Invest Newark and incubator =Space are teaming up for Newark Small Business Week, starting Monday, the organizations announced Friday.
The city of Newark’s economic development corporation will work with the multicultural startup support organization on five days of programming that will include events, workshops and networking opportunities for new and experienced city entrepreneurs. The first event is Monday’s Small Business Expo, a business-to-business conference and networking event aimed at small business owners, entrepreneurs and startup companies.
“Our small businesses are the backbone of our community, and we remain committed to helping them recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said in a prepared statement. “Newark Small Business Week is an opportunity for all Newarkers to show their support for our local entrepreneurs and the people they employ, because they are pivotal to keeping our economy thriving. I thank Invest Newark and =Space for making these necessary opportunities and resources available, and look forward to kicking off the week at the expo.”
The goal of the week is to provide small business owners and prospective entrepreneurs with resources to encourage growth in Newark. Events will offer networking, panel discussions, expert advice, workshops, lenders and more. Highlights include Thursday’s Women-In-Novation 4.0 miniconference and a grant-pitch opportunity that will be hosted entirely in Spanish.
“Newark’s small businesses took a major hit during the pandemic, and many are still in the process of recovering,” Roy Southerland, Invest Newark’s interim CEO and president, said in a statement. “Along with Mayor Ras J. Baraka and the city of Newark, we have supported our entrepreneurs throughout the pandemic, and this Small Business Week, we are continuing our focus on ensuring they can thrive. With our valuable partner, =Space, we are thrilled to provide this innovative, five-day experience to meet the needs of our entrepreneurs and the people they employ, which will support Newark’s vibrancy for years to come.”
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Those interested in participating can contact Elizabeth Da Silva at edasilva@investnewark.org or 973-273-1040.
