sbec sm biz & entre cncl
API rents her
aha recall CoC bunch of big monopolistic corps, so gotta throw up little guy am dream indiv rugged invis hand who wants to be a miilionaire Steve Jobs entre BS
PR release site?
11/04/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/04/2021
LETTER TO U.S. HOUSE – Build Back Better: The Latest Version Is Not “Better”
By SBE Council at 4 November,
November 4, 2021
Dear Member of the U.S. House:
The latest version of "Build Back Better" (BBB) is yet another bad deal for American taxpayers, small business owners, and our economy. Moreover, it is irresponsible for Members to vote on the massive tax and spending package without a score from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT). We urge all members of the U.S. House to demand this responsible step before voting on a bill that is projected to spend $1.75 trillion and estimates that the payfors and tax hikes will actually pay for the package.
From our perspective, it is difficult to see how the cobbled together payfors in the current iteration of BBB will actually pay for the package. That being said, voting blind - or in blind faith - on such a massive package without an official score would be irresponsible.
Bad Policy: Taxing Businesses as They Work to Recover Under Stressful Conditions
As SBE Council has noted in previous communications with Congress, we oppose tax hikes on businesses and individuals during this precarious period of time for our economy. Conditions in the supply chain and inflationary pressures have only worsened since SBE Council's August 2021 survey of small business ownerswho said that tax increases should not even be on the table as the economy and businesses try to recover.
The common-sense sentiment of small business owners must prevail so that our economy can heal and return to strong growth. Rather than pushing tax policies that drain family businesses of their resources and their ability to pass businesses on to the next generation, our surveying with TechnoMetrica showed that small businesses want Congress and President Biden to do the exact opposite - 83% of small business owners believe elected officials should support policies that make it possible to pass on their family business.
YET, America's family businesses are targeted by BBB with unfair and harmful tax increases. A broad coalition of small business organizations, including SBE Council, made it clear in a recent letter : The BBB bill is extremely unfair and harmful to family businesses. As noted in the letter:
● …the tax rate hikes in the Framework would apply to businesses making significantly less than the advertised levels.
● The White House fact sheet suggests the new surtax would impose a 5 percent tax on a taxpayer's modified adjusted gross income over $10 million, and 8 percent in excess of $25 million. For pass-through businesses held in trust, however, these thresholds are fifty times lower - $200,000 and $500,000, respectively. You don't have to be a very big business to earn $200,000.
● The same is true for the expansion of the 3.8 percent NIIT. The expanded NIIT's threshold for joint filers with S corporation or partnership income is $500,000, but it is just $13,000 for a family business with ownership shares held in taxable trusts.
● Trusts are a common feature of succession planning for family businesses. While they may have tax implications, in most cases families use trusts for non-tax purposes, as they ease the transition of the business from one generation to the next by clarifying ownership and management roles and avoiding probate court.
● Due to the prevalence of trusts, the higher tax rates included in the Framework would harm tens of thousands of modestly sized family businesses located across the country. The rate increases contemplated by the Framework are significant.
Whether its tax hikes on small businesses, family businesses, individuals, corporations or investors, raising taxes period is not sound policy at a time when all players in the private sector need as much capital and incentives at their disposal as possible to invest and pivot, and to pay more for practically everything as a result of inflation.
Bad Medicine for Consumers and Small Innovative Companies
The "pared down" price controls measure on prescription drugs in the BBB bill remains a misguided and dangerous idea. It will harm innovation, investment and U.S. global leadership in this critical industry. We remind you that small, innovative companies dominate the biopharmaceutical sector- 78.9% have fewer than 100 employees, and 59.4% have fewer than 20 employees. Imposing price controls only works to undermine entrepreneurship, competition, and investment in this vital sector.
The provision to "negotiate" is government price-setting plain and simple. The egregious penalties and retroactive taxes in this bill will not keep this critical industry innovating, or even in America for that matter. That outcome would hurt workers, local economies, U.S. global leadership in this vital sector, health consumers and all Americans.
