St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman is slated to receive an award this morning from the National Conference of Mayors and Partner America. Small business owners are invited to this morning’s ceremony that will feature resources available to them.

ST. PETERSBURG – Mayor Rick Kriseman will receive the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Partner America 2018 “Small Business Advocate Award” for his efforts and support of small business in the city.

This special event will take place 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. this morning (Feb. 12) at a Small Business Day event at the Greenhouse, 440 Second Ave. N. All small business owners are encouraged to attend.

The award is given by Partner America, a public-private partnership that was created by the U.S. Conference of Mayors to help mayors provide the resources and information small businesses need to thrive within their local communities and the global economy.

Along with Kriseman, the city’s Small Business Liaison and Greenhouse Manager, Jessica Eilerman, and Sean Kennedy, the vice president of Entrepreneurship and Community Development for the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, will discuss local programs and resources available to small business owners.

“We are honored to receive this award but more importantly to have so many successful entrepreneurs launching and growing small business in St. Petersburg. They are an essential part of our local economy and represent so much of the flavor and flair of what it means to experience St. Pete,” Kriseman said.

Eilerman said, “This event is not just to celebrate receiving an award, it is also a chance to share the tools the city and our partners have to help our small businesses grow and prosper.”

The event kicks off at 8 a.m. promptly, with doors opening at 7:30 a.m. In addition to the award presentation, Curtis Cello, a driving force in the Partner America initiative, which seeks to help small business owners understand how to overcome common challenges and improve sales, operations, and profitability –  will serve as keynote speaker.

After the event concludes at 9 a.m., in celebration of Tampa Bay Startup Week, a special One Million Cups St. Petersburg will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Greenhouse.

This marks the second year the city of St. Petersburg has co-sponsored Tampa Bay Startup Week, which features a series of entrepreneurial-inspired events held throughout Tampa Bay.

Rick Kriseman | Business | Small Business | U.S. Conference of Mayors | Partner America | The Greenhouse | Tampabay News

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