8990  Burke  Lake  Road  –  2nd  Fl.,  Burke,  VA  22015    ▫    (703)764-­‐9850    ▫    www.AmericasSBDC.org    

FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE: September  9,  2015 Press  Contacts:  April  Youngblut,  Director,  Marketing  &  Communications;   America’s  SBDC,  (703)  764-­‐9850  

America’s SBDC Conference Features Powerful Keynote Line-Up

   America’s  SBDC  will  host  it’s  annual  SBDC  (Small  Business  Development  Center)  professional  development  conference  this  September  8th-­‐11th  in  San  Francisco.  The  theme  for  this  year’s  conference  is  “Gateway  to  Small  Business  Success.”  America’s  SBDC  is  very  excited  to  have  seven  impressive  keynote  speakers.  From  business  owners,  to  journalists,  to  the  COO  of  a  Fortune-­‐500  company;  this  year’s  keynote  sessions  promise  to  pack  a  punch.    The  America’s  SBDC  annual  conference  has  record-­‐breaking  attendance  for  the  2015  conference  with  over  1,500  attendees  registered.  “The  assistance  offered  by  the  63  member  SBDC  networks  in  America’s  SBDC  is  critical  to  guiding  over  350,000  small  business  owners  every  year  and  getting  them  the  tools  and  market  access  they  need  to  flourish.  Our  attendees,  SBDC  advisors  and  coaches,  deserve  the  best  and  the  2015  conference  promises  to  deliver,”  said  Charles  “Tee”  Rowe,  President  of  America’s  SBDC.    Sheryl  Sandberg,  the  Chief  Operating  Officer  of  Facebook,  best-­‐selling  author  and  one  of  Fortune  Magazine’s  50  Most  Powerful  Women  in  Business  will  be  opening  the  conference  on  Wednesday,  September  9th.  Facebook  has  been  an  America’s  SBDC  sponsor  and  supporter  of  the  SBDC  program  for  many  years.  "Facebook  and  America's  SBDC  share  the  same  goals:  we’re  both  in  the  business  of  helping  businesses  grow.  Facebook  gives  businesses  a  mobile  presence  that's  free,  easy  to  use,  and  works.  Together,  we  can  help  entrepreneurs  succeed  and  create  jobs  for  people  across  the  country.”  Sheryl  Sandberg,  COO,  Facebook    Small  business  owner,  nationally  recognized  business  journalist  and  long-­‐time  SBDC  supporter,  Rhonda  Abrams  will  be  moderating  the  conference’s  Thursday  general  session  “Small  Talks,”  which  will  be  a  play  on  the  TED  Talks  concept.  The  session  is  titled  “The  Future  of  Small  Business:  What  You  Need  to  Know  Now.”    “Few  areas  of  the  economy  have  been  as  transformed  as  greatly  as  small  business.  Technology,  marketing,  financing,  customer  expectations,  global  reach  and  competition–  all  represent  opportunities  and  challenges  for  small  business  and  startups.  In  this  fast-­‐moving  session,  three  leaders  and  I  of  the  changing  small  business  environment,  including  Jules  Pieri,  co-­‐founder  of  The  Grommet  and  Amy  Norman,  co-­‐founder  of  Little  Passports  –  will  cut  through  the  clutter  to  focus  on  the  most  important  trends  –  what  small  businesses  must  know  now  to  survive  and  thrive  in  the  coming  years,”  said  Rhonda  Abrams,  PlanningShop  &  USA  Today  columnist.    America’s  SBDCs  will  be  celebrating  their  35th  Anniversary  on  Friday,  September  11th  with  two  fantastic  keynote  speakers  to  close-­‐out  the  event;  Karen  Peacock,  VP/GM  Employee  Management  Solutions,  of  Intuit  and  Maria  Contreras-­‐Sweet,  Administrator,  of  the  U.S.  Small  Business  Administration.      

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 About  America’s  SBDC  Program:  America's  SBDC  (Small  Business  Development  Center)  Network  is  a  partnership  uniting  private  enterprise,  government,  higher  education  and  local  nonprofit  economic  development  organizations.  It  is  the  Small  Business  Administration's  largest  partnership  program,  providing  management  and  technical  assistance  to  help  Americans  start,  run  and  grow  their  own  businesses.  Learn  more  at  www.americassbdc.org.