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In anticipation of US Small Business Week, Mayor Eric Garcetti will present his 2nd Annual Small Business Summit, a multi-faceted, free program with workshops, exhibitors, and hands-on contracting and certification assistance.

Agenda:
(subject to change)

9 am Registration and Networking

10 am Plenary Program with City of LA dignitaries and the US SBA

• Mayor Eric Garcetti, City of Los Angeles
• Victor Parker, District Director, Small Business Administration
• Larry Frank, President, LA Trade Technical College
• Francisco Rodriguez, Chancellor, LA Community College District

10:30 am Group Photo with Mayor Eric Garcetti

10:40 am Plenary Program with Guest Speakers

• Patrick Niemann, Greater Los Angeles Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
• Erik Huberman, Founder & CEO of HawkeMedia, the 15th Fastest Growing Private Company in LA County
• Noramay Cadena, Co-founder & Managing Partner, MiLA Capital, establishing tech-enabled startups, and Make in LA, an early-stage accelerator.

11:00 am - 3 pm Breakout Groups / Contracting Clinic / Resource Expo / Food Trucks open

Breakout Group I - Startup Track (capacity of 120 participants):

11 am Startup Funding Strategies

• Moderator: Claudia Moreno, Small Business Majority
• Monica Guevara, North and West Valley LA BusinessSource Center
• Namoch Sokhom, Mid-City LA BusinessSource,
• Santhosh Devati, SCORE and Anamika Ventures
• Connie Sparks, Round1 Funding

12 pm Earn Your First Major Contract

• Moderator: Sky Kelly, Avisare
• Arlene Apodaca, Partners in Diversity
• Carmen Rad, CR&A Custom
• Vanessa Ballesteros, Sunbox
• Jack Ochoa, Infinity GPC
• Michelle Quirante, LA Contractor Development & Bonding Program

1 pm Tech Tools and Digital Marketing

• Moderator: Cassie Betts, Made in South LA
• Kalika Yap, Citrus Studios
• Jessica Reveles, J Squared Communications
• Giselle Washington, We the Incubator

2 pm Start Your Business in LA

• Moderator: Miki Reynolds, Grid 110
• Ruben Sanchez, East LA BusinessSource
• Monika McKnight, LA Office of Finance
• Lorraine Garcia, South Valley BusinessSource

Breakout Group II - Growth Track:

11 am Growth Strategies for Established Businesses (over 2 years old)

• Moderator: Todd Hitomi, LA Cleantech Incubator
• Derek Kissinger, Hollywood & Harbor BusinessSource Centers
• Mark Sogomian, Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
• Alphonso Reed, Southeast LA WorkSource Center
• Ann Kono, Leda Advisory Group
• Michael Wedaa, Augmentus, Inc.

12 pm Promoting your Brand, Products & Services

• Moderator: Hajj Flemings, Rebrand Cities
• Ajay Relan, The Parlor, Hilltop Cafe, #hashtaglunchbag, and The Magical Threads Company
• Dara Toulch, Ballantines PR
• Danetta Jackson, CA Dept of General Services
• Jen Bilik, Knock Knock and Who’s There Group

1pm Growing Through Government Contracting

• Moderator: Priscilla Chavez, PCL Construction
• Karyn Son, Dept of Water & Power
• Chamberlain Duru, LA World Airports
• Aura Garcia, Bureau of Public Works
• Ken Billups, Clark Construction
• Tricia Carey, Port of LA

2 pm Establishing a Location in LA

• Moderator: Bryan Schweickert, DWP
• Sally Zesut, Avison Young
• Andy Park, Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
• Bob Duenas, LA Dept of City Planning
• Adam Burgess, LA Dept of Building & Safety
• Terri Billups, US SBA

Contracting Clinic

• Get help applying for your Business License or certification as a small/diverse business
• Get help registering or improving your profile to do business with the City of LA
• Get help getting certified by the State of CA

Resource Expo

• Network with 70+ exhibitors, including prime contractors, lenders, technical assistance providers and more

Food Trucks

• No host on-site refreshments available for purchase at your convenience between 11 am and 3 pm.

3pm Event concludes

The program is presented in partnership with Small Business Majority with support from EY and the LA Department of Water & Power.

FAQs

Is there a cost to attend the event?

There is no cost to attend the event. Thanks to our partners and sponsors, the event is completely free to attend. However, registration is required.

Where should I park?

Free parking is available in the parking structure at 23rd Street, between Grand Avenue and Hill Street, at the the Southwestern corner of campus.

Will refreshments be provided?

Complimentary refreshments will not be provided. However, tables and chairs will be provided for those who choose to bring a brown bag lunch and food trucks will be available for purchasing refreshments after the plenary program.

How can I become a speaker at this event?

All speakers have been booked for this event. To be considered for future opportunities, please forward speaker qualifications to mayor.communitybusiness@lacity.org.

Are exhibit tables available for this event?

To maintain a non-commercial, robustly educational environment, exhibitors at this event are by invitation only. Space is reserved for government agencies, procurement and contracting decision-makers, lenders, providers of free to low-cost technical assistance, relevant nonprofits, and outreach partners. The exhibit area is now full.