10/29/2008 GAAS:743:08 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version |
Gov. Schwarzenegger Announces Conference on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Furthering his commitment to support California's small
businesses in their contribution to the health and power of the state's
economy, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced he will host
California's first ever Governor's Conference on Small Business and
Entrepreneurship to be held at the Renaissance Montura Hotel in Los Angeles on
November 18 and 19.
"Small businesses have always provided innovative products
and services that drive our state's diverse economy," said Governor
Schwarzenegger. "As we deal with the global economic crisis, my administration
is committed to listening to our small businesses and entrepreneurs for their
ideas on how we can best partner with them to unleash the power of their
creativity, ingenuity and work ethic to maintain California's leadership in the
global economy."
On Monday, the Governor announced the he would focus on economic
stimulus as part of the special legislative session he will call in November.
The Governor has invited leaders of small business
organizations and entrepreneurs representing the spectrum of the state's
economy to make recommendations on improving the partnership between the
private sector and state government to stimulate the economy. Since
May, a number of individuals from these groups have been preparing draft
proposals for consideration and prioritization by the conference participants.
The topics range from access to capital to regulatory reform; from workforce
development to AB 32 compliance. Their work has yielded over 100 separate
recommendations and the final proposals will be developed and voted on by the
conference participants.
Speakers at the conference include Tom Hayes, author of the
Jump Point and Silicon Valley columnist Mike Malone, who will lead an exciting
discussion on the future of business; Louis Rossetto, co-founder of Wired
magazine and Dan Rose, vice president of Facebook, who will explore the network
of entrepreneurs and the digital explosion; David Fischer, vice president of
global online sales and operations at Google and Janine Popick, founder and
chief executive officer of Vertical Response, who will provide insights into
how small businesses can establish themselves in the global market. Additional
speakers include Phil Romero, dean of the California State University Los
Angeles School of Business; Guy Philips, head of U. S. Small Business for VISA,
Inc; Elizabeth O'Connor, economist and vice president of Capital Strategy
Research, Inc.; and Arel Moodie, founder and chief executive officer of
Placefinder.com, among others.
Notable attendees include the leadership team for the
California Community Colleges and representatives from California's most
influential small business groups.
Additional information about the Governor's Conference on
Small Business and Entrepreneurship can be found at www.sba.ca.gov.
Since assuming office, the Governor has been committed to
supporting and growing California small businesses. To date, he has:
- Appointed Marty Keller as the Small Business Advocate in the Office of the Governor to advise on issues affecting California's small business community and promote policies to encourage the growth of more small businesses in the state.
- Achieved over 25 percent in small business participation in state contracts procurement since 2007, exceeding the goal required by his executive order.
- Worked on behalf of minority-owned and small businesses to improve the state's business climate and create jobs to promote economic growth.
- Fixed California's broken workers' compensation system which has saved California $24.7 billion in premiums to insured and self-insured plans.
- Issued an executive order encouraging small, disadvantaged businesses to participate in California's infrastructure growth and play a key role in rebuilding the state's transportation infrastructure.
- Announced a joint effort to provide more than $100 million in venture capital to expanding small businesses in the Los Angeles area.
