Small Business and Entrepreneurship Breakout Sessions

The Basics of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship Development. Entrepreneurship is the heart of economic and community development. If you are interested in energizing your community through entrepreneurial education and training, join this discussion on what you need to know before you get started.

Presenters: Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Southeast Missouri State University

How to JumpStart Entrepreneurship in Your Community. Extra! Extra! New businesses create nearly all new jobs in the United States. Hear about Operation JumpStart, a nationally-recognized program with amazing results in assisting first-generation entrepreneurs start successful micro-enterprises. Operation JumpStart is building a network of programs throughout the Delta region and now is the perfect time for you to join.

Presenters: Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Southeast Missouri State University

Accessing Affordable Capital. Capital is the life-blood of new businesses - helping them start and grow. Join the largest rural development bank and the largest microlender in the United States to learn about the latest programs available to fuel small business growth and entrepreneurship in your community.

Presenters: William Sabin, Chief Lending Office, Accion Delta
Joe Black, President, Southern Bancorp Capital Partners


Economic Development Strategies for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs. Adapting your business model to today’s economy isn’t easy. That’s why we are bringing together economic development professionals to help teach traditional and unorthodox strategies of retooling your business to meet today’s challenges. You’ll also have access to the lessons learned by the leaders of an economic gardening program in Mississippi and a creative strategies program in Arkansas.

Presenters: Pablo Diaz, Executive Director, Grenada County Economic Development District

Utilizing Small Business Development Centers. New tools and resources become available to small businesses each and every day. But with all of the responsibilities business owners already have on their plates, who has time? This workshop makes it easy for small business owners to stand on the shoulder of others - creating a one-stop-shop of SBDC’s services to solve financial, marketing, production, organization, engineering and technical problems.

Presenters: Arkansas Small Business Development and Technology Center

Growing and Supporting Women and Minority Owned Businesses. Women and minorities are the fastest growing groups of entrepreneurs in the United States. Growth in African-American owned businesses is up 60 percent between 2002 to 2007. The number of women-owned businesses increased by over 20 percent during the same period. While these are encouraging trends, all of us have a lot of work to do to support these traditionally-underserved entrepreneurs. Learn about tools and resources available to help you grow your business.

Presenters: The Minority Business Development Agency, United States Department of Commerce

Your Government at Work in the Delta. No this isn’t a joke. From small business training incubators to rural developers, hard-working government officials are moving the Delta forward. Come learn from the people on the front lines of making rural Delta communities the hot spots of economic development.

Presenters: Representatives, US Small Business Administration

Bio-Economy Breakout Sessions

Growing a Bio-Economy: Which comes first - businesses or the workforce to support them? It’s a trick question, of course. A skilled workforce is critical to the development of any industry. But bio-economy entrepreneurs, like small business owners in every other sector, are leading the way. Hear from workforce developers and companies about the ins and outs of developing a high tech, bio-centric businesses and workforces at the same time.

Presenters: Mr. Terry Turner, Lead Instructor, Center for Renewable Energy Technology Education, Phllips County Community College at the University of Arkansas
Dr. Sunny Morris, Liaison for Special Projects Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium (ADTEC)

Funding Bio-Economy Projects: Challenges and Innovative Solutions. Sources of funding for start-up projects are tough to find. But for bio-economy projects they can be impossible. These panel experts will help you identify and secure available resources. Hear from government leaders and venture capitalists on how to turn your idea into reality.

Presenters: Bill Hagy, Deputy Administrator, Rural Business Cooperative Service, USDA


Creating a Clean-Technology Economy: What are CEOs and Entrepreneurs Looking For? As the old saying goes, the three most important things for business are location, location, and location. Well the location is right here. Gain the upper-hand by hearing from experts about which locations are hot right now and what companies are looking for when locating a business.

Presenters: David Baker, Senior Vice President for Operations, FutureFuels
Dr. Sumesh Arora, Director of Strategic Biomass Solutions, Mississippi Technology Alliance

Your Government at Work in the Delta. No this isn’t a joke. From small business training incubators to rural developers, hard-working government officials are moving the Delta forward. Come learn from the people on the front lines of making rural Delta communities the hot spots of economic development.

Presenters: Bobby Goode, Tennessee State Director, USDA Rural Development
Janie Dunning, Missouri State Director, USDA Rural Development
Lawrence McCollough, Arkansas State Director, USDA Rural Development (invited)

Healthy Delta Breakout Sessions

An Ounce of Prevention....Improving Health and Health Care through Community Data Tracking. If you can track a problem, you can treat a problem. New standardized data tools allow communities to identify their top health challenges and prioritize solutions. This workshop will discuss cutting-edge technology to identify opportunities for health care improvement in your community.
Presenter: Teresa Waters, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Government and Health Care in the Delta: Next Steps. Rural America presents some of the greatest challenges to delivering health care solutions. Come learn from the people on the front lines of delivering rural health care solutions - the good, the bad, and the ugly.

HRSA Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Grants Technical Assistance Workshop
Presenters: Leticia Manning, MPH, Network Development Program Coordinator

Strong Health....Strong Economy: Maximizing Partnerships to Improve Both. Large corporations, small business owners and community leaders understand the connection between a healthy workforce and a strong economy. In fact, a recent study showed that the national economy is losing an estimated $153 billion each year due to sick days. Yet, from shocking diabetes rates to growing obesity problems, the Delta is trailing the nation - and feeling the economic consequences. Learn practical strategies to help improve the health status of your workforce while making your community the best place to" live, work, and play".

Presenters:
-Kris Sherrill- Coordinator for Community Health, Southern Illinois Healthcare
-Miriam Link-Mullison- Executive Director, Jackson County (IL) Health Department

Strengthening Delta Communities: Addressing Local Needs
Join us for a technical assistance workshop with funders, philanthropists, and community leaders about ways to strengthen funding and sustainability for charitable nonprofits and local community needs. This session will highlight nonprofit best practices, ways to identify funding, and strategies for long-term success. This workshop combines informational programming and facilitated discussion for a winning conversation and practical tips you can implement locally. You won’t want to miss it!

Facilitator: Hunter Goodman, Executive Director, Arkansas Coalition for Excellence