WE BRING RESOURCES TO YOU

Please register to attend. We will cap registrations upon meeting certain numbers.

Free for veterans and public to attend

Registration is Required

There is something for everyone

We all either know someone who is a veteran or has a veteran family member.

We encourage veterans, reserve, and transitioning military service members seeking to start a business or have an existing business to attend.

We also encourage public & students to attend as there is something for everyone. Take info with you to share with your military friends or family members so that they can learn about the resources as well.

Thursday, April 13, 2023

10.00 AM to 4.00 PM

BLACKFIRE Innovation (4th Floor)

Nevada SBDC

UNLV - Office of Economic Development

8400 W. Sunset Rd. Suite 400

Las Vegas, NV 89113

Sunset & Durango (southwest)

FREE PARKING

EVENT LOCATION

EVENT RELATED QUESTIONS? Use this contact form.

THIS IS NOT A REGISTRATION FORM 

To register for this April 13th event click here

VETERANS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EXPO

An optional 30 to 45 Minutes guided tour of the BLACKFIRE INNOVATION is also available at 11:00 AM and at 12:00 PM (noon). Tour option is available on the same attendee registration page.

JOSHUA BENEDETTI

Founder & CEO

CARDZ3N

Learn about business lending and more. 20+ years in business with a focus on finance. Attended FAU, is Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB) from Project Management Institute (PMI), and holds a certificate in Contract Law from Harvard University.

TOPIC

Financial Products & Regulations

10:15AM

GINA BONGIOVI

JD/MBA

Founder, Bongiovi Law Firm

Founder of Bongiovi Law Firm which provides legal and strategic advice for business owners. JD/MBA graduate from UNLV. 2021 Chair of the Vegas Chamber Board of Trustees

TOPIC

Expensive Legal Mistakes

10:45AM

JANET D. HARTLEY

SCORE Las Vegas Chapter Chair

Southern Nevada SCORE Chapter

SCORE is a national non-profit with more than 200 chapters and 11,000 certified volunteers nationwide mentoring those seeking to start or grow their business. Janet has been wth SCORE for nearly 20 years. She is now Southern Nevada SCORE Chapter Chair. 

TOPIC

SCORE  Small Business Resources & Services

11:30AM

VICKIE TIPPITT

Veteran Employment Rep.

EmployNV

Vickie Tippitt is a veteran who served for 22 years. She is now with EmployNV, a division of Nevada Workforce Connections, & she proudly serves veterans seeking employment. Also, Joining Vickie in this presentation is the ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve).

TOPIC

Employment for Those Who Served 

1:30PM

JUAN RANGAL

ALLISON LOFTUS

VEGAS PBS

Beyond the Broadcast! Vegas PBS is more than just a television station. Through its Workforce and Economic Development Division, the station has received two American Rescue Plan Grants (ARPA) to bolster Southern Nevada’s workforce system through its Nevada Jobtimize. This system helps guide students, under/unemployed job seeker, career transitioners, workforce career advisors and businesses into the right jobs that “fit” the individual and business. In addition, the department has many other programs and services to meet small business training needs and requirements.

TOPIC

Vegas PBS ARPA Grant Program 

1:00PM

LINDA MADRIL

America's Financial Wellbeing Coach

Operation HOPE

Linda holds a Juris Doctorate. At Operation HOPE, Linda provides workshops on the topics of financial literacy and conducts personal financial sessions that match an individual's needs. This includes financial goals, credit enhancement, debt reduction, savings & more.

TOPIC

Financial Literacy 

2:00PM

ROBERTA AWERKAMP

Launchpad Administrator

Henderson Chamber of Commerce

Henderson Chamber of Commerce is one of the most influential chamber of commerce in the Southern Nevada with a highly productive leadership team. It also maintains an entrepreneurial hub "LaunchPad" in the downtown Henderson that serves startups.

TOPIC

Your Chamber of Commerce - The Value, The Resources & Benefits

2:30PM

SPEAKERS

HELENA OTERO

Education & Employment Program Mgr. 

Nevada Department of Veterans Services

Helena determines barriers that veteran students face in their perspective educational programs and creates/implements solutions. Helena plans and coordinates the Nevada Transition Assistance Program for veterans living or moving to Nevada amongst other tasks.

