The annual Securities and Exchange Commission’s Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation has been scheduled for November 30th. In a shift from years past where the Forum was held in the SEC’s headquarters in Washington, DC, the event will take place in Austin, Texas.
The SEC has partnered with the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship, Growth, and Renewal at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. The forum will kick off at 9AM Central Time and will be open to the public. The Forum will be held in the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center on the campus in Austin and will be live streamed via the SEC web site. In years past, all Commissioners have participated in the Forum.
Breakout group sessions will not be live streamed but will be accessible by teleconference for those not attending in person. Anyone wishing to participate in a breakout group either in person or by teleconference must register online by November 27.
Topics in years past have included subjects vital to the formation and growth of small businesses in the US. Following each Forum, a report is published with recommendations generated by participants. An added twist for 2017, is the fact the SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2016 was signed into law. Under this legislation, the Advocate is tasked with the planning, organizing, and executing the annual Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation. While the SEC has initiated a nationwide search to select an Advocate, as of today, no one has been hired.
SEC Chairman Jay Clayton commented on the Forum;
“The annual Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation provides the opportunity to hear directly from small businesses about their experiences interacting with investors and our regulatory system in a very important segment of our capital markets. As a hub for innovation, Austin is a fitting place for this discussion. I look forward to the forum’s recommendations and will carefully consider them as we work to fulfill the SEC’s mission.”