Small Business Owners Crave Stability and Certainty
From the early days of the Biden Administration and the current Congress, SBE Council has urged policy restraint. What is happening in our economy - slower growth and troubling conditions across markets - is exactly what happens when government sends an anti-business policy signal and does things that dislocate markets.
Morebig government dressed up in 'Build Back Better' will not pull the U.S. out of the pandemic economic woes. Vast increases in government expenditures will only drain resources from the private sector, whether via taxes or borrowing, which works against economic growth, to be used for a laundry list of political preferences. And the current round of tax increases - albeit they are much less harmful than what was previously proposed - are still very damaging.
SBE Council urges a NO VOTE on this BBB package.
Sincerely,
Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO
desmog
API announced the campaign at its annual “State ofAmerican Energy” event, and featured a panel comprised of TV host Mike Rowe and the presidents of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, the Petroleum Equipment and Services Association, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. [82]
“From Colorado and New Mexico to Ohio and Pennsylvania, natural gas and oil development is energizing economies and improving millions of lives,” API President and CEO Mike Sommers said in prepared remarks. The campaign’s key focus appears to be combatting efforts that would ban or limit fracking. Sommers declared “he future of energy is at stake, whenever people doubt the value of natural gas and oil in our daily lives....ANGA) announced a merger to create a “single voice promoting the industry” while working under the name of the American Petroleum Institute. ANGA was founded in 2009 and is funded by natural gas producers, and has worked against federal limits on methane emissions. [52]...
off bs
API Launches New National Campaign ‘Energy for Progress’, Highlights U.S. Energy Leadership in Annual State of American Energy Event 202.682.8114 | press@api.org
WASHINGTON, January 7, 2020 – The American Petroleum Institute (API) today launched “Energy for Progress,” a nationwide
highlighting the natural gas and oil industry's leadership in reducing emissions to record low levels and supporting economic and environmental progress in local communities. The new campaign was unveiled as more than 800 government, labor and industry leaders gathered for API’s annual State of American Energy event in Washington today.
“From Colorado and New Mexico to Ohio and Pennsylvania, natural gas and oil development is energizing economies and improving millions of lives,” API President and CEO Mike Sommers said in remarks prepared for delivery. “Wherever the future of energy is at stake, whenever people doubt the value of natural gas and oil in our daily lives, wherever our commitment to worker and environmental safety is questioned, you’re going to see API making our case. We’re ready to work together. We may not agree on every detail, but on the big issues, we have far more in common than you may think.”
The new will go into rotation on broadcast and cable news, digital, radio, airports and outdoor billboards in markets across the country. The campaign will include reports and digital content highlighting the industry’s commitment to working together to solve America’s greatest energy and environmental challenges. In addition to the campaign, API released a new report showcasing local communities that have benefited from the American energy revolution and calling for policy solutions that support, rather than hinder, U.S. energy leadership.
According to a new API analysis, the natural gas and oil industry now supports 10.9 million American jobs. Proposals to ban hydraulic fracturing would cost up to 7.3 million of those jobs, based on API’s preliminary findings.
The event featured a panel discussion by advocates for labor, manufacturing, small business and skilled trades, including Mike Rowe, TV host and narrator and founder of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation; Terry O’Sullivan, general president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA); Leslie Beyer, president of the Petroleum Equipment and Services Association; and Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. The panelists discussed the critical role of natural gas and oil in supporting manufacturing, growing small businesses and creating good-paying jobs, and how a fracking ban would undermine this progress.
:{Watch the new ad campaign }
View a copy of the 2020 State of American Energy report :{here:(style="box-sizing:border-box"):}:.
To learn more, visit :{energyforprogress.org:(style="box-sizing:border-box"):}:.
API represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Our more than 600 members produce, process and distribute most of the nation’s energy. The industry supports more than ten million U.S. jobs and is backed by a growing grassroots movement of millions of Americans. API was formed in 1919 as a standards-setting organization. In our first 100 years, API has developed more than 700 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency and sustainability.
cspan
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LI
- ### founding Member
World Entrepreneurship Forum
Nov 2008 - Present13 years 4 months
A Worldwide think tank devoted to the entrepreneur, creator of wealth and social justice.
