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An Invitation-Only Conference
Monday and Tuesday, April 10-11, 2006

Wyndham New Orleans at Canal Place
100 Rue Iberville
New Orleans, Louisiana

Cosponsored by
Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
The Public Forum Institute
The Gulf Coast Urban Entrepreneur Partnership

On April 10-11, 2006, policymakers and researchers will come together in New Orleans in an academic conference to examine the role small business entrepreneurs can play in restoring economic prosperity to the Gulf Coast region. A view of the current situation in New Orleans will be available through an optional bus tour on Monday afternoon, April 10. Tuesday’s policy conference will explore how entrepreneurs can generate economic growth. Although focusing on the Gulf Coast region, lessons learned from the conference may be transferable to other metropolitan areas and localities. Participants will include researchers in entrepreneurship; local, state and federal policymakers; economic development leaders; and urban revitalization practitioners.

The Office of Advocacy is an independent voice within the U.S. Small Business Administration that helps reduce federal regulatory burden on small businesses and conducts important research on the role of small firms in the economy. To further these goals, Advocacy convenes conferences on small business research topics with the support of partners such as the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Public Forum Institute.

Conference Agenda

 

Monday, April 10, 2006

2:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Optional Bus Tour. A view of the current situation in New Orleans.

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Optional Welcome Reception. Networking and light refreshments at the
Court of Two Sisters, 613 Royal Street, New Orleans.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

7:30 – 8:30 a.m.

Conference Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Opening Remarks

• Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy
• Donald Powell, Federal Coordinator of Gulf Coast Rebuilding

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

Setting the Stage: The Economic Context for Rebuilding the Small Business Economy. To enable entrepreneurs to help reinvigorate the communities of the Gulf Coast region, policymakers need to consider the broader economic and urban development context. This panel will provide an overview of the challenges these communities face as they seek to revitalize their economies.

Moderator: Chad Moutray, Chief Economist, Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration
Panelists:

• Doug Gurley, State Director, Mississippi Small Business Development Center, University of Mississippi
• Loren Scott, Professor Emeritus, Louisiana State University
• Deborah Tootle, Associate Professor, Community and Economic Development, Louisiana State University
• Tim Williamson, President, The Idea Village

10:00 – 10:15 a.m.

Break

10:15 – 11:15 a.m.

Entrepreneurship as a Means of Economic Stability and Job Creation. Studies show that entrepreneurship can be a way out of poverty as well as a powerful force for strengthening distressed communities. The Gulf Coast region has a long history of fostering entrepreneurship. This panel discussion will focus on the important role local entrepreneurs from across the socioeconomic spectrum play in urban and regional renewal.

Moderator: Nancy Montoya, Regional Community Development Manager, Southern Louisiana and Southern Mississippi, New Orleans Branch, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Panelists:

• Leonard Greenhalgh, Professor and Director of Programs for Minority & Women-Owned Business Enterprises, Dartmouth College
• Marc Morial, Chairman, Urban Entrepreneur Partnership, and President and CEO, National Urban League
• Pari Sabety, Director and Fellow, Urban Markets Initiative, Metropolitan Policy Program, Brookings Institution

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 noon

Exploring the Potential for New and Existing Businesses in Promoting Revitalization. Established businesses are a critical part of restoring the economies of the Gulf Coast region. Panelists will look at how these businesses can contribute to the revival of the region by bolstering the health of new and smaller businesses and discuss the prerequisites for greater business investment.

Moderator: Steve Adams, Regional Advocate, Region I, U.S. small Business Administration
Panelists:

• Larry Burton, Executive Director, The Business Roundtable
• Eric Reisner, Vice President for Strategic Programs, Johnson Controls, Inc
• Dorothy Terrell, President and CEO, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City

12:15 – 1:45 p.m.

Luncheon Remarks

Daryl Williams, Director of Minority Entrepreneurship, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and National Director, Urban Entrepreneur Partnership

Keynote Address

Maura Donahue, Chair of the Board of Directors, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and President, DonahueFavret Contractors Holding Company

Introduced by Sandra M. Gunner, President & CEO, New Orleans Chamber of Commerce

1:45 – 2:45 p.m.

Encouraging Business Ownership in the Gulf Coast Region. In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many policy prescriptions for revitalizing the business climate in the devastated region have been discussed. These ideas range from tax and regulatory relief to the Gulf Opportunity Zone. This session will focus on public policy initiatives that can reduce obstacles and encourage entrepreneurial growth.

Moderator: Daniel Heath, Associate Director, National Economic Council, The White House
Panelists:

• Michael Olivier, Secretary, Louisiana Economic Development
• Don Hutchinson, Director of Economic Development, City of New Orleans
• Leland R. Speed, Executive Director, Mississippi Development Authority

2:45 – 3:00 p.m.

Break

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

A Vibrant Entrepreneurial Future in the Gulf Coast Region, Panelists will reflect on previous discussions and current policy proposals in support of increasing business ownership and entrepreneurship and discuss key elements of a long-term strategy to rebuild the small business economy of the Gulf Coast region.

Moderator: Jonathan Ortmans, President, The Public Forum Institute
Panelists:

• Mark Drennen, President, Greater New Orleans, Inc.
• Elaine Edgcomb; Director, Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning, and Dissemination (FIELD); Aspen Institute
• John Elstrott, Director, Levy-Rosenblum Institute for Entrepreneurship, Tulane University
• Ronald Utt, Herbert and Joyce Morgan Senior Research Fellow, Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, Heritage Foundation

4:00 – 4:15 p.m.

Closing Remarks

• Chad Moutray, Chief Economist, Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration