Thursday, May 19, 2011

Empowering Entrepreneurs Theme for SBA National Business Forum



Small Business Administration

News Release


PRESS OFFICE



Release Date: May 16, 2011 Contact: Cecelia Taylor (202) 401-3059

Release Number: 11-32 Internet Address: www.sba.gov/news

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SBA Kicks Off National Small Business Week 2011

In Washington, D.C.
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Business Forums on Social Media, Exporting and Strategies for High Growth, High Impact Firms Free to the Public

WASHINGTON – The nation’s top entrepreneurs will gather this week to be recognized for their entrepreneurship, growth and success during the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Week celebration, May 18-20, 2011, in Washington, D.C.

Under the theme "Empowering Entrepreneurs,” the three-day event at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Conference Center will highlight business owners from 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, whose business achievements have contributed to job creation, the economy and to the nation’s recovery. The National Small Business Person of the Year will be named from this group on Friday, May 20.

Awards will also be presented for notable achievements in disaster recovery, government procurement, small business advocacy, and to top-performing SBA resource and lending partners.

Featured Speakers at National Small Business Week will include:

Administrator Karen Mills, U.S. Small Business Administration

Deputy Administrator Marie Johns, U.S. Small Business Administration

Valerie B. Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island)

U.S. Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-Louisiana)

Gail McGovern, President and CEO, American Red Cross

Cathy Hughes, Founder and Chairperson of Radio One Inc., and Chair of SBA’s Advisory Council on Underserved Communities

Steve Case, Co-founder of AOL and Chair of Startup America Partnership

Bill Rancic, Reality Show Star, Executive Producer and Author

Seth Goldman, President and TeaEO, Honest Tea

National Small Business Week will also feature a series of small business forums that are open to the public. The forums address real-world topics that affect small businesses, including Growing Your Business While on the Go, Social Media, Exporting Tools for Success and Strategies for High Growth, High Impact Firms.

The public can register for the free forums onsite starting at 1:00 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 18. Events during National Small Business Week can be viewed virtually through SBA’s free, live webcasting accessible online at www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com/webcast.php. Visit www.NationalSmallBusinessWeek.com to register for forums, and for the full Small Business Week schedule. A list of the 2011 state winners can be found online at

http://nationalsmallbusinessweek.com/index.php?page=winners.

National Small Business Week 2011 Schedule of Events

(Subject to Change)

Wednesday, May 18

1:00 pm – 6:00 pm Registration Open

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Pre-Function Area

Sponsored by Microsoft

2:30 pm – 4:30 pm Growing Your Business While on the Go - A Road Warrior's Perspective

Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom

Sponsored by AT&T and SCORE

Speaker: Bill Rancic

Thursday, May 19

8:00 am – 5:00 pm Registration Open

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Pre-Function Area

Sponsored by Microsoft

8:00 am – 5:00 pm Cyber Café Open

Mandarin Oriental, Hillwood Room

Sponsored by Google

8:30 am – 9:45 am National Awards Breakfast Honoring Procurement Award Winners

Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by Raytheon

10:00 am – 11:15 am Forum #1: Social Media: Get Your Business Connected

Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom

Sponsored by Intuit

11:30 am –12:45 pm Forum #2: Strategies for High Growth, High Impact Firms

Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom

Sponsored by Careerbuilder

Speaker: Seth Goldman

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Phoenix Awards Luncheon

Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by Sam’s Club

Speaker: Sen. Jack Reed

2:30 pm – 5:00 pm Networking Time – Visit Sponsor Tables, SBA Officials and the Cyber Cafe

Mandarin Oriental Exhibit Areas

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Congressional Reception

Hart Senate Office Building, Room SH-902

Speaker: Sen. Mary L. Landrieu

Friday, May 20

8:00 am – 2:00 pm Registration Open

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Pre-Function Area

Sponsored by Microsoft

8:00 am – 5:00 pm Cyber Café Open

Mandarin Oriental, Hillwood Room

Sponsored by Google

8:30 am – 9:45 am Breakfast Honoring the Entrepreneurial Development and Lender Award Winners

Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by Northrop Grumman

Speaker: Steve Case

10:00 am – 12:00 pm Forum #3: Exporting Tools for Success

Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom

12:30 pm – 2:30 pm National Awards Luncheon Honoring State Small Business Winners

Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by Sam’s Club

Speakers: SBA Administrator Mills, Valerie B. Jarrett

2:30 pm – 4:00 pm Networking Time – Visit Sponsor Tables, SBA Officials and the Cyber Café

Mandarin Oriental Exhibit Areas

7:30 pm – 11:00 pm Champion Award Winners Gala

Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by Visa and Avaya

Speakers: Deputy Administrator Johns, Cathy Hughes

Media Contacts:
Dennis Byrne
dennis.byrne@sba.gov
(202) 205-6567

Cecelia Taylor

cecelia.taylor@sba.gov
 (202) 401-3059



Small Business Week 2011 sponsors and cosponsors include: Association of Small Business Development Companies, AT&T, AVAYA, CareerBuilder, Dun & Bradstreet, Google, International Franchise Association, Intuit, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, National Association of Development Companies, National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, National Association of Small Business Investment Companies, National Association for the Self-Employed, National Small Business Association, Nomadic Display, Northrop Grumman, Office Depot, Raytheon, Sam's Club, SCORE, The Neat Company, Verio, Visa, the Wall Street Journal, and

Women Impacting Public Policy.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s participation in this cosponsored activity does not constitute an express or implied endorsement of any cosponsor’s, donor’s, grantee’s, contractor’s or participant’s opinions, products, or services. All SBA programs and cosponsored programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made, if requested at least 2 weeks in advance, by contacting sbw@sba.gov. Cosponsorship Authorization #SBW2011.
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