Board Member, Former Chair
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Apr 2011 - Present10 years 11 months
Washington, D.C.
The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) strengthens democracy around the globe through private enterprise and market-oriented reform. CIPE is one of the four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy. Since 1983, CIPE has worked with business leaders, policymakers, and journalists to build the civic institutions vital to a democratic society.
- [
](https://www.linkedin.com/company/small-business-&-entrepreneurship-council?trk=public_profile_experience-item_profile-section-card_image-click)
President & CEO
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
Jan 1994 - Present28 years 2 months
Nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy, education and research organization dedicated to protecting small business and promoting entrepreneurship. For nearly 25 years, SBE Council has worked to advance policies and initiatives to create strong and supportive ecosystems for new business creation and business growth. www.sbecouncil.org
off bs
covid?!
https://sbecouncil.org/
February 10, 2022
Small Business Insider
BLS Survey of Businesses on Workplace Policy Changes During Pandemic
February 11th, 2022 by SBE Council
by Raymond J. Keating – The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics just released its findings from a survey of businesses regarding their responses to the pandemic. The survey, conducted from July 27 to September 30, 2021, offered some interesting results, including the following: • 34.5 percent of establishments increased telework for some or all employees, […]
Gallup: Americans are More Dissatisfied with Government Regulation
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Business Intelligence: Tips, Trends and Resources for Entrepreneurs
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As Jobs Recover, Warning Signs on Main Street Remain
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February 3rd, 2022 by SBE Council
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Online Ad Bill in Congress Threatens Small Business Revenue and Growth
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The Senate Takes its Turn at Destabilizing U.S. Tech Leadership
January 26th, 2022 by SBE Council
SMALL BUSINESS INSIDER Committee advances S. 2992 after most Senators express significant concerns about the bill. by Raymond J. Keating – When it comes to the international marketplace, the usual policy problem is to get politicians to refrain from providing special protections or subsidies to domestic businesses via trade protectionism. Of course, tariffs and other […]
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By Barbara Weltman – The pandemic may have caused many businesses to fail, but it also appears to be doing something to boost the entrepreneurial spirit. This is evidenced by a surge in business start-up applications. The U.S. Census Bureau reported there were 418,380 business applications in December 2021. For all of 2021, nearly 5.4 […]
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UPDATED January 23, 2022 By Karen Kerrigan- This page, updated frequently, includes resources and information from the private sector and key government agencies on COVID-19 related programs and relief. We provide updates to CARES Act provisions, the American Rescue Plan and other initiatives, as well as tax credit provisions within COVID-19 related packages signed into […]
very bog pix of her on fox:
For twenty-five years Karen Kerrigan’s leadership, advocacy and training work has helped foster U.S. entrepreneurship and global business growth. She is president & CEO of the **Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council**, and is the group’s chief advocate for its members.
Kerrigan regularly testifies before the U.S. Congress on the key issues impacting entrepreneurs, investment and the economy, most recently before the House Small Business Committee and Financial Services Committee in 2020 on access to capital issues for small businesses and how newly implemented programs during the COVID-19 pandemic (like PPP and EIDL) can be improved to help more small businesses, and reach those with limited access to traditional financial institutions. She has been appointed to numerous federal advisory boards including the **National Women’s Business Council**,the U.S.-Iraq Business Dialog, the U.S. Treasury’s Taxpayer Advisory Panel, and the National Advisory Committee for Labor Provisions of U.S. Free Trade Agreements. Kerrigan regularly engages with the President’s cabinet and key advisors, and has spoken or led roundtables at several White House economic summits, scores of events hosted by the Small Business Administration, U.S. Treasury Department, Securities and Exchange Commission and other federal government agencies and departments. Kerrigan is a collaborative and well-respected individual within the business community who has led numerous coalitions and initiatives with diverse partners and organizations. Kerrigan chairs the newly formed Small Business Roundtable, a coalition of leading small business and entrepreneurship organizations dedicated to advancing policy, securing access and promoting inclusion to benefit the businesses at the heart of the American economy. She has written hundreds of Op-Eds and newspaper columns, and regularly appears on national television and talk radio programs. Kerrigan regularly appears on Fox Business to provide analysis and commentary on the latest economic data, what’s driving the markets, and the outlook for the economy, entrepreneurship and small business growth.
