DECA's 4th Annual Small Business Opportunity Summit

DECA is hosting its 4th Annual Small Business Opportunity Summit on Thursday, August 6, at the City of Austin Permitting & Development Center (6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr). It's a one-day event that runs from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM, built around connecting small business owners with the procurement opportunities and regional leaders shaping Central Texas's economic future.

The day opens with keynote speaker Jayzen Patria, an internationally recognized personal branding expert, inclusion advocate, and executive leadership strategist. He's spent over 25 years helping professionals and organizations amplify their impact through authentic leadership, having led executive development at NBCUniversal and built leadership programs for Fortune 100 companies. His session is titled Lead With Your Brand!.

From there, the schedule moves into a series of targeted sessions. Real Talk on the Economy is a conversation with the Fed, and AI for Business is run by Grow with Google. The Access Granted! Central Texas Infrastructure Procurement Roundtable brings together representatives from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Austin Transit Partnership, CapMetro, TxDOT, and the Austin Convention Center, putting attendees face to face with the organizations overseeing a critical procurement pipeline. Assistant City Manager Dr. Eric A. Johnson will also present the New Small Biz Economic Roadmap, and a resource fair runs alongside the programming.

Between the keynote, the roundtable, and the resource fair, the summit is designed to bridge the gap between small businesses and the stakeholders who hold the purse strings for regional infrastructure and development. Tickets are $30, and you can use the promo code ALGBTCC2026 when you sign up.