On Thursday, May 17, 2012, SBA and the White House Business Council are heading to Detroit, Michigan for the Urban Economic Forum- connecting entrepreneurs and small business owners with business tools and resources. Thursday’s forum will cover topics like SBA guaranteed loans,  government contracting programs and business counseling services.  The Detroit Urban Economic Forum is the seventh in a multi-city series with upcoming forums in Chicago, IL and Columbus, OH.

Speakers for this forum include-

Administration:

• Cecilia Muñoz, Assistant to the President and Director, Domestic Policy Council, White House
• Marie Johns, Deputy Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
• Nicole Lamb-Hale, Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing Services, U.S. Department of Commerce
• David Hinson, National Director, Minority Business Development Agency
• Rosie Rios, Treasurer of the United States, U.S. Department of Treasury, Moderator
• Ari Matusiak, Executive Director, White House Business Council, White House
• Jamie Bennett, Chief of Staff & Director of Public Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
•  Portia Roberson, Strong Cities, Strong Communities Detroit Team Lead, Department of Justice
• Jay Williams, Director of Auto Communities, Department of Labor

City of Detroit:

• Honorable Dave Bing, Mayor, City of Detroit, Michigan  

Panelists/Speakers:

• Karl I. Bell, Senior Vice President, Invest Detroit
• Torya Blanchard, Good Girls Go To Paris Crèpes
• Jeff Bocan, Managing Director, Beringea, LLC
• Anthony Curis, Owner, El Guapo Fresh Mexican Grill
• Don Davis, President & CEO, First Independence Bank
• Emily Doerr, Founder, Hostel Detroit
• Ken Harris, President & CEO, Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce
• Josh Linkner, CEO & Managing Partner, Detroit Venture Partners
• Andra Rush, President & CEO, Rush Trucking
• Leslie Smith, President & CEO, Tech Town
• Steve Vogel, President & CEO, Grameen America

To join us, tune into the forum on White House Live or follow the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #UrbanEconForum.  The event kicks off at 9:10 AM EDT.

What: Urban Economic Forum

Where: Cobo Center, Detroit, MI

When: Thursday, May 17, 9:10 AM EDT

Watch: White House Live or Twitter (use hashtag #UrbanEconForum)

Yesterday, I joined Secretary Ray LaHood  and other senior members of the Obama Administration for the US Department of Transportation’s annual Small Business Day.

This day-long event, themed “Moving Forward,” provides small businesses the chance to discuss procurement opportunities with federal contracting officers and attend valuable workshops designed to help them reach the next level of growth. During the morning plenary session, I was able to outline some of the US Small Business Administration’s key initiatives and encourage the entrepreneurs in attendance to take advantage of the many tools SBA has to offer.

 As a former small business owner, I know first-hand the challenges entrepreneurs must overcome to grow their companies.  In a tough economy, it is especially important for firms to find ways to tap into resources that will enable them thrive.  That is why we at the SBA work tirelessly to expand access to new markets for small businesses across the country. For example, last month, we announced the American Supplier Initiative, a government-wide effort to remove the barriers many small businesses face in offering goods and services to large private sector companies. One component of the American Supplier Initiative is Supplier Connection, a free common application that allows small businesses to simultaneously send information about their products to participating private sector buyers. With over $300 billion in purchasing power, some of the household brands in the partnership include Facebook, Bank of America, John Deere, Pfizer, and UPS.

SBA continues to build on the Obama Administration’s efforts to expand small business access to federal contracting. We maintain an online database called SUB-Net that showcase sub-contracting opportunities with large prime contractors and federal agencies. Further, SBA has numerous counseling programs including the GC Classroom—a free online training with best practices on how to do business with the federal government. And in January of this year, we kicked off our Mentor-Protégé Matchmaker conference series.  These events are designed to connect 8 (a) firms with mentors to provide them with management and technical assistance as well as joint ventures and federal contracting opportunities. In the coming months, more conferences will be announced and firms interested in participating can register here.

When President Obama talks about his vision for an economy where everyone has a fair shot and can achieve the American dream, he is talking about small business.  At the SBA, and throughout the Obama Administration, we are committed to offering many different paths to small business success.  Working together, we will create an inclusive, robust, and resilient 21^st century American economy built to last.