The 2022 Minority Small Business Summit is now sold out.

If you would like to register for the waitlist, please click here. You will be notified if a spot becomes available.

About the event:

Now in its second year, the Minority Small Business Summit is a chance for small business owners and entrepreneurs to strategize and grow at a day-long event. Attendees will have the opportunity to network, participate in educational sessions, and connect to community resources.

Tickets to this event are available at no cost thanks to the generous support of the event sponsors: Omaha West Rotary Club, Greater Omaha Chamber REACH, and the Nebraska Business Development Center.

• Date: June 23, 2022
• Time: 9:00 A.M. – 2:15 P.M.
• Location: Seventy Five North – The Highlander, 2112 North 30th Street, Omaha, NE 68111

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• Agenda
• Speakers
• Sponsors

AGENDA

8:45 a.m. | Registration

9:00 a.m. | Welcome Remarks

9:15 a.m. | Daniel Kuchar: "To Certify or Not to Certify: Small and Disadvantaged Business Certification Options"

9:45 a.m. | Entrepreneurship Panel

10:45 a.m. | Networking Break

11:00 a.m. | Monique Farmer, APR: "The Power of Storytelling in Business"

11:45 a.m. | Networking Break

12:00 p.m. | Lunch (Lunch is provided. Vegetarian option available.)

12:30 p.m. | Keynote Session: Veta Jeffery, President and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber

1:00 p.m. | 2022 Minority Small Business Summit Pitch Competition

2:00 p.m. | Closing Remarks

SPEAKERS

Keynote Speaker: Veta Jeffery, President and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber

Veta Jeffery is the President and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. Jeffery gained a great deal of experience convening public and private stakeholders while she was the Manager of Community Economic Development for the State of Missouri, having been appointed to the position by Governor Jay Nixon. Governor Nixon formed the Office of Community Engagement following the Ferguson protests. Jeffery’s engagement skills helped rebuild the business community in and around Ferguson and throughout the St. Louis region. She helped to establish workforce development programs to assist underserved communities, and helped to form the Governor’s Fellows Program, a unique corporate/public/nonprofit partnership driving internships for disadvantaged college students in Missouri. She also organized the workforce summer program for youths and developed programming and events for businesses to grow capacity and increase diversity through training and hiring initiatives.

Jeffery’s most recent position was Chief Diversity Officer for St. Louis County. In this role, she worked closely with federal, state, and local officials, as well as corporate partners and business owners. Jeffery brought a collaborative engagement style and thoughtful leadership to reach consensus on how to move communities forward.

Prior to her St. Louis County work, Jeffery was instrumental in expanding the commercial, small business and mortgage services as Senior Vice President of Community and Economic Development for Midwest BankCentre in St. Louis. She drove programs that ensured banking products and services fit consumer needs across all economic groups as well as small, mid-sized and large business clients.

Presentation: Monique Farmer, APR | The Power of Storytelling in Business

Monique Farmer, APR has devoted more than 20 years to the field and is committed to advancing the profession. Her work in the field has garnered invitations to speak at Ragan Communications Crisis Conference and PRSA's International Conference.

She previously served as the Director of Communications for Nebraska's largest school district, the Omaha Public Schools. Prior to that, she worked in Corporate Communications for ConAgra Foods (now ConAgra Brands), leading Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory Affairs Communication, including global food recall notifications.

She holds a Master's Degree in Journalism and Mass Communications (Media Studies) from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism (Advertising and Public Relations) from Midland University.

She is also the creator of Anvil Ready, an online communication strategy builder that aids the communication professional in creating communication plans.

Presentation: Daniel Kuchar | To Certify or Not to Certify - Small and Disadvantaged Business Certification Options

As the PTAC Business Development Specialist, Daniel Kuchar assists businesses in exploring a potential new market – Federal, State, and Local government sales. He does this by learning about a company’s aspirations, connecting them to technical assistance resources, and coordinating government contracting training sessions. Daniel’s professional experience includes business development, marketing, management, business strategy, sustainability, and market intelligence.

Event Sponsors