Annual America’s SBDC Conference
Atlanta, GA. September 9-13, 2024. Atlanta Marriott Marquis.
About Our Event
For 45 years, America’s SBDC has hosted its annual professional development conference for its business advisors and SBDC network professionals. This national event brings together over a thousand SBDC professionals and around fifty sponsors and exhibitors for learning, networking, and engagement.
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Check out what our attendees had to say about 2023 event in Nashville, TN.
The SBDC Training Event of the Year
America’s SBDC conference is the premier professional training event of the year for the national SBDC network. Over 430 workshops were submitted this year during the call for papers submission in January. The Association’s Conference Committee, after months of rigorous review, has selected 132 workshops from 118 presenters to be featured at this year’s event. Additional workshops from our sponsors will be added in the upcoming months, and we are thrilled to bring this impressive line-up to Atlanta this September.
Check The Schedule
Friday, Sept. 6th
Saturday, Sept. 7th
Sunday, Sept. 8th
Board of Directors Breakfast (Board Only)
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
America’s SBDC Board Dinner (Board Only)
Monday, Sept. 9th
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Tradeshow Build-out by Decorator
7:30 am – 3:00 pm
General Session Build-out by Decorator
7:30 am – 8:30 am
America’s SBDC State Director’s Breakfast
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Info Desk Open
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Pre-Conference Workshops
8:30 am – 12:00 pm
America’s SBDC State Directors Meeting
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
State Director Lunch
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
America’s SBDC State Directors Meeting
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Attendee Registration
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
General Session Rehearsal
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
National Advisory Board Meeting
Tuesday, Sept. 10th
7:30 am – 4:00 pm
Attendee Registration
7:30 am – 4:00 pm
Info Desk Open
8:00 am – 10:00 am
Exhibit Hall set-up by Exhibitors
8:15 am – 9:30 am
Associate State Director Meeting
8:15 am – 9:45 am
Workshops
10:00 am -12:00 pm
General Session
Airlift for Small Businesses — What Small Businesses Need to Take Off,
Sponsored by Visa
Michael Brown
Principal U.S. Economist
Visa Inc.
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James Rhee
Founder
Red Helicopter
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Denise Press, VP
Head of Small Business, North America, Visa Commercial Solutions
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Lisa Shimkat
Chair, America’s SBDC Board of Directors.
State Director, America’s SBDC Iowa.
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Felipe Arroyave
President, Spectrum International.
Georgia SBDC Client & SBA’s NSBW 2024 International Trade Winner
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12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Lunch in Exhibit Hall
2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Workshops & Exhibit Hall Open
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Happy Hour in Atrium Lobby
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
STAR Reception, Georgia Aquarium (By Invitation Only)
Wednesday, Sept. 11th
7:30 am – 4:00 pm
Attendee Registration
7:00 am – 8:00 am
Morning Refreshments in Exhibit Hall
7:00 am – 9:30 am
Exhibit Hall Open
7:30 am – 4:00 pm
Info Desk Open
8:30 am – 9:45 am
Workshops
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
General Session
Supporting Small Business Digital Transformation,
Sponsored by Verizon
Carrie Hughes
Senior Director of Social Innovation, Verizon
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Sam Berg
Co-CEO, Next Street
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Drew Tonsmeire
Area Director
UGA SBDC at Kennesaw State University
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Anwar Dougsiyeh
Founder and co-creator of Lotus Rosery
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Mike Daniel
Regional State Director of the Orange County Inland Empire SBDC, California
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Carl Brown
State Director of the D.C. SBDC Network
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12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Exhibit Hall Open & Lunch on Tradeshow Floor
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Workshops
5:00 pm – 6:15 pm
Happy Hour in Exhibit Hall
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
40 Under 40 Award Event, All are welcome!
2:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Exhibit Hall Open
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Exhibit Hall Breakdownx`
Thursday, Sept. 12th
7:00 am – 8:00 am
Morning Refreshments in the Foyer
8:15 am – 9:30 am
Associate State Director Meeting
8:15 am – 9:30 am
Workshops
11:15 am – 1:15 pm
Lunch – Sponsored by Google.
1:15 pm – 4:30 pm
Workshops
10:00 am – 11:00 am
General Session
AI for SMBs: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Small Business Growth
Sponsored by Google
Andre Dickens
Mayor
Atlanta, Georgia
Lucy Pinto
Sr. Marketing Manager, Google
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Charles “Tee” Rowe
President & CEO, America’s SBDC
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Robbie Parks
Business Consultant, Georgia SBDC Network
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Alexander Pederson
Director of the Santa Cruz SBDC in the Northern California SBDC Network
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Rachel Rossetti
Instructional Designer, Google
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Nico Aguilar
Chief Executive Officer, Speeko
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5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Closing Happy Hour – Atlanta Celebration
Join Our Event as Exhibitor / Sponsor
We’d love to have your company join us in Atlanta, GA. America’s SBDC can customize your conference experience, or you can select one of the opportunities in our Conference Prospectus.
