There are some 25 million microbusinesses in the United States, but many of them do not have access to the services and capital they need to grow their firms. The 2014 Association for Enterprise Opportunity's (AEO) national conference, The Power of Microbusiness: Aligning for a New Economy, can help serve as a resource. Cosponsored by the Atlanta Fed, the event is designed to foster economic opportunity for solo, micro, and Main Street business owners. The conference will be held in New Orleans May 5-7.

Sessions will focus on the following:

• Frame new economy characteristics and identify industry-wide implications
• Present data from recent research findings and suggest ways forward
• Highlight promising approaches to advance microbusinesses so they can thrive in the current economic landscape
• Facilitate opportunities for members and partners to expand network connections, find partners to advance their work on Main Street, and collaborate on problem-solving approaches.

Microfinance leaders, bankers, community development financial institution (CDFI) representatives, community developers, government leaders, researchers, foundation representatives, business leaders, and students are encouraged to attend the conference.

View the agenda for more details, and register for the conference.