Kerrigan working at home during the COVID-19 shutdown and preparing to go on-air for a television interview.
She has been called America’s “entrepreneurial envoy” and “small business ambassador” for her extensive speaking, knowledge sharing and capacity-building work overseas. Kerrigan is a founding member of the **World Entrepreneurship Forum**,and has provided counsel to governments and business associations across the globe regarding entrepreneurial development, capacity building, policy formation and implementation. She has traveled to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, Israel, Morocco, Nepal, the Palestinian territories, among many other nations on behalf of the U.S. State Department to work with business leaders, women entrepreneurs, young leaders and entrepreneurs, and government officials on reforms and programs to encourage entrepreneurship, investment, and business growth. Kerrigan is a board member/audit committee Chair and former board Chair of the **Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)**, one of the core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy, which works to strengthen democracy around the globe through private enterprise and market oriented reforms.
“The hardest working woman in show business,” The Hill
BizTech Magazine named Kerrigan to its 2020 Small Business Influencer IT List in November 2020.In July 2018, Kerrigan was named to Fit Small Business’s “Top Small Business Influencers of 2018.” She was presented with the “Crowdfundie Award” at the 2017 Global Crowdfunding Convention for her leadership and advocacy on crowdfunding issues. In November of 2017, the Global IP Center of the U.S. Chamber presented Kerrigan with its “Excellence in Advocacy” award for her work on strengthening IP protections, and for her advocacy and outreach regarding the importance of IP for investment, innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011 she was named a Top 100 Champion Small Business Influencer by Small Business Trends. CEO World Magazine named Kerrigan a **“Top Power Woman in Crowdfunding”** (November 2013), and in May 2016 she was presented with the New Capital Markets Leadership Award by the Crowdfund Intermediary Regulatory Advocates (CFIRA) and Crowdfund Capital Advisors for her steadfast leadership and work in making equity and debt-based crowdfunding legal. In November of 2009 Kerrigan was awarded the “Small Business Advocate of the Year” by the NY Enterprise Report. Among media accolades, Inc. Magazine named Kerrigan to its small business “Best Friends in D.C.” (2006) list as a “**power broker and activist**” with “serious clout” for entrepreneurs; Fortune Small Business to its “Power 30” list (2000); and The Hill newspaper to its “most influential small business” list (2006) describing Kerrigan as “the hardest working woman in show business.” In 1995, National Journal named Kerrigan to its short list of “K Street” activists most likely to have an impact on Capitol Hill. Campaigns and Elections Magazine named her as one of its “Rising Stars in Politics” in its April 1996 issue. She lectures frequently at colleges and universities, making appearances at Harvard Business School, Georgetown University, University of Maryland, Ohio State University and many others including institutions outside of the United States.
Kerrigan graduated from SUNY Cortland with a B.A. in Political Science, and she currently serves on the Cortland College Foundation Board. She resides with her family in Northern Virginia.
Twitter: @KarenKerrigan
Linked In: /karenkerrigan
Raymond J. Keating, Chief Economist
Raymond J. Keating serves as chief economist for the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council). He writes, speaks and testifies before Congress and state bodies on a wide range of issues affecting the entrepreneurial sector of the economy. Keating authors SBE Council’s annual “Small Business Survival Index” and the “Small Business Tax Index.” He also is the author of the SBE Council book Unleashing Small Business Through IP: The Role of Intellectual Property in Driving Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Investment.
In addition to policy papers and reports, he pens the weekly SBE Council Cybercolumn, Fact of the Week, Capital & Credit Watch, Technology & Intellectual Property analysis, Energy & Entrepreneurs brief, and the State of the Week report for SBE Council.
