2014 Small Business Conference
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
PCC Willow Creek Center
The 2014 Small Business Conference will feature a conversation with Ms. Jennifer Baker, Deputy District Director, SBA; Ruth Miles, Small Business Advocate, Office of Small Business Assistance, Oregon Secretary of State and Jennifer Prouser, Vice President and Senior SBA Specialist, KeyBank . Presenters will provide valuable information about small business resources, opportunities and assistance. Please join us for this important event focused on small businesses in the metropolitan region.
Jennifer Baker has served as an economic development specialist at the Portland District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration since 2011. Jennifer leads district outreach efforts to expand the SBA’s visibility, identifying new target audiences and forging collaborative partnerships. She has performed as a key agency liaison to stakeholders in the broader small business assistance community and as the district office technical representative, charged with monitoring successful implementation of a multi-million dollar grant portfolio. Jennifer’s earnest desire to help small businesses reach new heights of competitiveness inspires her to pursue deeper levels of strategic engagement in support of the agency mission.
Prior to her work with the SBA, Jennifer gained 12 years of experience in business management and international trade/commercial policy. She has worked with the public and private sectors successfully directing trade compliance remediation efforts on a range of topics, including Customs, Intellectual Property Rights, Trade in Services, SPS and TBT measures, and accession to the World Trade Organization. Professional assignments have found Jennifer living in Ethiopia and Vanuatu, and traveling extensively in Southeast Asia. From 2004 to 2008, Jennifer worked as an international trade specialist with the U.S. Commerce Department, and for two of those years as Commerce's lead negotiator for U.S.-Malaysia free trade agreement negotiations. She also served on temporary assignment as a Director for Trade Capacity Building with the U.S. Trade Representative in 2005.
Jennifer holds a M.A. in International Policy, with specialization in trade and development from the Monterey Institute of International Studies; and she holds a B.A. in International Studies and Modern Languages from Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR.
Ruth Miles, Small Business Advocate. Oregon’s Office of Small Business Assistance is a new, independent voice for entrepreneurs within state government. Small businesses account for 98 percent of Oregon firms, employ over half the state’s workforce and play a vital role in our economy.
When problems arise, the Small Business Advocate works collaboratively with businesses and state agencies to resolve issues. Like an ombudsman, the Advocate looks for systems that cause repeated problems for small business and makes recommendations for change.
Jennifer Prouser, specializes in working with businesses in the Oregon and SW Washington markets with SBA transactions. She is passionate about delivering creative and intelligent financing solutions and work closely with my clients throughout the SBA process and is a strong proponent of the SBA program and the impact it has on our local and national economy. There's nothing better than having a direct contribution in helping a client reach the next level of success.
Jennifer started her banking career in 1996 as a teller and since has worked in various roles throughout the bank. Of her 18 years in banking, she spent 10 as an underwriter with 6 of those in commercial banking. During her time in commercial banking, she analyzed some of the larger more complex relationships in the bank, which has given her unique qualifications in her current role and a strong grasp of business financials and fundamentals.
Additionally, she holds a degree in both finance and management from Portland State University’s School of Business Administration and is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School.