Join us for two impactful days focused on leadership in uncertain times. We will have sessions on strengthening your organizations and building stronger narratives, with hands-on learning and advocacy to support small businesses. CEOs and leadership are encouraged to attend. All are welcome.
Day 1: Training & Power Building (The California Endowment)
Prepare for a day of hands-on learning, valuable networking, and growth opportunities tailored for CDFIs and TA providers. In the afternoon, we’ll engage in power-building exercises designed to strengthen your impact.
Day 2: Advocacy Day (State Treasurer’s Office)
Ensuring equal opportunities for all small businesses is vital to building a strong, competitive economy. Our collective voice is essential in safeguarding and advancing the entrepreneurial ecosystem we’ve built together. To kick off the day, we’ll hear from a keynote speaker who will offer valuable insights on how we can continue fostering an equitable environment for California’s entrepreneurs.
We’ll spend time talking to our legislators to advocate for the issues that matter most to small businesses. Together, we’ll prioritize small business concerns, push for investments in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, support responsible business lending, and engage in important discussions about the state’s role in driving an equitable economic development.
Join us in shaping the future for California’s diverse small businesses!
Pricing & Payment
If you are a CAMEO Member, please contact Dara Dado at ddado@cameonetwork to receive your discount code.
General Pricing:
- 2-day registration: $200
- 1-day registration for Summit Day 1 or Advocacy Day 2: $125
Early Bird Discount (Members Only) ends April 28, 2025:
- 2-day registration: $175
- 1-day registration: $100Eventbrite uses PayPal for payment processing. You can pay with your PayPal account or check out as a guest using your credit card.
Hotel Accommodations:
A block of rooms is available at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento—just a 7-minute walk from the venue. Book by May 6, 2025, to secure our special rate!
Sponsor the 2025 CAMEO Network Summit
Gain visibility among leaders in small business advocacy and economic development.
AGENDA
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
The California Endowment
1414 K Street #500
Sacramento, CA 95814
8:30-9:30 am Registration/Continental Breakfast/Intentional Networking
9:30 am Welcome and Keynote
10:00 – 11:00 am Fundraising Strategies and Considerations During Uncertain Times
Join us to learn and connect with your peers on how to re-think and refine your fund development strategy to weather the ups and downs of uncertain times now and in the future.
Given the current political climate, nonprofit organizations find themselves needing to pivot the strategies they utilize to fundraise including finding new sources of earned revenue and diversifying grant sources. This session aims to shed light on the different approaches to fundraising that CAMEO Network members have adopted in these changing times. Funders will be sharing their perspectives on current trends in philanthropy in the ever-changing landscape. Overall, this panel will provide insights for leadership of ways CDFIs and TA organizations navigate the ups and downs of uncertain times now and in the future to ensure the long-term sustainability of both their financial health and impact in the community.
11:00-11:15 am Break
11:15am-12:15pm Solving for the CFO Dilemma: 5 Financial Questions Any Org Should Know How to Answer
Senior leadership of non-profit organizations fortunate enough to have a CFO or senior finance leader may not always track the financial ins and outs of their organization. For both accountability and stopgap purposes, every senior leader should be able to easily answer or know how to track down the answer to at least 5 questions. Whether it is exploring what drives your organization’s budget, its cash flow, or year over year outlook, shore up your financial understanding. Join our panel of senior leaders at their respective organizations as we share the key questions you need to know or have at your fingertips to be more effective in your leadership role. Learn more about what role a CFO can play in facilitating your understanding as a fellow leader.
12:15-1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 – 2:15 pm Afternoon Keynote
2:15 -4:15 pm Harnessing Narrative Power: Know Your Power. Build Your Power. Wield Your Power.
Workshop Format:
- Interactive Presentation: Introduction to the core frameworks: Know → Build → Wield → Leverage and Captivate → Transform → Influence.
- Breakout Activities: Participants apply narrative reframing techniques to real-world scenarios.
- Group Share-Outs: Reflection and collective insights on narrative shifts and actionable strategies.
In an era where narratives shape perception, policy, and power, controlling your story is essential. This interactive workshop equips participants to reclaim narratives, shift harmful perceptions, and amplify impact through powerful storytelling. Grounded in the Know Your Power. Build Your Power. Wield Your Power. framework, this session helps participants understand the full cycle of narrative and advocacy power: from awareness to activation, and from alignment to bold advocacy.
Participants will also reflect on how to remain grounded in their organization’s mission and values while navigating uncertainty, disruption, and systemic challenges. The session will highlight how narrative power and strategic storytelling can help leaders frame their work in ways that attract funding, engage stakeholders, and drive advocacy—while staying aligned with the communities they serve and the truth of their impact.
Through hands-on breakout sessions, attendees will apply additional narrative power tools—such as the Captivate, Transform, Influence storytelling model—to real-world organizational scenarios. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to align messaging with mission, resist erasure, and communicate with clarity, courage, and conviction, even in politically turbulent environments.
4:15 – 4:30 pm Next Steps / Wrap Up
5:00 pm – Happy Hour
Thursday. May 29, 2025
State Treasurer’s Office
901 P Street, Conference Room
Sacramento, CA 95814
8:30-9:30 am Registration/Continental Breakfast/Intentional Networking
9:30 am Welcome and Invite Guests
10:00 – 11:00 am Advocacy Day Preparation
11:00- 3:00/4:00pm Meetings (exact end time tbd)
12:00-1:30 Lunch available on Swing Space 7th floor
4:00 Wrap/happy hour