October is a busy month for the economic development sector – from conferences to meetings and everything in between. CAMEO is not the exception. Here’s what our staff has been up to and the events coming up in the pipeline.
Last Week
- CAMEO CEO Carolina Martinez participated in a discussion panel on supporting equitable access to capital for AARP and NCRC‘s virtual event, “Building Equitable Ecosystems: Capital, Markets, and Technical Assistance.” The event attracted more than 500 attendees!
- Our VP of Engagement and External Relations, Heidi Pickman, attended the 2023 NALCAB Conference and gave a presentation on building effective advocacy campaigns. CAMEO’s Senior Program Manager, Liza Rivera-Gonzalez, was also there as part of the graduating cohort of this year’s Pete Garcia Community Economic Development Fellowship. They both enjoyed seeing so many colleagues coming together to better serve Latino communities around the country.
This Week
- Carolina Martinez and Liza Rivera-Gonzalez are currently in Indian Wells, CA attending CA FWD’s California Economic Summit.
- CAMEO held Board Meeting in Indian Wells this week, where CalOSBA Director, Tara Lynn Gray, spoke briefly to our board!
- Also in Indian Wells, Carolina Martinez participated in an Entrepreneurship and Economic Mobility Task Force luncheon, which was led by by CalOSBA Director Tara Lynn Gray and former Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development Director Lenny Mendonca.
- Meanwhile, Heidi Pickman was on the other side of the country. She attended NALCAB’s National Alliance of CDFI Executives (NALCE) Roundtable at the White House, where she participated in a conversation on how to support Latino-led CDFIs and aspiring CDFIs.
Next Week
- Carolina Martinez and CAMEO’s VP of Strategic Initiatives and CDFI Director, Emily Gasner, will be at the 2023 OFN Conference on October 15-18. Emily will co-present a training on CDFI Certification Readiness alongside NALCAB.
- Heidi Pickman will be at the Greenlining Institute’s Just Future Summit on October 19-20.
Thanks to all of our partners in the small business development space for all their hard work during these busy times! It takes a village.