Hundreds of entrepreneurs and small business owners attended the DeKalb County Small Business Summit at the Emory Conference Center Hotel. The event, now in its fifth year, was started by CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson when she served as District 7 Commissioner and continued this year during her first term as CEO.
The summit has become a key event for economic development in DeKalb County, providing local businesses with training, resources, and networking opportunities. This year’s gathering was co-hosted by the Decide DeKalb Development Authority and the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce under the theme “Navigating Small Businesses During Uncertain Economic Times.”
“Small businesses are the backbone of DeKalb’s economy,” said CEO Cochran-Johnson. “My administration is committed to ensuring that entrepreneurs have the resources, training, and access to opportunities they need to grow and thrive. This summit reflects our ongoing priority to make DeKalb County a hub of innovation and economic vitality.”
Attendees commented on the organization of the event. One participant stated, “Thank you for hosting the Small Business Summit. It was well organized and informative, providing ripe networking opportunities which I took advantage of.”
The program included four panel sessions addressing topics such as starting a business in an uncertain climate, funding solutions during economic instability, business growth strategies, and how to become a vendor with DeKalb County government. Panelists represented organizations including The Velocity Co., Decide DeKalb Development Authority, SCORE North Metro Atlanta, U.S. Small Business Administration, Emory University StartMe program, Georgia Piedmont Technical College, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and others.
A fireside chat moderated by CEO Cochran-Johnson featured Terri Denison (U.S. Small Business Administration), Stacey Key (Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council), and Veronica Maldonado-Torres (Georgia Hispanic Chamber). James “Jay” Bailey from Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs delivered the keynote address.
Sponsors included presenting sponsor DeKalb County; gold sponsor Decide DeKalb Development Authority; silver sponsors BenchMark Management, DeKalb WorkSource Georgia, International Design Services; bronze sponsors Advance Engineering and Construction LLC., Atlanta Black Expo; C.D. Moody Construction Co., Inc.; JACOBS; Pond; RB Communications; The Collaborative Firm; with media support from DCTV23.
As part of her broader agenda as CEO focused on supporting small business growth and investment in the county’s economy, Cochran-Johnson aims to continue building pathways for local entrepreneurs.
Enrollment at DeKalb County schools dropped by 2.2% in the 2022-23 school year compared to the previous year. During that period there were 98,287 students enrolled, with white students making up 14% of enrollment, ranking third among ethnic groups in county schools.
