First QTR

Slack Survey: Many Owners Think This Is a Make or Break... With inflation and economic conditions continuing to worry small business owners in 2024, a survey shows that many hope their 2023 improvements will continue to pay off.... more SBA Announces ‘Empower to Grow’ to Aid Small Disadvantaged Businesses with... The SBA announces improvements to its 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance program to update its core services and advance equity in federal procurement.... more Yelp Updates Aim to Enhance Connections between Consumers and Local Businesses Celebrating its 20th year, Yelp announces new AI powered business summaries to help consumer decision-making and AI powered smart budgets to optimize business ad spending.... more Paychex Survey: Small Business Wage Growth Continues Downward Trend A recent survey finds that the rate of hourly earnings growth continued to decline at U.S. small businesses in 2023, although the number of jobs continued to grow.... more Software Advice Survey: Sixty-Eight Percent of Small Business Retailers See Above... A recent survey shows retail shrink is increasing due to theft and other factors, and businesses need to address it with increased technology for inventory management and security.... more SBA Shares Progress in Small Business Lending With lending increases in its microloan, 7(a), and Section 504 loan programs, the SBA heralds its progress in assisting small and minority-owned businesses.... more

Second QTR

Faire Survey- Americans Willing to Spend Extra $2K This Year on... Also, the majority of Gen Z and millennials want to support their local independent businesses and help them thrive by shopping there more, spending more, and even traveling further.... more Slack Survey Looks at Accelerating AI Use in the Workplace As AI usage increases in the workplace, businesses have still not implemented instructional guidelines because of concerns about data security and accuracy.... more SBA Launches Investing in America Small Business Hub SBA announces a new Hub to help small businesses connect to resources, funding opportunities, and support in the new Investing in America agenda.... more Meta Adds More Ways to Reach Customers Facebook parent, Meta, adds more video options and AI tools to its Advantage Suite for businesses, increasing the capability to personalize ads and optimize sales performance.... more GoDaddy Survey: 75% of Entrepreneurs Believe Generative AI Gives Them an... Entrepreneurs increasingly embrace GenAI, foreseeing competitive advantages. GoDaddy’s survey reveals rapid adoption and optimism for AI’s potential in small businesses.... more GoDaddy Launches New AI tool to Save Small Business Owners Time With its new artificial intelligence tool, Airo, GoDaddy will help small businesses establish their online presences and appeal to new customers.... more

Third QTR

SBA to Host Small Business Cyber Summit The SBA announces its third annual summit, designed to equip small businesses with tools and resources to combat cybersecurity risks.... more SBA Launches Business Resilience Guide Advice and resources for disaster preparation by small businesses, including best practices and template forms, are offered in a new Business Resilience Guide from the SBA.... more Alignable: Business Owners Struggle with Rent A recent study shows that small business owners are struggling with revenue losses and high interest rates, resulting in record rental delinquency rates, despite the reported decline in inflation.... more Allstate/ US Chamber of Commerce Study Finds Investing in Resilience Saves... A recent study shows how prior investments in disaster resiliency programs and resources can result in substantial economic savings and enable local economies to rebound... more Salesforce Adds Lists Feature to Slack for Project and Task Management Salesforce integrates project and task management into Slack with new Lists feature, streamlining collaboration and boosting productivity in teams.... more Zoom Looks to Improve Team Productivity and Collaboration with AI With the availability of its new AI Companion, Zoom provides users with additional communications features that can be used in the office, at home, or on the go.... more

Fourth QTR

Google Says New Updates Can Help Businesses with Holiday Shopping Season Users of Google’s new Merchant Center can now see shopping trends ranked by popularity, and organized by topic and product, along with insight summaries and custom data sets.... more

