DECA : 4th Annual Small Business Opportunity Summit
About this Event
Join us for the 4th Annual DECA Small Business Opportunity Summit, a high-impact event designed to bridge the gap between your business and the stakeholders shaping Central Texas’s economic future. This is your premier opportunity to engage directly with major regional leaders, ask critical questions, and build lasting professional connections.
Start the day with an inspiring keynote from Jayzen Patria, dive into educational sessions led by industry experts, connect directly with procurement partners during interactive roundtables, and wrap up with networking alongside Austin’s diverse business community.
Featuring keynote speaker Jayzen Patria, an internationally recognized personal branding expert, executive leadership strategist, and former NBCUniversal executive, presenting his signature keynote, Lead With Your Brand!™.
The summit focuses on three essential pillars for business success:
- Navigating Today’s Economy: A conversation that will equip local entrepreneurs and small businesses with insights, economic trends, and key areas of impact. This panel will feature an economic update, breaking down complex market trends into clear, relatable concepts, so you can navigate current challenges with greater success.
- Procurement Opportunities: Learn how to position your business to secure contracts available in the region, featuring infrastructure partners like Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Austin Transit Partnership (ATP), Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), and more!
- Practical AI Applications For Business with Grow With Google: Heard the buzz about AI, but wondering what it actually means for your business? This presentation cuts through the noise. By exploring practical applications and real-life examples from business owners, you’ll leave with a personalized plan for your business. You will learn all about Google AI tools and discover how to use them strategically to tackle common business challenges.
The Summit also features a Resource Fair with refreshments, booths, and time to network with vital providers to help you scale your business.
Keynote Speaker: Jayzen Patria
We’re excited to welcome Jayzen Patria as the keynote speaker for the 2026 DECA Small Business Summit.
An internationally recognized personal branding expert, inclusion advocate, and executive leadership strategist, Jayzen has spent more than 25 years helping professionals and organizations amplify their impact through authentic leadership and intentional brand development. He has led executive development at NBCUniversal, built leadership programs for Fortune 100 companies, and inspired audiences around the world through his engaging, high-energy presentations.
During his keynote, Lead With Your Brand!™, Jayzen will challenge attendees to think differently about the value they bring to every conversation, opportunity, and relationship.
Whether you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur, executive, or emerging leader, you’ll discover how to define your unique value proposition, communicate your expertise with confidence, and build a personal brand that sets you apart in today’s competitive marketplace.
Attendees will leave with practical tools to:
- Identify and articulate their unique value.
- Build stronger professional relationships and opportunities.
- Strengthen their networking and elevator pitch.
- Elevate their LinkedIn presence and professional reputation.
- Lead with authenticity while growing their business or career.
Because in today’s marketplace, success isn’t about being one of many options; it’s about becoming the obvious choice.
2026 DECA SMALL BUSINESS SUMMIT SPONSORS
Presenting Sponsor - Charles Schwab Bank
Session Sponsor(s)
- SouthState Bank
Booth Sponsor(s) -
- Buy With Batya (Horizon Realty)
- SouthStar Bank
- Insurance Aseguranza
Sponsor the Small Business Opportunity Summit
Position your brand in front of 200+ small business owners, entrepreneurs, and community leaders from across Central Texas at DECA’s 4th Annual Small Business Opportunity Summit.
This one-day event brings together business experts, industry leaders, and decision-makers focused on growth, innovation, and economic opportunity. Sponsorship provides valuable visibility, meaningful networking opportunities, and direct engagement with attendees actively seeking resources, solutions, and partnerships to help their businesses succeed.
Sponsorship Deck 👉 https://canva.link/u8shf1mul9jq7nj
About the Diversity Ethnic Chamber Alliance (DECA): The Diversity Ethnic Chamber Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and comprises the , the , the and the . Through a spirit of collaboration, DECA works to encourage diversity and economic growth within the Greater Austin Region.
Agenda
🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Attendee Arrival & Check In
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Welcome Remarks
Host: Todd Hogan, President & CEO, ALGBTCC
🕑: 10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
Keynote Speaker: Lead With Your Brand
Host: Jayzen Patria
🕑: 10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
BREAK
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Session 1: Real Talk on the Economy - A Conversation with the Fed
Host: Guhan Venkatu, VP, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Info: Explore the economic headwinds and tailwinds directly impacting small businesses, from shifting interest rates and tightening credit markets, to the influence of federal policy changes, supply chain pressures, and the rapid integration of AI into everyday business operations. This conversation would give attendees real, actionable intelligence on what to monitor and how to prepare, the kind of forward-looking perspective that small business owners rarely get access to.
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Session 2: AI for Business... Grow with Google
Host: Maria Elena Duron, SW Regional Grow with Google Coach
Info: Heard the buzz about AI, but wondering what it actually means for your business? This presentation cuts through the noise. By exploring practical applications and real-life examples from business owners, you’ll leave with a personalized plan for your business. You will learn all about Google AI tools and discover how to use them strategically to tackle common business challenges.
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM
LUNCH BREAK
🕑: 12:30 PM - 01:15 PM
Session 3: Procurement 102
🕑: 01:15 PM - 01:25 PM
MEGA DECA Raffle + Closing Remarks
Host: Brittney Rodriguez, COO, GAHCC
🕑: 01:25 PM - 02:00 PM
Additional Networking
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 55.20 to USD 1602.45
