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Santa Cruz County

2024 Small Business Summit

May 3rd, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Cabrillo College’s Samper Recital Hall

Experience the pulse of Santa Cruz County’s Small Business Community!

Experience the pulse of Santa Cruz County’s vibrant entrepreneurial scene at the highly anticipated Annual Small Business Summit on Friday, May 3rd, 2024. Presented by the Santa Cruz County Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Cabrillo College, this exhilarating day-long conference unites over 200 local small business owners with the region’s most accomplished business professionals, innovative entrepreneurs, and industry trailblazers. This year’s summit featuring keynote speaker Guy Kawasaki alongside 13 captivating educational sessions, equips attendees with invaluable tools and resources, while nurturing networking opportunities among driven, like-minded individuals. Happening from 8 am to 4 pm, this year's summit will be held at Cabrillo College’s Samper Recital Hall, with breakout sessions hosted across multiple campus locations.

LEARN FROM OVER 20 BUSINESS EXPERTS!

Find out the latest trends and learn insights from the best of Santa Cruz

  • Start the day by checking in early, grabbing a nourishing full breakfast, and engaging in meaningful conversations with fellow attendees. This time provides a perfect opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and set the tone for an inspiring day ahead.

  • Join us for a brief event kickoff and welcome from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) director Alexander Pedersen and Cabrillo College president Matt Wetstein


  • How to Grow a Remarkable Business

    Guy explains how to grow a remarkable business that stands out in the crowd. He uses examples from his career at Canva, Apple, Mercedes Benz, and Google.

    Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, author of Think Remarkable, host of the Remarkable People podcast, and adjunct professor of the University of California, Santa Cruz. He was the chief evangelist of Apple, Mercedes Benz brand ambassador, and trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation. He has also written The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and twelve other books. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

  • Hear from SBDC Director Alexander Pedersen as he outlines the services offered by the SBDC and provides an overview of the event logistics.


  • 1A: Transformative Networking for Women in Business

    • Location: Samper Recital Hall

    • Host: Amy Sousa, Director of Membership, Marketing, and Events, Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce

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    1B: Using Artificial Intelligence to Supercharge Your Business

    • Location: Room 5156

    • Host: David Dennis, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft and involved in sales, marketing, and business development for Ventana Surfboards & Supplies

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    1C: Nurturing Talent: Understanding the Employee Life Cycle and Enhancing Experience

    • Location: VAPA 1001

    • Host: Benjamin Slade, Vice President of Human Resources at California Giant Berry Farms and former SBDC advisor

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  • 2A: Championing Small Business Advocacy in the Political Arena

    • Location: Room 5156

    • Host: Casey Beyer, CEO, Chamber of Commerce

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    2B: El Pájaro Community Development Corporation

    • Location: Samper Recital Hall

    • Hosts: Cesario Ruiz, Kitchen Incubator Program Manager at El Pájaro CDC, and Claudia Manrique, Program Director at El Pájaro Regional Women’s Business Center

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    2C: From Surfboards to Solar Panels: The Evolution of Santa Cruz into a ClimateTech Hub

    • Location: VAPA 1001

    • Host: Will Wiseman, CEO of Climatize

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  • Take a break to enjoy a delicious lunch while networking with fellow attendees, sharing insights, and making valuable connections!

  • Join us for a brief award ceremony where we will honor outstanding SBDC clients for their achievements and contributions to the business community.

  • Location: Samper Recital Hall

    Host: Alexander Pedersen

    Description: Sponsored by Grow America, this session features a panel of esteemed local and national lenders sharing their valuable insights on accessing capital.

    Panelists:
    Chris Horton, District Director, U.S. Small Business Administration
    Conor McCarthy, Director of Lending and Portfolio Operations, Grow America
    Armando Vidauri, AVP SBA Loan Underwriter, Santa Cruz County Bank
    Alicia Kretsch, Commercial Lending/Business Banking/Leadership, Santa Cruz Community Credit Union
    Jeff Heitmann, Lead Business Relationship Manager, Bay Federal Credit Union
    Juan Melgar, Director of Lending, El Pájaro Community Development Corporation

  • 3A: County of Santa Cruz Broadband Initiatives and Their Impact on Small Business

    • Location: VAPA 1001

    • Host: Tammie Weigl, County’s Director of Information Services

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    3B: Santa Cruz Works

    • Location: Samper Recital Hall

    • Host: Doug Erickson, Santa Cruz Works

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    3C: How Economic Development can help small businesses

    • Location: Room 5156

    • Host: Sarah Domondon, Business Liaison and Josie Buchanan, Economic Development Coordinator

