SOLD OUT!!! Waitlist Open | Small Business Seeds for Growth
June 17 @ 8:30 am – 2:30 pm
Small Business Seeds for Growth
A Collaboration with Huntington Bank and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce
The Columbus Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Huntington Bank, is proud to present the Small Business Seeds for Growth event on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. This exciting initiative will be held at the Conference Center at OCLC, from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM, and is designed to empower and uplift under-resourced small businesses in our community.
The Seeds for Growth program is a premier Huntington sponsored event that aims to foster growth by providing invaluable resources and opportunities for small business owners. This year’s program is designed to be more interactive and inclusive, with expanded opportunities for attendees to engage and benefit throughout the event. Highlights of the event include:
- Seed Money Initiative: Participants will receive Huntington “seed money” to spend in the on-site small business marketplace – providing immediate support to local entrepreneurs while helping businesses generate real-time sales and visibility.
- Programming and Marketplace: Sessions will be offered in both English and Spanish, covering topics including social media marketing, AI governance, business credit, and government contracting. Attendees can also explore a business and nonprofit resource zone alongside a curated local retail marketplace.
- Networking and Resources: Attendees will have the chance to connect with industry experts, fellow business owners, and community leaders.
This is an absolutely FREE event! Plus, marketplace dollars and a lunch will be provided to all attendees. Secure your spot today! Registration is required.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to connect your business to vital resources and join a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. Register now and take the first step towards unlocking your business’s potential!
Agenda
- 8:30 – 9:30 AM: Registration & Marketplace
- 9:30 – 10:00 AM: Welcome Remarks
- 10:15 – 11:00 AM: Breakout A
- 11:15 – 12:00 PM: Keynote
- 12:00 – 12:45 PM: Lunch, Marketplace & Networking
- 1:00 – 1:45 PM: Breakout B
- 2:00 – 2:30 PM: Closing Remarks
Speakers
Keynote Speaker: Standing in the Question: The Pause That Creates Momentum
Session A Breakouts
En esta sesión aprenderás cómo utilizar las redes sociales y el contenido orgánico para atraer clientes de manera natural, sin necesidad de invertir dinero en anuncios. Hablaremos sobre por qué hoy en día los dueños de negocio, emprendedores e incluso CEOs necesitan construir presencia digital para hacer crecer sus marcas y generar confianza con sus comunidades.
La meta de esta charla es enseñarte cómo crear contenido estratégico para tu nicho, conectar con tu audiencia y convertir tu conocimiento, experiencia o historia en oportunidades reales de crecimiento para tu negocio.
The U.S. government spends over $800 billion annually — and small businesses are required by law to get a fair share. So why are so many missing out? You don’t have a capability problem. You have a positioning problem — and those are two completely different fixes.
In this high-impact 45-minute session, Vikki Hawthorne with Ohio APEX Accelerator breaks down how government contracting actually works, why capable businesses keep losing, and a three-part strategy — Clarity, Credibility, Connection — that changes everything.
You’ll leave with your first five action steps, a framework you can apply immediately, and a free differentiator discovery tool to take home.
The federal marketplace has a place for your business. This session shows you how to be positioned to claim it.
Roshonda Smith
SVP-Business Engagement Director
Huntington National Bank
Access to Capital is designed to help business owners understand the full landscape of funding options from traditional bank loans and SBA programs to CDFIs, microloans, crowdfunding, fintech lenders, and equity investors. This session explains when each type of capital is appropriate, what lenders evaluate, and how to align funding with business goals and timing.
Session B Breakouts
This breakout session is designed for new and emerging business owners who want to establish a strong business credit foundation. Participants will learn the basics of building business credit, what types of purchases and financing options are available through business credit, common restrictions, and limitations, and how lenders evaluate creditworthiness. The session will also explore practical ways business credit can be leveraged to support growth, including purchasing equipment, managing cash flow, securing vendor accounts, obtaining financing, and expanding operations. We will also touch on the difference between personal credit and business credit and what that means for your business. Attendees will leave with actionable steps to begin building and strengthening their business credit profile.
Small business owners are no longer just trying to show up on Google. They also need to show up in AI-generated recommendations, local search results, maps, and answer engines. In this session, attendees will learn simple, practical ways to make their businesses easier to find, understand, and trust online.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Understand how AI tools like ChatGPT may describe or recommend their business
- Optimize their Google Business Profile for better local visibility
- Use clear website copy to improve both SEO and conversions
- Create content that answers real customer questions
- Build trust signals that help people choose them faster
Mike Carl
Vice President, Branch General Manager
Huntington National Bank
This session helps entrepreneurs understand what lenders look for and how to prepare a complete, compelling loan package. Participants learn how to determine their capital needs, how personal and business credit affect approval, and how to present a clear financial story through projections, business plans, and financial statements. The session also breaks down the Five C’s of Credit and explains why cash flow is the most important factor in lending decisions.
Nancy Godinez Spencer
SVP-Business Engagement Director
Huntington Bank
La presentación sobre Acceso al Capital para Pequeñas Empresas ofrece una visión integral de cómo los negocios pueden financiarse y prepararse para obtener recursos de manera efectiva. Explica las principales fuentes de capital —incluyendo financiamiento bancario, programas de la SBA, organizaciones comunitarias, autofinanciación y alternativas como inversionistas, microfinanzas o fintech— y orienta a los empresarios a elegir la opción que mejor se alinee con sus necesidades inmediatas y de crecimiento. Asimismo, destaca la importancia de estar adecuadamente preparado mediante un plan de negocio sólido, una comprensión clara de la situación financiera personal y empresarial, y la disponibilidad de documentación completa que demuestre capacidad de pago y viabilidad. Finalmente, subraya que el éxito en el acceso al financiamiento depende tanto de cumplir con criterios crediticios como de construir relaciones de confianza, comunicar eficazmente el valor del negocio y participar activamente en el proceso con las instituciones financieras.
Location
Parking
Parking is free and is located either in the front or rear of the building based on the meeting location.
Pricing
Registration: Complimentary
*Registration is required. Day-of registration is not encouraged.*
This is a ticketless event. Reminder communications and further details will be sent in the days prior to the event.
The Columbus Chamber reserves the right to cancel or reschedule this event in the case of severe or unsafe weather conditions. Registrants will be notified via email in the event of a cancellation.
Registration Questions – Contact Events – events@columbus.org
Thanking Our Sponsor!