TOPIC

Nevada Transition Assistance Program

3:00PM

Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve

NV ESGR is comprised of over 50 dedicated and trained volunteers and one full-time staff working throughout the State of Nevada to gain and maintain employer support for the Guard and Reserve. The organization conducts various outreach programs to educate service members

TOPIC

ESGR Programs 

1:40 PM

 EXHIBITORS

Resources with wide range of services for new & existing business owners, students and veterans 

Nevada Veterans Business & Economic Development (Organizer): A subsidiary of InterAlliance LTD and the first Nevada-based designated business development service for veterans, transitioning service members and reserve. www.EconomicDevelopment.vet

Nevada SBDC (Co-Sponsor): Nevada Small Business Development Center is the statewide resource of business development for anyone seeking to start or grow their business. Resource partner of US Small Business Administration www.NevadaSBDC.org

US Small Business Administration: SBA continues to help small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream. SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise. www.sba.gov

Nevada Department of Business & Industry: The Department of Business and Industry is a cabinet level agency in Nevada State government. Their objective is to encourage and promote the development and growth of business and to ensure the legal operation of business in order to protect consumers by maintaining a fair and competitive regulatory environment. https://business.nv.gov

SCORE Las Vegas (Southern Nevada Chapter: SCORE is a national non-profit with more than 11,000 certified volunteers nationwide that are highly skilled in business development offering free business mentoring and more for the life of your business. Resource partner of US Small Business Administration www.score.org

EmployNV:  A division of Workforce Connections. EmployNV offers a complete set of employment tools for job seekers in Employ Nevada. Vickie Tippitt is in charge of veterans seeking employment. www.EmployNV.gov

NV Employer Support of Guard & Reserve: ESGR is comprised of over 50 dedicated and trained volunteers and one full-time staff working throughout Nevada. They also have various outreach programs for service members.

Vegas PBS: Vegas PBS is more than just a television station. Through its Workforce and Economic Development Division, Vegas PBS has received two American Rescue Plan Grants (ARPA) to bolster Southern Nevada’s workforce system through its Nevada Jobtimize. This system helps guide students, under/unemployed job seeker, career transitioners, workforce career advisors and businesses into the right jobs that “fit” the individual and business. In addition, the department has many other programs and services to meet small business training needs and requirements. www.vegasPBS.org

Nevada Department of Veterans Services: For over 75 years NDVS have been dedicated to helping Nevada veterans get the services, benefits and quality of life they deserve. They address any issue, problem or concern of Nevada’s veterans and serving military – and their families. They offer benefits counseling, assistance, filing VA claims at no cost, and more. https://veterans.nv.gov

Urban Chamber of Commerce: Their mission is to create an innovative, entrepreneurial space that promotes economic development for local and global businesses. Their members are from all ethnic groups and veterans. www.urbanchamber.org

Operation Hope: Keywords, "Financial Literacy". Financials play the most important part in life. Hope Foundation is a national non-profit providing workshops on the topics of financial literacy. This includes financial goals, credit enhancement, debt reduction, savings & more. They also conduct personal financial sessions that match an individual's needs. www.operationhope.org

Nevada Attorney General's Office of Military Legal Assistance: The OMLA is the first ever, attorney general-led program offering our military communities access to pro bono civil legal services. Services include pro bono legal assistance and representation, assistance to veterans with wills and power of attorneys and much more. https://nvagomla.nv.gov

Clark County Business License: Clark County is the largest business jurisdiction in Southern NV. In addition to unincorporated Clark County, they also process license applications for businesses located in different communities, towns, and townships in Nevada. www.clarkcountynv.gov

City of Las Vegas Business License: Along with obtaining business licenses and complete guidance, the city also has a Small Business Support Center that offers help for new and existing businesses including a wide range of business counseling and workshops. www.lasvegasnevada.gov

Nevada State Contractors Board: The NSCB has the responsibility to promote quality construction by Nevada licensed contractors through a regulatory licensing system designed to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. Along with various functions, they also promote programs focused on reaching a diverse workforce, including women, minority populations, veterans, new immigrants and others. http://nscb.nv.gov

CARDZ3N: Designed to solve the critical issues facing clients, both large and small. They offer merchant services, online payroll, HR and benefits. CARDZ3N is not your average service provide. The leadership has a wide range of experience affiliating with public and private sectors, and with the US Department of Defense, and offer business affiliation programs. https://www.cardz3n.com

Armed Forces Chamber of Commerce: They are the Nevada's largest and oldest Chamber of Commerce formed to serve Veterans who live and operate businesses in Nevada. Chamber members enjoy benefits like Discounts, Education, Leadership, Marketing, Networking, Referrals, Sponsorships and more. www.armedforceschamber.com

Office of Jacky Rosen - Senator for Nevada: Jacky Rosen is committed to working with both parties for Nevadans. She is being an independent voice to find commonsense, bipartisan solutions for the state of Nevada.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank You - To Event Supporters, Promoters & Contributors