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• Annie Spilman, National Federation of Independent Business

  • When
    February 26, 2020
  •  
    7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
  • Location
    The University of Texas Club - 2108 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 78705
  • Registered
    19 registrants

  Register

  The Texas Legislature and How Small Business Fares

  Cover priorities of the small business community in Texas going into the 2019 Legislative session, how the small business community fared, and priorities moving forward. I will touch on the 2020 elections and hot topics going into the 2021 session. 

  About Our Speaker:

  Annie Spilman joined the Texas office of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in July 2014 and heads up the organization’s public policy and political programs throughout the state.
  

  Spilman has over 19 years of legislative experience, both inside and outside the Texas Capitol. She brings valuable experience in government relations, grassroots organizing, fundraising and direct lobbying to NFIB.

  Previously, she worked at IIAT as the governmental affairs manager, where she ran the IIAT political action committee, IMPACT, and shared responsibility in lobbying the Texas Legislature on issues important to independent agents in Texas.

  Spilman began her political career in 2000 as a legislative staffer in the Texas House of Representatives and left in 2006 to begin her lobbying career with attorney Steve Bresnen. Throughout the years, she has also found time to work on political campaigns in the state.

  She’s a proud 6^th generation Texas woman who has a passion for helping others find a voice and protecting small business in Texas. Spilman is a graduate of Texas State University.

  Agenda:

  6:50am - Coffee & Networking 

  7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

  7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

  7:50am - Speaker Introduction

  8:20am - Q&A

  8:30am - Have a wonderful Wednesday!

  Directions and Parking to UT Club
  

  Breakfast Fees & Policy
  

  Show details
• February Book Club

  • When
    February 26, 2020
  •  
    8:45 AM - 9:30 AM
  • Location
    The University of Texas Club - 2108 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 78705

  Empire of the Summer Moon

  by S. C. Gwynne

  Join fellow MBC members for lively discussions about topical books in a relaxed atmosphere, right after breakfast!

  About the book:

  In the tradition of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, a stunningly vivid historical account of the forty-year battle between Comanche Indians and white settlers for control of the American West, centering on Quanah, the greatest Comanche chief of them all.

  S. C. Gwynne’s Empire of the Summer Moon spans two astonishing stories. The first traces the rise and fall of the Comanches, the most powerful Indian tribe in American history. The second entails one of the most remarkable narratives ever to come out of the Old West: the epic saga of the pioneer woman Cynthia Ann Parker and her mixed-blood son Quanah, who became the last and greatest chief of the Comanches.

  S. C. Gwynne’s account of these events is meticulously researched, intellectually provocative, and, above all, thrillingly told. Empire of the Summer Moon announces him as a major new writer of American history.
  
  

  8:45 - 9:30 upstairs on the 7th floor after Breakfast

  
  

  Show details
• Dr Lila Valencia, Texas Demographic Center

  • When
    March 04, 2020
  •  
    7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
  • Location
    The University of Texas Club - 2108 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 78705
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  The 2020 Census: What to Expect and What's at Stake  

  The 2020 Census is the once-a-decade population count that determines our representation in government, funding for our communities, and provides data to help plan for the future. Learn what to expect and what's at stake for Texas.

  About our speaker:

  Dr. Lila Valencia is a senior demographer at the Texas Demographic Center. She oversees product development for the TDC. She also serves as the lead liaison for Texas to the U.S. Census Bureau’s State Data Center Network.

  She has over 15 years of experience in quantitative and qualitative research in both the public and private sectors. Her current work involves understanding and communicating demographic trends and processes in Texas.

  Lila is an engaging speaker with over 100 speaking engagements, including keynotes and legislative testimony. She has a diverse research background, including projects focused on migration, aging, energy consumption, transportation, and gender-based violence.

  Lila holds a Ph.D. in Applied Demography from the University of Texas at San Antonio, a Masters in Psychology from the College of William & Mary in Virginia, and a Bachelors from the University of Texas at Austin.
  

  Agenda:

  6:50am - Coffee & Networking 

  7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

  7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

  7:50am - Speaker Introduction

  8:20am - Q&A

  8:30am - Have a wonderful Wednesday!

  Directions and Parking to UT Club
  

  Breakfast Fees & Policy
  

  Show details
• Chris Perry, Sandler

  • When
    March 11, 2020
  •  
    7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
  • Location
    The University of Texas Club - 2108 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 78705
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  Overcoming The Hidden Barriers to Sales Excellence 

  There are many social and psychological obstacles to running an effective sales process, and all too often many of us get in our own way when trying to grow our businesses. Come explore how to overcome these self-limiting beliefs and habits.

  About our speaker:

  Chris Perry is a former diplomat who now focuses on providing training and support for business owners and sales people to ensure they overcome obstacles in their sales process. Whether it’s a small business owner who is frustrated with inconsistent sales and stalled out deals, or a large sales organization looking to fine tune their processes to shorten the sales cycle and protect margin, he Provides personalized, actionable training to improve their win rate.