As a book author, in addition to Unleashing Small Business Through IP, Keating has written four nonfiction books – “Chuck” vs. the Business World: Business Tips on TV (2011), U.S. by the Numbers: What’s Left, Right, and Wrong with America State by State (2000), New York by the Numbers: State and City in Perpetual Crisis (1997), and D.C. by the Numbers: A State of Failure (1995). He also has contributed essays to four other books. For good measure, Keating is an award-winning novelist. He has written five thrillers in his Pastor Stephen Grant novels series – Warrior Monk (2010), Root of All Evil? (2012), An Advent for Religious Liberty (2012), The River (2014), and Murderer’s Row (2015).
Keating has written hundreds of articles, with pieces published in such periodicals as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Boston Globe, National Review, Investor`s Business Daily, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Times, New York Post, Daily News,and many more.
His areas of expertise include taxation; federal, state and city budget issues; monetary policy; regulation; energy policy; supply-side economics; the economics of sports stadiums and arenas; the U.S. economy; trade; intellectual property and property rights in general; and a host of other small-business issues.
Keating also wrote a newspaper column for Long Island Business News for seven years, previously for Newsday on Long Island for more than 11 years, and for the New York City Tribune for two years. And he served an adjunct business professor at Dowling College for a decade.
Keating holds an MA in economics from New York University, an MBA in banking and finance from Hofstra University, and a BS in business administration and economics from St. Joseph’s College.
advis bd
Andrew J. Sherman
**Sherman is a partner of Seyfarth Shaw, LLP** in Washington D.C. He focuses his practice on issues affecting business growth for companies at all stages, including developing strategies for licensing and leveraging intellectual property and technology assets, intellectual asset management and harvesting, as well as international corporate transactional and franchising matters. He has served as a legal and strategic advisor to dozens of Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of emerging growth companies. He has represented U.S. and international clients from early stage, rapidly growing start-ups, to closely held franchisors and middle market companies, to multibillion dollar international conglomerates. He also counsels on issues such as franchising, licensing, joint ventures, strategic alliances, capital formation, distribution channels, technology development, and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Sherman has written nearly 30 books on the legal and strategic aspects of business growth, franchising, capital formation, and the leveraging of intellectual property, most of which can be found on Amazon. He also has published many articles on similar topics and is a frequent keynote speaker at business conferences, seminars, and webinars. He has appeared as a guest commentator on CNN, NPR, and CBS News Radio, among others, and has been interviewed on legal topics by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, and other publications. Mr. Sherman serves as an adjunct professor in the M.B.A. programs at the University of Maryland and as well as the law school at Georgetown University and is a multiple recipient of the University of Maryland at College Park’s Krowe Excellence in Teaching Award.
Barbara Weltman
Attorney, and a prolific author of important books such as J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business, and Smooth Failing, and a trusted professional advocate for small businesses and entrepreneurs. She is a guest columnist for The Wall Street Journal and U.S. News and World Reports and contributes regularly to American Express OPEN,SBA.gov, and MyVenturePad. She is also the publisher of Idea of the Day® and monthly e-newsletter Big Ideas for Small Business® at :{BarbaraWeltman.com:(style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"):}:. She has been named one of the 100 Small Business Influencers in the nation. Follow her on Twitter @BarbaraWeltman.
Brian Moran
As the Founder & CEO of Brian Moran & Associates, Brian is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs achieve their objectives and to run better businesses. Brian, along with a team of subject matter experts, leverages his 25+ years of experience in publishing magazines for business owners to assist entrepreneurs with everything from social media to accessing growth capital to expanding into the global marketplace. Prior to rejoining the world of entrepreneurship, Brian was an Executive Director at The Wall Street Journalwhere he led the sales development and marketing programs for the financial and small business categories among the many Journal brands. From 2002-2010, Brian was President of Veracle Media and Moran Media Group, two companies that provided relevant and practical information to business owners which helped them start, manage and grow their companies. The companies published three national magazines for the small-to-midsize business market: Small Business Success, Urban Successand Winning Bids. Prior to running his own businesses, Brian was the Associate Publisher at Inc. Magazine, a Publisher and Associate Publisher at Entrepreneur Media and held managment positions at Success Magazine and Medical EconomicsMagazine. In 2012 and 2013, Brian was named one of the top 100 SMB Influencers in the country by Small Business Trends & Small Biz Technology. Brian is a graduate of Marquette University’s School of Journalism. Follow Brian on Twitter: @BrianMoran
Brendan Karp
Karp co-founded First Funder, the first partner-based crowdfunding platform, in 2010. He has spoken regularly on the subject of crowdfunding and shared his crowdfunding expertise with business groups and professional associations. His professional experience includes marketing, outside sales, business development, and team management. He is currently working with TechNexus, a national venture collaborative located in Chicago, and enrolled at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. He expects to graduate with a Marketing degree in 2015.
