Small Business Majority hosted its second annual Small Business Leadership Summit from May 8-11, 2016 in Washington, DC, with a group of 150 small business owners from across the country participating. These small business owners met with policymakers, members of the media, issue experts and senior members of the Obama Administration. This invite-only event featured many opportunities for our nation’s job creators to discuss important issues facing small business today and provide business owners with resources and programs to strengthen their businesses.

The Summit kicked off with a networking hour on Sunday, May 8, giving small business owners a chance to meet and network with peers from across the country. There were two full-day conference sessions on Monday, May 9, and Tuesday, May 10, at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, featuring panel discussions, keynote speeches, interactive workshops and presentations by leading policymakers, industry experts and successful entrepreneurs.

An evening reception on Monday, hosted by Google at their Washington, D.C. headquarters, included presentations of  “2016 Small Business Awards.” The Summit concluded Wednesday, May 11 with a half-day visit to the White House during which small business owners had an opportunity to engage directly with senior members of the Obama Administration.

I was honored to be invited to the Small Business Leadership Summit as CEO of HR Future Group, LLC. The Summit focused on topline issues of importance to small businesses, including but not limited to:

• Access to capital and how to ensure small businesses obtain capital necessary to grow and strengthen their firms in a responsible and sustainable manner.

• Tax policy to spur small business/economic growth while leveling the playing field and ensuring fairness.

• Critical workforce issues impacting small businesses today such as healthcare, retirement savings, minimum wage and family medical leave.

• Small business’ critical role in big-picture economic matters such as infrastructure and economic development.

• Small business’ increased adoption of technology to add new solutions to old challenges.

• Women’s entrepreneurship and the unique barriers women business owners face today.

About Small Business Community

Small businesses aren’t simply the backbone of the American economy: They are its foundation. But too often the small business voice gets lost in the clamor of special interests, policymakers and industry leaders — all willing to poach small business’ good name in order to advance their own agendas. The Small Business Leadership Summit aims to shine a light on small businesses’ importance to our overall economic success, and reclaim that voice.

The Summit offers a rare opportunity to form a community where small business owners and entrepreneurs can learn from one another and make their voices heard. It provides the chance to not only discuss the issues shaping our economy, but share best practices and identify pragmatic policy recommendations to help America’s small businesses thrive and grow our economy.

William Kreider is the founder and CEO of HR Future Group, a firm that offers a full service suite of human capital management services for all sizes & types of businesses. From Transformational HR, Talent Management, Executive and Organizational Coaching, Leadership Development, Outsourcing, Compensation, Talent Acquisition and other HCM consulting services to Cloud-based Payroll, HRIS, Time & Attendance, and Benefit Administration, HR Future can assist your business. Mr. Kreider has significant executive experience in all areas within the HR profession in a variety of industries.  For more information, please email him at bill@hrfuturegroup.com or call 610.584.2467.