  Chris brings to his coaching over a decade of experience in international business development and diplomacy, having lived on five continents and done work in 20 countries. These experiences have given Chris unique insight into the universal nature of the buyer-seller dance, as seen played out everywhere from corporate board rooms in North America to old camel markets in North Africa. Regardless of the language or the culture, he’s learned that the best business gets done through disarmingly honest conversations.

  Agenda:

  6:50am - Coffee & Networking 

  7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

  7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

  7:50am - Speaker Introduction

  8:20am - Q&A

  8:30am - Have a wonderful Wednesday!

  Directions and Parking to UT Club
  

  Breakfast Fees & Policy
  

  Show details
• Bridgette Escobedo, Travis County Elections

  • When
    March 18, 2020
  •  
    7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
  • Location
    The University of Texas Club - 2108 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 78705
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  To Worry or Not to Worry: Discussing Elections 

  Voting in Texas. There has been much debate in Texas over voter access in recent years and we now have a chance to ask all of your burning questions. We will also be discussing feedback on the primary. You won't want to miss this breakfast!
  

  About Our Speaker: 

  Bridgette Escobedo is the Travis County Elections Division Director. She has served in the Travis County Elections Division as the Assistant Director of Elections since the fall of 2019. Previously, she was the Election Administrator for Bastrop County for 6 years and the Assistant Elections Administrator for 6 years.

  Agenda:

  6:50am - Coffee & Networking 

  7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

  7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

  7:50am - Speaker Introduction

  8:20am - Q&A

  8:30am - Have a wonderful Wednesday!

  Directions and Parking to UT Club
  

  Breakfast Fees & Policy
  

  Show details
• Scott Hinson, Pecan Street

  • When
    April 01, 2020
  •  
    7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
  • Location
    The University of Texas Club - 2108 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 78705
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  Pecan Street: What they do and what they have been up to! 
  
  

  About Our Speaker:
  Scott leads activities and electrical research at the Pecan Street Lab. He worked at a thin film CIGS solar module manufacturer where he led module packaging, performance, certification and reliability efforts.

  Prior efforts include work in the military, medical, consumer and oil industries developing power supplies, precision measurement equipment and inductive heating technologies. Scott received his B.S.E.E. from The University of Texas at Austin with undergraduate specializations in both communications systems and power distribution.

  Scott was awarded the 2015 Outstanding Engineering Award for “transforming the world’s understanding of consumer and community electricity usage” by the the IEEE Power Engineering Society Central Texas Chapter. He is also a contributing author to Transmission & Distribution World Magazine.

  Agenda:

  6:50am - Coffee & Networking 

  7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

  7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

  7:50am - Speaker Introduction

  8:20am - Q&A

  8:30am - Have a wonderful Wednesday!

  Directions and Parking to UT Club
  

  Breakfast Fees & Policy
  

  Show details
• Randy Clark, Capital Metro

  • When
    April 22, 2020
  •  
    7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
  • Location
    The University of Texas Club - 2108 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 78705
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  Project Connect

  Project Connect is Capital Metro's vision for a more reliable, more equitable and more connected public transportation system. Whether you take transit or not, Project Connect can improve your commute!
  

  About Our Speaker: 

  Randy Clarke currently serves as the President and CEO of Capital Metro, the public transit provider for Austin, Texas and its nearby communities. Prior to his current role, Randy held key leadership positions in public transportation in both Boston and Washington, D.C., and he earned his Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Southern Maine.

  Under Randy’s leadership at Capital Metro, transit ridership has been on the rise following the 2018 redesign of its bus network, along with multi- million dollar investments to the system and a renewed focus on improving customer experience. Randy sees the operation through the eyes of his customer by using the service every day, giving him insight that’s fueled his challenge to “do more” in providing quality transportation options to the growing region.

  When away from the office, Randy enjoys traveling and competitive running with his wife Kimberley, who he met, as fate would have it, while riding a train.

  
  

  Agenda:

  6:50am - Coffee & Networking 

  7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

  7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

  7:50am - Speaker Introduction

  8:20am - Q&A

  8:30am - Have a wonderful Wednesday!

  Directions and Parking to UT Club
  

  Breakfast Fees & Policy
  

  Show details
• Doug Baum, Texas Camel Corps

  • When
    May 06, 2020
  •  
    7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
  • Location
    The University of Texas Club - 2108 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 78705
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  Doesn’t Everyone Want to Build a Camel Empire? 

  Doug Baum’s unlikely journey from the Nashville music business to creating a camel based business in Texas and beyond.

  About our speaker: 
  

  
  Doug Baum is owner of Texas Camel Corps, a business dedicated to education- historical, scientific, and cultural. Baum partners with his family’s camels for living history events, on-campus education programs at schools, libraries, and museums and guides multi-day camel treks for tourists in the deserts of West Texas.

  Since 2003 Baum has led small group tours to Egypt and now includes Jordan, Morocco, India, and Kenya among his tour offerings.
  

  Agenda:

  6:50am - Coffee & Networking 

  7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

  7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

  7:50am - Speaker Introduction

  8:20am - Q&A

  8:30am - Have a wonderful Wednesday!

  Directions and Parking to UT Club
  

  Breakfast Fees & Policy
  

  Show details