Darrin Auito
Auito (JD, MSE, MBA) is a partner at Hubbs, Enasky & Auito (HEA PLLC). He has over 13 years of experience counseling clients of all sizes, ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to emerging technology companies, on intellectual property (IP) and business law matters. His legal practice is focused on developing strategic IP portfolios, preparing and prosecuting patent and trademark applications, advising on freedom-to-operate matters, litigation (PTAB, ITC, and district court), branding, and counseling on business formation, planning, and strategic alliances. Darrin represents clients as lead and local counsel in federal courts, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the International Trade Commission (ITC) on patent (including design) and trademark matters. In addition to his litigation experience, he has prepared, filed and prosecuted over a thousand U.S. and foreign patent applications in fields such as automotive, autonomous vehicles, drones, artificial intelligence, medical devices, robotics, manufacturing systems, mobile payments, sporting equipment, solar, and energy. Darrin has also advised, invested in, and represented several technology startups and is actively involved in the Washington DC and Northern Virginia technology and innovation startup community. Darrin also participates on Piranha Tank (TM), a live event with a local audience that brings together accredited investors seeking deals and entrepreneurs seeking investment. Prior to forming HEA, Darrin was an equity partner for several years at a former top 25 intellectual property firm in Washington DC, where he practiced in the patent prosecution and litigation groups.
Leonard Steinberg
Steinberg is Principal of :{Steinberg Enterprises, LLC:(style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"):}:. He is a federally licensed Enrolled Agent (EA) and a Certified Management Consultant (CMC). Mr. Steinberg specializes in small business and nonprofit organizations. The tax practice consists of comprehensive tax services, including preparation, planning and problem resolution and representation services. The organization prepares all types of business and personal tax returns (e.g. Proprietorship, Partnership, S-Corp and C-Corp, Exempt Organizations, Payroll, Sales and Use, Estates, Trusts and Foundations). Mr. Steinberg handles personal, business, nonprofit, estates, trusts, foundations, divorce issues, bankruptcy filings, and tax court preparation. His representation services include advocacy for all federal issues before the Internal Revenue Service and state tax issues. Mr. Steinberg was appointed to the Federal Taxpayer Advocacy Panel from 2001 through 2004. He was Chairman of the Small Business/Self-Employed Subcommittee. Mr. Steinberg is also a member of the Small Business Advisory Committee (SBAC) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) where he represents SBE Council. Mr. Steinberg has testified at three different invitations before the House of Representatives Committee on Small Business and the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs. He has made business and tax presentations at professional seminars sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service, Paychex, and Jewish Vocational Services to companies and practitioners throughout the metropolitan area. He also lectured nationally for Lorman Education Services in the subject areas of Internal Controls and Fraud Detection and Prevention, Nonprofit Management, and Federal taxation. He has taught Accounting, Bookkeeping, and Internal Controls and Fraud Detection and Prevention at Mercer County Community College.
Michael Fredrich
Fredrich is President and Owner of :{Manitowoc Custom Moldings, LLC:(style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"):}:. He has served in this capacity since 2001. MCM Composites is a small manufacturing company, which produces a wide range of precision products from many different raw materials. They specialize in thermoset plastic molding, enabling us to focus our capital and effort on continually improving our thermoset knowledge, expertise and technical capabilities. Fredrich has a diverse background in business and finance with experience in debt restructuring, corporate turnarounds, and commercial banking. He has a BS in Nuclear Engineering, and earned an MBA in Finance from UW-Madison.
