2009 Conference

NEW HAVEN, CT - On Saturday, February 7 2009, at Yale University, the Elmseed Enterprise Fund and JUNTA for Progressive Action hosted the 2009 New Haven Entrepreneur Development Conference, a day-long skills-building and professional development conference for local entrepreneurs. Both the Elmseed Enterprise Fund and JUNTA are dedicated to assisting low-income individuals in starting and growing small businesses that will contribute to their individual as well as their community economic development.

The 2009 New Haven Entrepreneur Development Conference offered training in the areas of accounting, small business expansion, and legal strategies for small companies. Notable speakers included Professor Constance Bagley, a professor in the Practice of Law and Management at the Yale School of Management; Dennis Brown, the vice President of the Connecticut Community Investment Corporation; and representatives from Community Accounting Aid and Services, Inc. and the Small Business Legal Services Clinic at the Yale Law School. Additionally, all workshops and activities were offered in English and Spanish.

"JUNTA's micro-lending program has helped dozens of individuals reach their dream of becoming small business owners. This conference will help them and other entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses," said Laura Huizar, Coordinator of Economic Development Programs at JUNTA said of the event.

Conference organizers also aimed to host an event that would provide a forum for uniting the city's business support community. "One of our primary goals is to connect small business owners and entrepreneurs with the abundant resources that exist locally," said Eli Bildner, Chief Executive Officer of Elmseed. Sponsors who made the conference possible included Yale's Office of New Haven and State Affairs, GAVA (The Grand Avenue Village Association), TYCO, and SAMA (Spanish American Merchants Association).

JUNTA is the oldest Latino non-profit organization in New Haven and offers a wide range of programs including Adult Education, Economic Development, Cultural Awareness, Legal Advocacy, Family Management and Youth Services. The Elmseed Enterprise Fund is one of the only student-run microcredit agencies in the country. Founded in 2001 by a group of Yale students, Elmseed continues to offer loans and business training to area entrepreneurs and small business owners.