AEO National Conference

Hear directly from an exclusive gathering of esteemed researchers who are focused on small business trends and data-driven approaches to problem-solving across the ecosystem. This event will feature robust panel discussions and the audience will enjoy direct engagement during Q&A. Attendees will experience engaging thought leadership, insights, and findings that can inform and empower businesses of all sizes, as well as the organizations that serve them. This exclusive pre-conference event is limited to 75 attendees.

Expert trainers will guide attendees through a variety of topics for organization leaders and entrepreneurs at every stage of growth. Training sessions will focus on a wide range of topics such as management skills, organizational culture, coalition building, people skills, and more. Attendees will leave the AEO Training Institute equipped with actionable insights, tools, and skills that can be put into practice immediately within their organizations and programs.

AEO Regions are divided into five geographic regions across the country: West, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast and South. Learn about special opportunities in your region and how you can stay involved and connected all year-long.

Attendees will be welcomed to the City of Detroit with an address from Kala Gibson, Executive Vice President, Head of Business Banking & Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer at Fifth Third Bank. Following a grand opening, AEO President and CEO Connie Evans will host enlightening conversations with a variety of dynamic leaders across industry sectors on how they’ve had to reconnect and reroute their priorities to solve today’s multiple challenges facing the business community in the post-pandemic era.

This session will feature a robust discussion with mayors from urban, suburban, and rural settings. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear what has worked in each local economy, and gain insight into how these bipartisan strategies and initiatives can be expanded, as well as how practitioners and small businesses can access them.

From lingering supply chain issues, talent shortages, and ongoing inflation, this conversation will uncover fresh insights and actionable solutions that can be applied to businesses and organizations of all sizes.

Attendees will have the opportunity to bring their own on the ground observations and insights to help each other jointly problem solve collective issues. Each will collaborate  through a variety of topics including credit building and lending, retaining labor, consumer financial products, and special challenges for both rural and urban practitioners. Additionally, the working groups provide a collaborative space for attendees to share ideas and ideate solutions to be tested in the field well after the conference has ended. Working groups will meet twice during the conference. Each attendee will select one Working Group and one track (urban or rural) within that group to ensure an iterative and robust discussion of solutions, high-impact practices, and lessons learned.

1. The Gospel “Not” According to FICO: New Models of Creditworthiness
   Discuss innovative funding opportunities outside of traditional financing entities.
   1. Lending Differently
   2. Revenue Based Underwriting (Common Futures)
   3. Partnerships with Fintech Small Business Lenders
2. The Modern Economy: Supporting Entrepreneurs Through Evolving Challenges
   Find solutions to current business challenges from staffing, marketing, and pricing.
   1. Modern Jobs: Retaining Labor
   2. From Digital to Data to Dollars
   3. The Cost Factor
3. Economic Mobility: Uncommon Partnerships for Wealth Building
   Discover ways to build wealth through unique products and unconventional strategies.
   1. Leveraging Consumer Financial Products
   2. Competitor-to-Partner Models of Collaboration
   3. New Strategies for Assessing Impact
4. Shifting Ground: Special Challenges for Urban and Rural Practitioners
   Gain shared perspectives on how lending and population shifts impact both rural and urban communities.
   1. Changing Lending Products as Entrepreneurs Change Course
   2. Personalizing Technical Assistance through Trusted Guidance
   3. Managing Capacity Amid Population Fluctuations

The AEO Small Business Intensives will inform and inspire business owners to achieve their long-term goals and empower them to position themselves as true leaders in their communities. These interactive and informative opportunities will focus on finding new lenders, building marketing and branding skills, practical management advice and understanding government contracting at the local level.

1. Prepare and Pursue: Helping Lenders Help You
2. Demystifying Government Contracting: Unveiling Federal Opportunities at the Local Level

The session will open with an unveiling of preliminary findings from AEO’s groundbreaking research on today’s 1099 workers, followed by a showcase of independent contractors who will share their experiences in the workplace. Finally, attendees will hear from leading policy makers on how government policies at all levels must elevate and support both businesses and the 1099 workers that they hire.

The AEO Small Business Intensives will inform and inspire business owners to achieve their long-term goals and empower them to position themselves as true leaders in their communities. These interactive and informative opportunities will focus on finding new lenders, building marketing and branding skills, practical management advice and understanding government contracting at the local level.

1. From Chief Everything Officer to Chief Executive Officer: Working ON the Business, Not IN the Business
2. Upskill to Scale Up: How Marketing, Branding, and Digital Literacy Catalyze Growth

Attendees will have the opportunity to bring their own on the ground observations and insights to help each other jointly problem solve collective issues. Each will collaborate  through a variety of topics including credit building and lending, retaining labor, consumer financial products, and special challenges for both rural and urban practitioners. Additionally, the working groups provide a collaborative space for attendees to share ideas and ideate solutions to be tested in the field well after the conference has ended. Working groups will meet twice during the conference. Each attendee will select one Working Group and one track (urban or rural) within that group to ensure an iterative and robust discussion of solutions, high-impact practices, and lessons learned.

1. The Gospel “Not” According to FICO: New Models of Creditworthiness
   Discuss innovative funding opportunities outside of traditional financing entities.
   1. Lending Differently
   2. Revenue Based Underwriting (Common Futures)
   3. Partnerships with Fintech Small Business Lenders
2. The Modern Economy: Supporting Entrepreneurs Through Evolving Challenges
   Find solutions to current business challenges from staffing, marketing, and pricing.
   1. Modern Jobs: Retaining Labor
   2. From Digital to Data to Dollars
   3. The Cost Factor
3. Economic Mobility: Uncommon Partnerships for Wealth Building
   Discover ways to build wealth through unique products and unconventional strategies.
   1. Leveraging Consumer Financial Products
   2. Competitor-to-Partner Models of Collaboration
   3. New Strategies for Assessing Impact
4. Shifting Ground: Special Challenges for Urban and Rural Practitioners
   Gain shared perspectives on how lending and population shifts impact both rural and urban communities.
   1. Changing Lending Products as Entrepreneurs Change Course
   2. Personalizing Technical Assistance through Trusted Guidance
   3. Managing Capacity Amid Population Fluctuations

Attendees will hear from each awardee as they share their reflections on the evolution of the ecosystem and the future of Main Street. Featuring fine cuisine and eng aging entertainment, this celebration will be one to remember.

Attendees will leave this year’s conference inspired, equipped, and empowered to reconnect the ecosystem.