Equity in Action: 30th Anniversary Celebration

As the theme for this summit is Equity in Action: Innovating the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, we open the summit with a focus on the e-words: Equity. Entrepreneurial. Ecosystem. The pandemic ushered in a historic small business boom, which brought a renewed urgency to our efforts to build a more equitable ecosystem for small businesses. With so many new businesses starting, we doubled down on our work to ensure every entrepreneur has access to the capital, connections, and coaching they need to grow their business – no matter who they are or what zip code they come from. We also advocated to work toward policies and regulations that brought more resources to the ecosystem and broke down barriers to entrepreneurship. Our CEO, Carolina Martinez, lays out the vision for CAMEO Network’s plans to enrich the entrepreneurial ecosystem so that our diverse small businesses can thrive.

Hear from three organizations that exemplify interacting pieces of the entrepreneurial ecosystem that work together to provide the support system for our entrepreneurs. Maribel Rodriguez, Prospera; Jay Diallo, First Community Capital; Pamela Deans, Micro Enterprise Collaborative of Southern California

Time for something fun and time to meet your neighbors. Test your knowledge! Learn something new about the small business sector. And win a prize.

Hear from two organizations that exemplify interacting pieces of the entrepreneurial ecosystem that work together to provide the support system for our entrepreneurs. Iosefa Alofaituli, CIELO and Doug Smith, Inclusive Action for the City.

Reflections on the Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in California and Beyond, a Fireside Chat with Tara Lynn Gray, Director of the California Office of the Small Business Advocate. After a morning of theory and practice of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem that we’ve built together in California, Carolina and Director Gray will reflect on the current state and the future vision of the ecosystem and small businesses and why diversity matters.

Ms. Gambrell, a leader in the CDFI industry, will share with CAMEO Network the opportunities facing rural small businesses and the opportunities for CDFIs across the nation to create impact. We’ll hear about trends to continue equitable lending in underserved communities as well as Appalachian Community Capital’s new climate initiative creating a Green Bank for Rural America as an awardee of the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund’s Clean Communities Investment Accelerator.

The 5Cs of credit are used by many lenders to determine whether or not a borrower receives a loan, but often is a systematic barrier to access to capital for many of our clients. The California Small Business Racial Justice Coalition worked to “blow up” the 5Cs and create a new set of underwriting criteria that meets our sector’s clients where they are. Meet the new 4Cs of credit. During this session, you’ll have an introduction to the 4C’s, how they can help clients from a business advising perspective, how they differ from the 5Cs, who is lending on the 4Cs and through interactive case studies show how the 4Cs can help your business advising clients that may have been declined elsewhere to access capital. For CDFI and mission-based lenders who want to learn how to apply the 4Cs of underwriting to their lending, we’ll discuss process adoption, loan policies, practical considerations, and risk management.

Under the shared services center, which is funded by Citi Foundation’s Community Finance Innovation Fund, small business lenders can gain access to better technology, human resources and financial tools and guidance by pooling their resources. Accessity, Access Plus Capital, Pacific Community Ventures and Working Solutions share their experience being part of the cohort. This session focuses on the use of shared services to advance capacity building in the CDFI industry and why Citi Foundation is supporting this initiative. Commonalities and opportunities have been identified in each of the functional areas to provide transformative solutions under a shared cost model. Presenters will discuss the impact on cohort members along with opportunities to lead industry change.

We all know that small businesses face many challenges, and owners wear many hats.The fires, floods, and other effects of climate change constitute another of those challenges. How do we convince our clients that they need to participate in the climate solution?  How do we obtain buy-in from our clients when they have so many other issues to deal with? CAMEO Network board member Naima McQueen will lead a discussion on what it takes for small businesses to act and how to debunk the economic vs environmental justice conflict, and where to start to help business clients build climate resiliency into their business plans.

Enjoy the Marina to the sounds of flamenco guitarist, Jason El Rubio Shop at one of the small businesses displaying their wares Meet the lenders who will be available to talk about their loan products Or simply catch up with old friends and make new ones.

Mayor Todd Gloria welcomes us to San Diego and discusses the importance of small business to San Diego’s economy. Then he’s followed by a fireside chat with Alphonso David, President of Global Black Economic Forum, and co-counsel for Fearless Fund on the importance of diverse small businesses on a national scale and what California can do to ensure that diversity is protected.

Embracing emerging technology gives organizations a competitive edge, and AI is no exception. According to a recent survey, 80% of Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESOs) – which include CDFIs and TA providers – have either implemented AI or plan to do so within the next six months, demonstrating a need to better understand this technology to harness it for positive impact. Laura Kozien of Stop Whispering will highlight their recently completed a comprehensive three-part landscape analysis exploring how ESOs and the small businesses they serve are approaching AI adoption in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

A panel together of AI thought leaders will explore:

• How AI implementation aligns with CDFI and ESO mission and goals
• How AI can drive equity, efficiency, productivity, and new opportunities across operations
• Real-world use cases and ideas for implementation
• Considerations for successful AI implementation including governance, roadmaps, and resource allocation
• How ESO ecosystem stakeholders can collaborate to support AI transformation

Whether you’re an AI pro or have yet to try the tools, Roberto Martinez, Braven Agency and Google Digital Coach, will lead an interactive, hands-on activity that will utilize some AI tools.

Aimed to align strategies to better meet the needs of underserved entrepreneurs, this moderated conversation will explore the key lessons learned, innovative strategies, and best practices that are driving funding decisions and shaping sustainable, equitable growth in a post-COVID economy. Gain valuable insights into how funders are adapting their investment approaches to meet the evolving needs of the communities we serve. This engaging panel discussion features corporate leaders spearheading community and economic development initiatives that benefit microbusiness owners around the nation.

We’ve heard about the rise of anti-DEIB lawsuits. Will we be next? Public Counsel’s Community Development Project, which provides free legal and technical support to nonprofit organizations, will offer insights on the current state of the law in light of escalating legal attacks on race-conscious programming and charitable giving. They will provide a legal training addressing the evolving challenges faced by nonprofits and small businesses committed to advancing equity and racial justice. They will cover the national legal landscape and special considerations for California-based organizations. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of these complex legal challenges and practical strategies to navigate them, empowering them to continue their important and urgent work. Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm in Los Angeles committed to advancing civil rights and promoting racial and economic justice.

What steps has your organization made to recruit and retain employees? Learn how your organization can avoid having a high turnover rate and attract talent. This interactive session will dive into best practices and tips. Challenges in hiring and retaining employees in the nonprofit world. Case studies of how non-profit organizations have been able to recruit and retain employees. Share best practices and lessons learned. Michelle Fujiaski-Thomas, HR Business Partner at Mission Edge; Anthony Piccoli, HR Business Partner at Mission Edge