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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alan Fogg,
Director of Communications
afogg@fceda.org, 703-790-0600
Fairfax County EDA Backs First Forum to Aid Culturally Diverse Entrepreneurs
Fairfax County, Virginia, April 24, 2001 — The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) is a leading sponsor of the Emerging Business Forum. The forum is a first-ever conference aimed at helping African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American and Indian-American technology business people build professional relationships with other technology companies, financial investors and purchasers of technology products and services.
Emerging Business Forum will be held July 11-13, 2001, at the Westfields Marriott Conference Center in Fairfax County, Virginia. In addition to the FCEDA, the conference has broad support from major companies doing business in the Washington, D.C., area and government organizations from across the region.
In a briefing today for journalists and sponsors, conference organizers outlined the program that has four goals:
- build bridges and break barriers that minority entrepreneurs face in finding capital, business opportunities and partners;
- foster professional and personal relationships between minority entrepreneurs and those who can help them secure financing and build their businesses;
- provide capital sources and business and government procurement officials the chance to work with minority entrepreneurs;
- develop mentoring relationships between entrepreneurs and successful established business people to produce long-term business gains for both groups.
The forum will launch the Executive Adviser Program that will facilitate relationship-building activities around the region throughout the coming year.
The event also will showcase the success of emerging entrepreneurs and companies throughout the Washington, D.C., region. Recent Census Bureau numbers found a huge number of minority entrepreneurs in the Washington area.
"The idea of a conference targeted at helping culturally diverse entrepreneurs came from the Fairfax County EDA, and I am excited to see the Emerging Business Forum gaining support from a diverse array of corporate and government backers," said Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., President and CEO of the FCEDA.
A list of sponsors and more information about Emerging Business Forum is available at www.emergingbusinessforum.org.
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