Ramon Ray
Ramon is Editor & Founder ofSmart Hustle Magazine, his third book is Amazon.com best seller “Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing.” He loves Aunt Jemima syrup, burnt pancakes, bacon and eggs. He is also a four-time entrepreneur, best-selling author, global speaker and producer. Ramon has been invited as an expert witness to Congress, invited by the Office of the President of the United States to speak at the White House and produced many events including the “Smart Hustle Small Business Conference,” “Small Business Summit,” “Small Business Technology Tour,” “Small Biz Big Things” and more. Ramon has shared the stage with Seth Godin, Daymond John, Guy Kawasaki, Simon Sinek, Gary Vaynerchuk, and other celebrity entrepreneurs. He’s interviewed President Obama in the President’s first live Google Hangout and interviewed many of the sharks on Shark Tank. Although Ramon has interviewed and shared the stage with many celebrity entrepreneurs, his passion and biggest professional accomplishment is interviewing “main street” small business owners and entrepreneurs and sharing their stories. Ramon is not just an ivory tower geek, but as a former technology consultant, he has hands-on experience in a variety of technologies including social media, mobile computing, computer networks, online software and more. Ramon’s expertise is technology, marketing, sales, business startup and his favorite is personal branding. Over his extensive career, Ramon has written thousands of articles, spoken to thousands of business owners and impacted hundreds of thousands of small business owners and entrepreneurs to help their businesses thrive.
Todd Flemming
Flemming is President and CEO :{Advantor Systems/Veristream:(style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"):}:. As Advantor’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Flemming leads the strategic direction of the company, including all product development, operations and technology activities. Mr. Flemming serves as Chairman of BiPac (Business Industry Political Action Committee), a Washington, D.C., based organization-promoting business and dedicated to preserving the free enterprise system. Mr. Flemming is a member of the executive advisory board of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council. He serves as a member of the board of trustees of Hampden Sydney College in Virginia, and serves as Managing Director of OTIS LLC, a private investment firm. Prior to co-founding Advantor Systems/Veristream, Mr. Flemming served as president and CEO of Advantor Corporation in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Flemming has over twenty years of broad-based management experience in the security industry, including business start-up, design, marketing, strategy, research, development, and manufacturing. He holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Economics and Biology from Hampden Sydney College in Virginia and a Masters of Business Administration from Duke University (Fuqua School of Business), Durham, North Carolina.
Victoria Braden
Braden is President & CEO of :{Braden Benefits Strategies:(style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"):}:. Braden is responsible for the vision and growth of the company, and she is focused on implementing the new ACA regulations at the least cost in order to benefit businesses with less than 300 employees. Braden has worked exclusively in the group health insurance arena since 1994, establishing Braden Benefit Strategies, Inc. in 2002. The National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) has recognized Braden for seven years as a top insurance producer in the U.S. and one of the Top 1% of health insurance agents for the last three years. Prior to Braden’s entrance into the benefits arena, she held management positions at Johnson & Johnson’s, McNeil Consumer Products, Borden Foods, and the Pillsbury Company. Using knowledge of the benefit structures at these large corporations has helped Braden Benefit Strategies, Inc. successfully craft competitive plans and cost containment measures for clients. Braden has represented small businesses on Capitol Hill in 2004, testifying before a House committee on “The Benefits of Health Savings Accounts,” and again in 2011, regarding :{**the cost** **of PPACA implementation to small businesses**:(style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"):}:. Braden Benefit Strategies, Inc. recognizes ACA as a complete transformation of the delivery of health insurance in America. As such, the company has led the way in ACA education, working to correct the rampant misunderstanding of employer requirements, identifying the potential ACA financial liability, providing long-term financial planning and answering employees questions as to how the new law will affect them. Under Braden’s leadership, the company has developed consulting practices for businesses interested in turnkey ACA compliance, ACA financial planning and/or ACA employee education. Braden’s knowledge, reputation, humor, and passion for small business and employee benefit planning has made her a sought-after speaker, commentator, and writer. Braden received her undergraduate degree from Western Illinois University, her CBC from the National Association of Alternative Benefit Consultants (NAABC) and ACA certification from NAHU. She credits her dad for her sales ability, her mom for her high standards and her never give-up attitude, and both parents for her work ethic and dedication to her trade.