First QTR

Martha Ventura Builds Bridges Toward STEM at T-Mobile T-Mobile VP of Engineering and Operations Martha Ventura is a rare breed as a Latina in a male-dominated field. That’s why she’s building bridges to increase the number of women in tech.... more Diana Rey-Marrero Takes Courageous Accountability Diana Rey-Marrero, Vice President of Global Business Services, Cummins, INC.... more ADP and NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) Survey Looks... A recent survey of women-owned small businesses finds their biggest concerns are affording payroll and employee benefits, hiring difficulties, and lack of technology.... more Bill Viqueira Embraces a Proud Call to Public Service Bill Viqueira details his transition to the public sector as SVP, CFO, and treasurer at NJ TRANSIT, helping weather the pandemic-induced challenges and leading public-private partnerships that will leave a lasting legacy... more Jorge Juan Primo Planta Is Driven to Succeed Jorge Juan Primo Planta has been propelled by a strong work ethic since childhood; at Driven Brands he’s using it to help the company grow rapidly... more TikTok Launches TikTok Academy to Help Businesses Better Utilize the Platform The 101 Course and the Small Business Course are the first two curriculums in Tik Tok’s new Academy, designed to help educate businesses about the platform.... more Mario Cabrera Embraces Hispanic Values at Boehringer Ingelheim Mario Cabrera didn’t want to become someone else to get ahead, and he didn’t have to at Boehringer Ingelheim... more Alex Quevedo on 25 Years of Big Moves at ADP Alex Quevedo, President, Human Resources Outsourcing, ADP... more NFIB Survey Looks at How COVID Continues to Impact Small Businesses Small businesses have resorted to increasing prices in order to offset higher wages caused by staffing shortages from the Pandemic, according to a recent NFIB survey.... more Anthony Redondo Is a Leader, Not a Boss For the past twelve years, Anthony Redondo has aided Blackhawk Network’s expansions. Now, he emphasizes trust in leading his teams to do the same.... more Pedro L. Figueroa Is Paving the Way for Others Pedro L. Figueroa’s family has roots in the sugar industry for multiple generations.... more CNBC Report: FBI Worried About Cyber Crimes Targeting Small Businesses Despite survey results showing concern among businesses unchanged, recent reports from the FBI confirm a huge increase in cyberattacks on small and medium-sized businesses.... more Eliecer Viamontes Powers a Cultural Legacy Whether in Hialeah or Houston, Eliecer Viamontes leads with humility as CEO of Entergy Texas... more Elizabeth Nieto on Belonging in the Band at Spotify Elizabeth Nieto, Global Head of Equity and Impact, Spotify; Photo by Donnelly Marks... more Juan Taveras on Launching DEI Pro Finder As a tenured Human Resources and DEI champion, Juan Taveras empowers experts through an online resource and connection hub... more Yelp Update Helps Service Businesses Manage and Generate Leads Improvements to Projects in the Yelp app will help consumers better manage their projects, while allowing businesses to generate leads through a redesigned message inbox center.... more Brianna Hinojosa-Smith Talks Fast Food Future Brianna Hinojosa-Smith is harnessing the power of diversity while serving up innovation as Yum! Brands’ digital and technology legal lead... more Marissa Solis is Calling the Plays at the NFL Marissa Solis is writing a new playbook for diversifying the NFL’s fan base, giving back to communities, and transforming in step with America’s changing demographics... more TikTok Launches Audience Insights to Help Advertisers Better Understand Their Audiences With TikTok’s new Audience Insights, businesses can learn user interests, behaviors, and demographics, to help maximize advertising results.... more

