AcquireLocal Inaugural Event
About this Event
When a longtime business owner is ready for their next chapter, they rarely close due to bankruptcy. It’s something much quieter: The lack of a succession plan.
Across the country, 2.9 million businesses are owned by founders aged 55 and older. Yet, an alarming 85% lack a formal transition plan. When they quietly shut their doors, our neighborhoods lose essential jobs, decades of accumulated knowledge, and local wealth. But closing doesn’t have to be the only path.
That’s why we created AcquireLocal: To connect retiring owners with experienced professionals ready to take on business ownership through acquisition, along with the capital and advisors needed to make it happen.
AcquireLocal is more than a business transaction
AcquireLocal is an awareness, education, and community connection initiative that gives prospective entrepreneurs and SMB owners the knowledge, guidance, resources, and trusted relationships needed to navigate acquisition and succession.
AcquireLocal focuses on ETA at Main Street scale: Established SMBs generally valued under $10 million, the size range that qualifies for SBA-backed financing, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) lending, and other community capital.
- For experienced professionals: A business acquisition can create income, greater financial control, renewed purpose, and a legacy for the next generation.
- For small business owners: A successful transition can provide financial value, protect employees and customers, and allow the business and its owner's legacy to continue.
- For communities: Keeping viable businesses open preserves jobs, services, relationships, institutional knowledge, and locally held wealth.
Agenda
🕑: 05:00 PM - 05:30 PM
Check In, Networking and Resource Fair
Info: Visit resource tables and meet business advisors, lenders, and community organizations.
🕑: 05:30 PM - 05:35 PM
Welcome
Host: Curtis Archer, Harlem Community Development Corporation
🕑: 05:35 PM - 05:55 PM
Opening Remarks
Host: Kim Council, Deputy Brooklyn Borough President
🕑: 05:55 PM
My Journey to AcquireLocal
Host: Lori Ann Pope, Co-Founder, AcquireLocal
🕑: 06:00 PM - 06:30 PM
Panel: Passing the Baton -- Inside the Deal from Handshake to Handoff
Host: Kevin Griffith, Glenmore Capital Group;
Info: Behind every successful business transition is a team of professionals. This panel brings that team together to walk through the life of a deal, from the moment a legacy owner starts thinking about what comes next to the day a new owner takes the keys. Using a sample Brooklyn business as our guide, a business broker, an independent sponsor, a community lender, and a [tax/exit planning] advisor share what each side needs to know and when: How sellers prepare their business and their finances for an exit, how buyers assess their readiness and find the right opportunity, and how financing brings the two together. Whether you're preparing to pass the baton or ready to take it, you'll leave knowing who to call first and what to do next.
🕑: 06:30 PM - 06:35 PM
My Journey to AcquireLocal
Host: Dana K. Michel, Co-Founder, AcquireLocal
🕑: 06:05 PM - 07:05 PM
Panel: The Lender's Lens -- What It Takes to Buy Your First Business
Host: Kris Schumacher, Co-Founder, New Majority Capital
Info: You don't have to start from scratch to become a business owner, but you do have to be ready. In this opening conversation, three leaders in small business finance share what they look for when a first-time buyer comes to them for capital. A national SBA lender, a community development lender, and an organization dedicated to backing new acquirers explain the experience, credit, and cash needed to qualify; how SBA, CDFI, and seller financing can work together; and how aspiring owners can close the gaps that stand between them and their first deal. Business owners planning a transition will also hear what makes a business attractive to lenders, and why a well-prepared buyer is the key to a successful exit.
🕑: 07:05 PM - 07:25 PM
Networking and Resource Fair
Info: Get resources and meet one-on-one with professionals, lenders, and community organizations.
🕑: 07:30 PM - 08:15 PM
Breakout Session A: Your Legacy, Your Terms: Planning Your Exit and Succession
Host: Kevin Griffith, Glenmore Capital Group
Info: You built something that matters; now it's time to decide what happens next. This small-group session is for established business owners who want to understand their options for stepping back, whether that's in one year or ten. A business broker and an experienced acquirer walk you through the realities of exit planning: what your business may be worth, what buyers look for, how to get your financials and operations in order, and the paths available to you, including sale to an outside buyer, a family member, or your own employees. Bring your questions. You'll leave with a clear picture of where you stand and the first steps toward a transition that protects your business, your employees, and your community.
🕑: 07:30 PM - 08:00 PM
Breakout Session B: Ready to Own? Testing Your Readiness
Host: Kris Schumacher, New Majority Capital
Info: Buying a business can be a faster, less risky road to ownership than starting from scratch, but it isn't for everyone. This hands-on session helps aspiring owners take an honest look at their readiness: personal, professional, and financial. A lender and an acquisition advisor explain what it really takes, including how much capital you need, how SBA, CDFI, and seller financing work together, what lenders look for in a first-time buyer, and which types of businesses make strong first acquisitions. You'll leave knowing whether you're ready, what gaps to close, and what to do next.
🕑: 08:15 PM - 08:30 PM
Closing/Final Networking and Resource Fair
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 25.00
