Increase Your Business Acumen at Missions & Marketplace
Tameka Montgomery, Associate Administrator, Office of Entrepreneurial Development, US Small Business Administration
By Kai EL’ Zabar Chicago Defender
In 2013, Tameka Montgomery was appointed by President Obama to lead the Office of Entrepreneurial Development at the U.S. Small Business Administration.
In her capacity as Associate Administrator, she is charged with driving programs and policies that support national entrepreneurial training and education programs such as Small Business Development Center, Women’s Business Centers, Regional Innovation Clusters, ScaleUp America and the national SCORE mentoring program.
She’s coming to the Chicagoland area to impart her knowledge to assist those small business owners who want to grow their companies, those who want to start businesses and those who simply want to know where financial assistance is and more.
Ms. Montgomery believes that small businesses truly are the economic backbone of our nation. She has a passion for equipping individuals with the tools needed to achieve the American Dream of building a successful and thriving small business.”
Ms. Montgomery initially began her federal service as a Presidential Management Fellow with the U.S. Department of Justice. She was also a Peace Corps Volunteer, serving two years in West Africa.
Ms. Montgomery discussed some of her insights about the U.S. Economy that she wants to share with the attendees at the Missions at the 2016 Missions and Marketplace Conference. “The Great Recession hit small businesses hard. Beginning in 2009 we saw a trend of more business closures annually than business openings,” She said, “and we are just beginning to come out of this. Lending to small businesses seized and government contracting opportunities for small businesses were also impacted. However, a number of efforts taken by the US Small Business Administration have worked to change this and now we are seeing record lending numbers and contracting to small businesses, which in the end translates into job creation and a positive impact on US economy.”
Tameka holds a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College and a master’s degree of public administration from Columbia University. In May 2012, Johnson & Wales University conferred upon Montgomery an honorary doctorate of business administration in entrepreneurship.
This conference is important because it brings together some of the world’s most dynamic ministry leaders, business executives and artists for a powerful exchange of information that is designed to move you forward. “Taking the Lead” is the theme of this year’s conference. It’s goal is “to inspire and challenge attendees to become change agents in the marketplace by bringing their faith into their workplace environment.” This year’s partnership with The Merge Symposium will bring Hollywood to Chicago providing an opportunity for men and women of faith to interact, learn, and partner with leading executives and talent in the entertainment industry,”says Deloris Thomas, vice president of the nationally accredited Joseph Business School.
The way Dr. Bill Winston sees it, “This conference is the right place for every attendee to receive the empowerment they need to take them to the top of their industry and transform it.” The conference draws marketplace and ministry leaders from every sphere of society: business, government, media, arts and entertainment, education, the family and religion.”
Ms. Montgomery is prepared to share how the current state of the economy specifically affects the African-American community, and how entrepreneurship can help. She says, “I believe the best marker of the current state of the economy for the African American community is the wealth and income divide between black and white households. That says it all; the typical black household has just 6% of the wealth of the typical white household; the median white household had $111,146 in wealth in 2011, compared to $7,113 for the median black household. While entrepreneurship is not “the” only answer, it does offer a way to begin to close the wealth and income gap because the truth is that a job alone won’t do it”
If you’re interested in starting a business come learn how and what steps are involved to get your dream off the ground; if you are a business owner experiencing challenges that threaten your company’s survival or growth come out and learn from the best. Check out the dates and times of the workshops that best appeal to you at Missions and Marketplace Conference 2016.
The conference is at Living Word Christian Center, 7600 W. Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Illinois.
- Daytime workshops: Thursday, March 31 and Friday, April 1
- 7:30AM to 3:00PM (registration fee required).
- Topics include branding, leadership development, financial management, organizational strategy, social media marketing and much more.
- Evening sessions: 6:00PM to 9:00PM (Free onsite childcare is provided).
The 2016 Missions and Marketplace Conference is presented by the Joseph Business School in association with The Merge Symposium, Living Word Christian Center, Living Word Bible Training Center, AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Walgreens.
All speaker information can be found mm.billwinston.org. For more information or to register for daytime workshops, visit the website, call 866.816.4653 or follow @drbillwinston on Twitter.
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