Second QTR

Daniel Valenzuela Tells It Like It Is For CFO Daniel Valenzuela, transparency is the key to success at TPC Group and beyond... more Gabriela Valverde-Rivera Takes HR Digital As senior director and HR business partner of North America digital commerce at Nike, Gabriela Valverde-Rivera has brought a culture of inclusion, belonging, and learning to the digital space... more FreshBooks Survey: Two Out of Three Small Business Owners Will Try... According to a new survey, a majority of small businesses will be using generative AI within the next year on their business websites and social media platforms.... more Juan Jose Pajon on His Pivot from Finance to Technology Juan Jose Pajon began his career in accounting but, with years of training, hard work, and experience, he is now the technology leader for Grupo Bimbo and leads technology, innovation, and transformation for the world’s largest bakery... more Ask the CMO: Ariela Nerubay, CMO of Curacao Tech-savvy CMO Ariela Nerubay shares Curacao’s retail marketing and multicultural marketing strategies.... more SBA Announces Grant Awards for Outreach Organizations Focused on Veteran Small... Organizations focused on supporting Veterans small businesses will receive new grants from the SBA to assist with funding of new Veterans Business Outreach Centers.... more Omar Morales Thinks Everyone Needs a Personal Board of Directors Omar Morales believes everyone benefits from a personal board of directors for sage advice.... more Sara Ivarra Juarez Has the Résumé for Success Sara Ivarra Juarez shares her impactful career experiences that led to her finding a strong path at Mosaic Health System... more SBA Implements Rules to Address Persistent Capital Access Gaps Small business owners in underserved communities will have better access to capital through new rules recently implemented by the Small Business Administration.... more Carlos Salcines on What One Big Movie Can Do for a... Carlos Salcines talks about the power of diverse representation on and off screen at Warner Bros. Pictures... more SBA Study Looks at Small Business Exporters According to a government report, the impact of small business exporters is higher than previously thought, as is the opportunity to grow and diversify their revenue through trade.... more Carlos Rivas Builds a Culture of M&A at Instacart Carlos Rivas didn’t plan to go in-house many years ago, but he’s glad he stayed open to change and recently joined the grocery technology company... more Peter Gamez Is Putting Oakland on the Map Peter Gamez has always loved Oakland. As CEO of its destination marketing organization, he’s helping a new generation discover all the city has to offer.... more Lennies Gutierrez Is Closing the Digital Divide Many Americans lack convenient and affordable internet access. Comcast’s Lennies Gutierrez is working to change that while honoring her father’s legal legacy.... more Juliana Nunes Finds Purpose As part the leadership team at Johnson & Johnson, Juliana Nunes finds her purpose harnessing tech for the betterment of the organization’s people.... more Instagram Introduces New Ad Products for Businesses Businesses will have two more ways to get discovered and form “meaningful connections” with Instagram’s new ads in search results and Reminder Ads.... more Ilda Andaluz Is More than a Title At Varel Energy Solutions, HR EVP Ilda Andaluz takes pride in being more than her title. She’s an advocate for women in the workforce and for her team’s development.... more The College President Advocating for Hispanic and Indigenous Students Dr. Martin Ahumada has dedicated his career to improving institutions serving Hispanic and Indigenous students.... more NFIB: Inflation Still Top Business Problem The Small Business Optimism Index finds inflation still the chief concern, along with finding qualified workers for job openings and inventory increases.... more

Third QTR

Joseph Machicote Defines Culture at Premier Premier’s Joseph Machicote says companies should embrace dignity and respect before having the difficult DEI conversations... more NextGen to Watch: Gabriel Gamez Gabriel Gamez is an MBA candidate at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania... more Slack Gets a Productivity-Focused Update Slack has been given a new update, providing businesses seamless integration of apps, and allowing viewers to see all of their workspace channels from their home screen.... more Verena Meraldi is the Cruise Industry’s First Chief Scientist Verena Meraldi is in a first-of-its-kind role at Hurtigruten Expeditions, and she is using her position to advocate for a cruising and adventure travel mode that is better for the planet... more Brady Ayala on Offering Better Benefits Brady Ayala and his team at Alliant Insurance Services leverage data to help create better benefit packages and inclusive employee wellness programs... more SBA: Small Business Contracting Goal Exceeded for All-time High Federal procurement opportunities for small businesses set a record-breaking dollar amount, despite the continued trend of fewer small businesses receiving federal contracts.... more Tony Alonzo Asks the Right “Why” Tony Alonzo on creating the framework for his team’s success, bringing Master Electronics toward the future, and leadership lessons he’s learned along the way... more NextGen Collective: From Intern to Program Manager: Meet Rebecca Reza of... Rebecca Reza was a mechanical engineering student at Yale when she learned about a very interesting internship opportunity at the tech giant.... more Intuit Announces Ad Network for Small Businesses Partnering with Dell, the new McAfee Business Solution will enable small businesses and their employees to better protect themselves from hackers, malware, and viruses.... more Erick Fernandez Helps CareMax Deliver Value-Based Care Chief Accounting Officer Erick Fernandez talks his journey to CareMax and the distinct lack of CPAs in the field at present... more Brenda Victoria Finds Her Voice at TelevisaUnivision ... more McAfee Announces New Online Protection Solution for Small Businesses Partnering with Dell, the new McAfee Business Solution will enable small businesses and their employees to better protect themselves from hackers, malware, and viruses.... more Marcos Vicente Leads with the 3 Hs of Leadership ... more Luiz Gondim Serves J&J’s Mission through Innovation Luiz Gondim shares how aligning to a common mission with five key behaviors is the foundation for a successful high-performing team in his role as head of technology for Janssen Latin America... more Julian Santos Is Always Looking to Learn How a passion for knowledge led Julian Santos to bring operational efficiency to Christianbook as its Vice President of Operations... more SBA Report Details Actions to Prevent, Detect, and Tackle Fraud In addition to reporting on fraud in the pandemic relief programs, the Small Business Administration is also working to enhance best practices for future emergencies.... more Fran Katsoudas Leads a Culture of Purpose As Cisco’s chief people, policy, and purpose officer, Fran Katsoudas leads with empathy and builds trust to create an inclusive, positive environment... more Nayli Russo Brings a Sports Agnostic View to Innovation Nayli Russo may not be a baseball fanatic, but her long-term strategy and vision are paying off for the Pittsburgh Pirates... more Google Expands Digital Coaches Program to Help More Small Businesses Google increases its assistance in underserved communities and adds ten states to its Grow with Google Digital Coaches program, which offers free workshops to small businesses.... more

