North Miami Beach expo will connect small business owners with resources

On Wednesday, the third annual North Miami Beach Small Business Summit & Expo will provide local businesses with resources and opportunities to expand their reach. The expo will be held at North Miami Beach City Hall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“This is an idea I came up with three years ago,” said Commissioner Daniela Jean. “It’s important for me to champion it all of these years because small business is the backbone of our community.”

Jean expects 500 businesses to attend the expo and estimates that the city has over 3,000 businesses in its registry. During her tenure as commissioner, she has sponsored resolutions for the city to partner with Google and Florida International University.

“We want to provide [business owners] with resources and grant information so that they can create generational wealth,” she said. “We provide equity as it relates to education. That’s the key for business owners of color to leverage their business if they have information.”

Attendees can learn about grants or loans being provided by sponsors like Comcast, the Miami Foundation and Wells Fargo. An onsite business coach will work with entrepreneurs, and 20 resource partners will provide marketing and financial education.

As North Miami Beach’s Community Redevelopment Agency liaison, Jean works on programming throughout the year to help local business owners develop their networks and build resources. She recently sponsored an ordinance for food truck vendors in an effort to give them more opportunities to serve local patrons.

North Miami Beach also conducts a five-week series with support from Google and a five-part series with Florida International University’s Small Business Development Center to support entrepreneurs. This expo is the latest opportunity for North Miami Beach entrepreneurs to succeed, Jean said.

“I hope to see more residents become empowered to start a business,” she said. “Quality of life increases when people have financial freedom and opportunities.”

Michael Butler

Miami Herald

Michael Butler writes about minority business and trends that affect marginalized professionals in South Florida. As a business reporter for the Miami Herald, he tells inclusive stories that reflect South Florida’s diversity. Just like Miami’s diverse population, Butler, a Temple University graduate, has both local roots and a Panamanian heritage.