Atlanta, GA. September 9-13, 2024. Atlanta Marriott Marquis.
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.
Check out what our attendees had to say about 2023 event in Nashville, TN.
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.
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)
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
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.
Read Bio
James Rhee
Founder
Red Helicopter
Read Bio
Denise Press, VP
Head of Small Business, North America, Visa Commercial Solutions
Read Bio
Lisa Shimkat
Chair, America’s SBDC Board of Directors.
State Director, America’s SBDC Iowa.
Read Bio
Felipe Arroyave
President, Spectrum International.
Georgia SBDC Client & SBA’s NSBW 2024 International Trade Winner
Read Bio
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)
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
Read Bio
Sam Berg
Co-CEO, Next Street
Read Bio
Drew Tonsmeire
Area Director
UGA SBDC at Kennesaw State University
Read Bio
Anwar Dougsiyeh
Founder and co-creator of Lotus Rosery
Read Bio
Mike Daniel
Regional State Director of the Orange County Inland Empire SBDC, California
Read Bio
Carl Brown
State Director of the D.C. SBDC Network
Read Bio
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`
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
Read Bio
Charles “Tee” Rowe
President & CEO, America’s SBDC
Read Bio
Robbie Parks
Business Consultant, Georgia SBDC Network
Read Bio
Alexander Pederson
Director of the Santa Cruz SBDC in the Northern California SBDC Network
Read Bio
Rachel Rossetti
Instructional Designer, Google
Read Bio
Nico Aguilar
Chief Executive Officer, Speeko
Read Bio
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Closing Happy Hour – Atlanta Celebration
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.
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.
Harvard 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.
Leads 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.
Co-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.
Former 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.
Co-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.
Andre 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.
Oversees 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.
Turn-key Tradeshow Booth
2 Attendee Passes
All F&B Functions
Networking
Branding
Signage
Speaking Opportunities
Turn-key booth
Multiple Attendee Passes
Networking
All F&B Functions
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.
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.
Make Your Mark: Free Social Media Graphics for the Event
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!