Fourth QTR

WIX Website Builder Adds Conversational AI Chat for Businesses WIX adds to its previous offerings with a new AI chat feature that enables businesses to build their websites with tailored recommendations, templates, and tools.... more US Chamber of Commerce Report Looks at Crime Risks to Business Organized retail theft has nearly doubled in the past year, affecting businesses of all sizes, according to a recent survey by the US Chamber of Commerce.... more Iliana Limón Romero on the Power of Constants After breaking barriers in sports journalism, Los Angeles Times’ Iliana Limón Romero shares her story and how she’s making sure other Latinos are given the opportunities to succeed... more Intuit Announces QuickBooks Bill Pay Intuit’s new QuickBooks Bill Pay will help small businesses with cash flow by managing bill payments to vendors and contractors and avoiding missed payments.... more Alain Monroy Continues to Serve Those Who Served After building partnerships for the Vegas Golden Knights, Alain Monroy utilizes his expertise and passion as director of strategic partnerships at Veteran Benefits Guide... more Carmen Canton Takes a Holistic Approach to People Strategy As the chief people officer of Loews Hotels & Co, Carmen Canton relies on collaboration to build all areas of the people strategy... more NFIB: Inflation and Labor Remain Top Business Problems Optimism continues to decrease among small business owners due to inflation and labor scarcities, according to a recent National Federation of Independent Business report.... more Bernie Escobedo Builds Communities Wherever He Goes Benefits expert Bernie Escobedo shares how he and his team built a best-in-class benefits plan to serve DXC Technology’s fully remote workforce... more Cisco Sanchez Turns Headwinds into Opportunity As Qualcomm’s CIO, Cisco Sanchez navigates the ever-evolving world of wireless technology with flexibility and curiosity... more Alejandro Gene Builds a Seal of Trust at Bristol Myers Squibb Chief Privacy Officer Alejandro Gene shares the importance of trust in navigating privacy laws and a data-centered business environment... more Meta Announces Tools to Help Businesses with First AI-Powered Holiday Season With new tools and a marketing guide for small businesses, Meta (Facebook) offers ways to use AI technology for advertising during the upcoming holiday season.... more Carlos Quezada Embraces Empathetic Disruption How Carriage Services CEO Carlos Quezada aims to transform the death care industry through technological innovation and celebration of life... more VIDA Believes in Better World for the Rio Grande Valley With unrivaled training programs and support network, Felida Villarreal and Irma Garcia help Rio Grande Valley residents secure high-skilled, high-wage jobs... more SBA Extends Moratorium on 8(a) Eligibility Requirement The requirement to have an established place of business in a particular location to participate in the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program will continue to be suspended through September 2024.... more