Small Business Capital Formation in the Silicon Prairie and Beyond

Continuing a tradition dating back to 1982, the SEC on August 14 held its annual government business forum on small business capital formation.

But after years of hosting the event at its headquarters in Washington D.C., SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and his fellow commissioners have tweaked the tradition slightly and taken the show on the road the past few years to hear more directly from small business owners around the country.

Capital formation and investing in promising new companies is critical to the future of our economy, from creating new jobs, to developing new solutions to emerging problems, to seeding companies that may one day ring the opening bell as a public company.

Martha Miller, the SEC’s Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation

This time around, they headed to Omaha, Nebraska, an emerging entrepreneurial frontier known as the “Silicon Prairie.” The SEC commissioners heard from local experts about how companies and investors are finding success in building and growing companies in the prairie states.

In his opening remarks, Chairman Clayton said he was "pleased that we are continuing the trend of taking the small business forum to new locations across the country. ... Hosting the small business forum in Omaha allows us to learn from and showcase the small businesses that have been successful at raising capital outside the two coasts."

Partnering with the Heider College of Business at Creighton University, the SEC’s forum enabled the public and private sectors to converge and identify issues related to accessing capital and investing in small businesses.

“The nature of what it means to raise capital, thrive and scale has changed in the past few decades,” said Martha Miller, the SEC's Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation, who asked attendees to "help us craft a vision for what the securities framework should look like to ensure that we are well-positioned for a vibrant future ahead.”

Martha Miller, the SEC’s Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation, welcomes attendees and asks them to “help us craft a vision for what the securities framework should look like” to ensure a vibrant future.

SEC Chairman Jay Clayton (center) explains, "A particular focus of mine has been to facilitate small business access to capital across the United States, not just in the traditional centers for capital in the two coasts."

Jeff Slobotski (center), who founded a digital media company called Router Ventures and is dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs in the region, speaks during a panel discussion about capital formation success stories.

Sara Hanks (center), CEO of CrowdCheck Inc., makes a point during a panel discussion about the SEC’s concept release on harmonization of the exempt offering framework.

Small Business Capital Formation in the Silicon Prairie and Beyond