Speakers Announced: AEO Regional Summit May 2

The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) Regional Summit event, “Leveraging Regionalism to Empower Small Businesses,” is one week away!  This groundbreaking event will convene experts, thought leaders, and stakeholders to delve into strategies aimed at fostering small business growth within diverse regional landscapes.

AEO is proud to announce the following speakers participating in next week’s event:

Fireside Chat with Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Alejandra Y. Castillo

 

Alejandra Y. Castillo Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Alejandra Y. Castillo

 

Join AEO president and CEO, Natalie Madeira Cofield, in a Fireside Chat with Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Alejandra Y. Castillo, as they discuss the profound impact small businesses have on regional economies across the nation and challenges the continue to face.

 

Regional Discussion 1: A State perspective on empowering small business

Moderated by Todd Greene, Vice President of WorkRise at the Urban Institute, this panel discussion will provide a State’s view of the challenges and opportunities within the small business ecosystem. He will be joined by:

 

State Economic Development Panel
Todd Greene Todd Greene, Vice President of WorkRise at the Urban Institute (Moderator)
Carolina Martinez Inez Long Wendy Baumann Ines Polonius
Carolina Martinez, CEO of California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity (CAMEO) Inez Long, President and CEO of the Black Business Investment Fund (BBIF) Wendy Baumann, President and Chief Visionary Officer at the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation Ines Polonius, CEO of Communities Unlimited, Inc.

Regional Discussion 2: Leveraging local innovations and opportunities to grow small businesses

Join us on a journey of local economic development and small business empowerment. We’ll dive deep into the transformative potential of taking a local approach, exploring how innovation and collaboration can fuel the success of small businesses. Moderator Alison Evans, Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development Specialist at the U.S. Small Business Administration, will be joined by:

 

Local Economic Development Panel
Alison Evans Alison Evans, Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development Specialist at the U.S. Small Business Administration (Moderator)
Daniel Flores John Lewis Brienne Maner
Daniel Flores, Vice President of Government Relations, Greater Washington Board of Trade John Lewis, CEO of The Harbor Bank of Maryland Brienne Maner, President of Start Up Sioux Falls

 

Following these discussions, we invite you to join AEO in a Conversation on Sustainability and Inclusion for small businesses. In the ever-evolving landscape of modern business, a seismic shift towards Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles is reshaping the way enterprises operate. As this transformation takes center stage, AEO has recognized the critical need to decode the implications of ESG commitments, especially within the context of diverse and inclusive supply chains.

 

Chelsea Maxwell Chelsea Maxwell, MSW and AEO Senior Research Associate leads “Conversation on Sustainability and Inclusion for Small Businesses”

 

AEO’s Senior Research Associate, Chelsea Maxwell will discuss the implications for small and microbusinesses, and explore how ESG is pivotal for their sustained success in the changing market dynamics.

We are excited to have you join AEO as we work together to shape the future landscape of regional economic development and small business empowerment.