- High visibility and brand attribution.
- Various Networking Opportunities
- Precon & Workshops
- Turn-key tradeshow booths
Keynote & Moderators
Tuesday's General Session
Airlift for Small Businesses — What Small Businesses Need to Take Off
Sponsored by Visa
Michael Brown
Principal U.S. Economist Visa Inc.Oversees Visa’s U.S. economic analysis and forecasting. Translates complex economic data into actionable business intelligence for company, clients, and government. Recognized as a top forecaster by Bloomberg News. Provides economic and policy research to clients and partners.
James Rhee
Founder of Red HelicopterHarvard Law graduate turned high school teacher and private equity investor. Bridges math with emotions, capital with purpose. Transformed a struggling retailer with kindness and math, capturing global attention. Renowned educator, investor, and thought leader. Creates sustainable balance of life, money, and joy through red helicopter platform. Recognized by leading business and civic organizations.
Denise Press
VP Head of Small Business, North America, Visa Commercial SolutionsLeads North American Small Business strategy for Visa Commercial Solutions. Over 25 years in payments and financial services. Deep understanding of small business needs from issuer, owner, and stakeholder perspectives. Experienced leader in payments industry with roles at Visa, BMO, and Mastercard. Passionate about entrepreneurship and community development.
Wednesday's General Session
Supporting Small Business Digital Transformation
Sponsored by Verizon
Sam Berg
Co-CEO, Next StreetCo-CEO of Next Street with over two decades in financial services. Founded fintech consulting firm. Held executive roles at major banks, including Amalgamated, Capital One, Citi, Chase, and American Express. Focused on small business and community banking. MBA from NYU Stern, BA from Wellesley. Served on boards supporting underserved small business owners.
Chanda Bell
Founder and Co-CEO, Author, Executive Producer and Director of The Elf on the ShelfFormer middle school teacher, now visionary founder and co-CEO of The Lumistella Company. Created and built The Elf on the Shelf into a global phenomenon. Transformed Christmas traditions through imaginative storytelling and entrepreneurial spirit. Popular author, speaker, and entrepreneur.
Christa Pitts
Founder & Co-CEO of The Elf on the ShelfCo-CEO and founder of The Lumistella Company, creator of The Elf on the Shelf. Global brand builder with extensive experience in sales, advertising, and television. Sought-after keynote speaker and media personality. Recognized for business acumen and leadership. Entrepreneur Of The Year award winner.
Thursday's General Session
AI for SMBs: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Small Business Growth.
Sponsored by Google
Andre Dickens
Mayor. Atlanta, GeorgiaAndre Dickens, the 61st Mayor of Atlanta, is a proud native focused on equity and opportunity. Since taking office in January 2022, he has prioritized public safety, youth opportunities, neighborhood empowerment, and housing. Dickens previously served as an at-large City Council member and is an entrepreneur and tech leader.
Lucy Pinto
Sr. Marketing Manager, GoogleOversees Google's skilling initiatives for SMBs, including Grow with Google Digital Coaches program. Scaled program to 20 states, training over 235,000 small business owners. Manages Grow with Google Partner Program, SMB content development, and strategic partnerships. Established endowed scholarship and serves as mentor.
Exhibitor Rate
Turn-key Tradeshow Booth
2 Attendee Passes
All F&B Functions
Networking
Sponsors Start at
Branding
Signage
Speaking Opportunities
Turn-key booth
Multiple Attendee Passes
Networking
All F&B Functions
Sponsors
Explore Atlanta & The Marriott Marquis
Plan your Atlanta itinerary with a multitude of attractions and activities that can soothe the soul or push the envelope on adventure — it’s all yours for the taking.
Marriott Bonvoy App for Mobile Key
Attendees have the option of leveraging Mobile Key to decrease physical touch. If you provided your Marriott Bonvoy number during the registration process, you will be able to use the app’s mobile key feature to access your room with your mobile phone.
Promotional Toolkit & Logo
Make Your Mark: Free Social Media Graphics for the Event
Stay connected!
Stay tuned for updates on the next edition of the conference.
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for the latest news and announcements.
We look forward to seeing you again soon!