In this Must Know…
- Eyes on Washington: President’s Budget and CAMEO Network in DC
- New Small Business Data from the Federal Reserve
- CAMEO Network’s Spring Calendar
- Join our Gubernatorial Candidate Forum on May 12, 2026 in Sacramento, CA.
- Take Action: Sign on to our letters of support for AB 2116 and AB 2315.
- Help us share our 2025 California Small Business Scorecard!
- This week’s Goodie Highlight is the BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program, which offers $10,000 to small businesses that are supporting the advancement of women. Applications are due April 23, 2026.
ICYMI: President’s Budget | CAMEO Network in DC
President Trump released his FY27 budget proposal last Friday, calling for major funding cuts to most small business programs. Read our full statement.
Our work in DC is cut out for us: CEO Carolina Martinez and VP of External Relations Heidi Pickman will be in Washington next week to meet with congressional staff and represent our network at economic development events. Heidi will speak about character-based lending at NCRC’s Just Economy conference with colleagues from MEDA, El Pajaro, and Inclusive Action for the City.
New Small Business Data from the Federal Reserve
How did business conditions differ between rural and urban firms in 2025? Did younger owners face different credit-seeking experiences than older peers? What operational and financial challenges shaped small businesses nationwide? These insights and more are now available through new chartbooks from the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey. You can explore data by firm and owner characteristics, plus 20 states and 11 metro areas.
CAMEO Network’s Spring Calendar
- April 22: Sacramento Member Meeting – Sacramento, CA
- April 30: Building and Using Financial Projections
- May 6: Mergers and Acquisitions (registration coming soon)
- May 14: Bay Area Member Meeting (registration coming soon)
- June 2: 2026 California Advocacy Day – Sacramento, CA
California Gubernatorial Candidate Forum
Join CAMEO Network and the California SBDC Foundation for our Gubernatorial Candidate Forum on May 12, 2026 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento.
It’s an important opportunity to hear the candidates’ plans for supporting small businesses and their vision for a more equitable California economy.
Eric Swalwell, Antonio Villarraigosa, and Betty Yee have confirmed attendance; additional candidates are currently being confirmed.
The Goodies
Events and Webinars
- Join the California Commission on Asian & Pacific Islander American Affairs on April 23, 2026 at 11:00am PT for the webinar “Unlock AANHPI Data Insights with the U.S. Census Bureau.”
- Registration is open for OFN’s Small Business Finance Forum on June 10-12, 2026 in Austin, TX.
For Your Clients
- The BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program offers $10,000 to small businesses that are supporting the advancement of women. Applications are due April 23, 2026.
- Bet Tzedek is hosting a webinar on “Commercial Leasing” for its Compliance and Legal Foundation Series on May 20, 2026 at 10:00am PT.
New Resources
- Read Main Street America’s recent article “The State of Main Streets in a Time of Change.”
- ICYMI: Watch the highlights of “The New Era of Small Business Finance: Access, AI, and Accountability,” an event hosted by the Aspen Institute’s Business Ownership Initiative and the RBLC that took place on March 5.
Other Goodies
- Industry News: The California DFPI suspended the deadline for enforcement on a new rule that requires venture capital firms to disclose demographic data of startup founders they back.
- Jobs: California FarmLink, Ventures, and Public Counsel announced new jobs recently. See who else is hiring!