  • 4A: Leadership Agility for Small Business Success

    • Location: Samper Recital Hall

    • Host: Nada Khorchid, CEO of Lead For Impact

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    4B: Navigating the Future: Integrating AI in Marketing

    • Location: Room 5156

    • Host: Molly O'Kane, SBDC Marketing Advisor

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    4C: Small Business Strategies for Big Challenges: Pivoting to Success

    • Location: VAPA 1001

    • Host: Nada Miljkovic, Entrepreneur, Artivist (artist/activist) and Educator at UCSC

  • As our scheduled sessions come to an end, we will not be reconvening formally. However, we encourage all guests to continue networking and to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the Cabrillo campus. This is an excellent opportunity to build lasting connections and reflect on the day’s insights and experiences

Hear from Keynote speaker Guy Kawasaki!

How to Grow a Remarkable Business

Guy explains how to grow a remarkable business that stands out in the crowd. He uses examples from his career at Canva, Apple, Mercedes Benz, and Google.Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, author of Think Remarkable, host of the Remarkable People podcast, and adjunct professor of the University of California, Santa Cruz. He was the chief evangelist of Apple, Mercedes Benz brand ambassador, and trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation. He has also written The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and twelve other books. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

Free Event Parking in Lot L!

The Summit will commence at Samper Recital Hall and continue with breakout sessions in VAPA 1001, VAPA 5156, and Samper Hall. All venues are within walking distance of each other. Parking is complimentary in Lot L. Should Lot L reach capacity, additional parking is available in other Cabrillo lots for a fee. Please ensure to pay for day parking if utilizing these overflow lots.

Alexander Pedersen

Santa Cruz SBDC Director

Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, author of Think Remarkable, host of the Remarkable People podcast, and adjunct professor of the University of California, Santa Cruz

Amy Sousa

Director of Membership, Marketing, and Events at the Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce

David Dennis

David Dennis is a principal product manager at Microsoft on the Outlook team. He also runs sales, marketing, and business development for Ventana Surfboards & Supplies.

Benjamin Slade

Benjamin Slade is a seasoned HR executive with a proven track record in human resources management, organizational development, and strategic leadership.

Casey Beyer

 CEO, Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce

Cesario Ruiz

El Pájaro CDC's Kitchen Incubator Program Manager

Claudia Manrique

Regional Women's Business Center Program Director

Chris Horton

SBA San Francisco District Director

Conor McCarthy

Grow America (formerly NDC), Director of Lending and Portfolio Operations

Armando Vidauri

Santa Cruz County Bank AVP SBA Loan Underwriter

Alicia kretsch

Santa Cruz Community Credit Union Commercial Lending/Business Banking/Leadership

Will Wiseman

CEO and Co-Founder of Climatize

Tammie Weigl

Santa Cruz County’s Director of Information Services

Doug Erickson

Executive Director of Santa Cruz Works

Sarah Domondon

Santa Cruz Economic Development Business Liaison

This year's summit wouldn't be possible without our incredible sponsors! Their commitment and enthusiasm embody the spirit of collaboration and community in Santa Cruz. We are immensely grateful to each of our sponsors for playing a pivotal role in bringing this dynamic gathering of business minds to life. A heartfelt thank you to all our sponsors!

Our Sponsors are Rad!

2024 Title Sponsor:
Event Sponsors:

Jeff Heitmann

Lead Business Relationship Manager at Bay Federal Credit Union

Juan Melgar

El Pájaro Community Development Corporation's Director of Lending

Chris Maffia

Retired-VP/Business Development officer at Santa Cruz County Bank

Jenny Boffy

Santa Cruz, CA Mortgage Loan Officer

Emiley Stake

Business Development Manager at Woodstock's Pizza

Maaliea Wilbur

Founder and CEO of TherapyWorks

 

  

 

  

Josie Buchanan

Santa Cruz Economic Development,  Economic Development Coordinator

Nada Miljković

Entrepreneur, Artivist (artist/activist) and Educator at UCSC

Nada Khorchid

CEO of Lead For Impact, a global leadership development and executive coaching organization out of Santa Cruz.

Molly O’Kane

SBDC Small business coach and digital marketing expert.

“SBDC, the best support system from start to finish in the building and fruition of your dreams.”

—Bronwyn Parsons Owner of Willow and Wolf Salon

LET'S WORK
TOGETHER

Santa Cruz SBDC is a Partnership Program with the SBA, administered by the State University of California. Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. All SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

Reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact the SBDC at (831) 479-6136 or sbdc@cabrillo.edu

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