Over 100 small business owners flocked to the Bitwise South Stadium business center in Fresno to attend the first Small Business Supportive Services Symposium hosted by the California High-Speed Rail Authority, and the Fresno Metro Black Chamber was well represented.
The event was organized in response to feedback from a number of small businesses in our area that indicated they needed assistance with taking advantage of opportunities connected to the high-speed rail project and other government projects.
“We tried to leave no stone unturned,” said Catrina Blair, the High-Speed Rail Authority’s Small Business Advocate, who organized the event. “Small businesses heard from the authority, high-speed rail design-builders, other state agencies and resource partners on how to navigate the government contracting arena, which can be confusing and overwhelming.”
FMBCC CEO Tara Lynn Gray said the following about the symposium: “These kinds of events are extremely important because they cut through all the tape. all the buyers are here, the decision-makers are here, and the access for small businesses is right here on Main Street, where it needs to be.”
Watch the clip below to learn more about how Black businesses in the Fresno area can benefit from this project.