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    <title>Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center upcoming events</title>
    <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/events</link>
    <description>Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center upcoming events</description>
    <dc:creator>Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center</dc:creator>
    <generator>Wild Apricot - membership management software and more</generator>
    <language>en</language>
    <pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2026 02:30:55 GMT</pubDate>
    <lastBuildDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2026 02:30:55 GMT</lastBuildDate>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Small Business Legal Topics Roundtable | Registration now open! (September 24, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;p data-start="0" data-end="78"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="0" data-end="39"&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Legal%20Topics%20Roundtable.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h1&gt;Small Business Legal Topics Roundtable&lt;/h1&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;Featuring Attorney Ed Campos, J.D., M.P.A.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FREE | RSVP REQUIRED | NO MEMBERSHP REQUIRED&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color="#FF6C00"&gt;Seating is limited. Please RSVP only if you plan to attend. Registration opens September 3, 2026.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Legal questions can arise at every stage of business ownership. &lt;strong&gt;Join us for an interactive Small Business Legal Issues Roundtable&lt;/strong&gt; hosted by Greg Goebel, Manager of the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center, featuring attorney Eduardo Campos.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This discussion-based session&lt;/strong&gt; is designed for entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to better understand the legal considerations that impact their businesses. &lt;strong&gt;Bring your questions and participate in an open conversation with an experienced business attorney.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Topics may include:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul&gt;
  &lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;Company Incorporation&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;Contracts &amp;amp; Agreements&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;Civil &amp;amp; Commercial Representation&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;Business Compliance&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;About Eduardo Campos&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Eduardo Campos is a Georgia attorney with more than 17 years of independent practice. He earned both his Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas A&amp;amp;M University. As a member of Syracuse University's Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Team, he helped lead the team to a Northeast Regional Championship. He founded The Campos Firm in 2007 with a commitment to providing clients with dedicated advocacy and practical legal guidance. The firm serves clients in both English and Spanish and provides representation across a variety of legal matters.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Whether you are starting a business, growing an existing company, reviewing contracts, or navigating compliance challenges, this roundtable offers an opportunity to ask questions, gain practical insights, and connect with other entrepreneurs facing similar challenges.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="1726" data-end="1867"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="1726" data-end="1740"&gt;Networking&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br data-start="1740" data-end="1743"&gt;
The Center stays open 30 minutes after the event so you can continue the conversation and connect with other participants.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="left"&gt;Contact: gec@gwinnettcounty.com&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6740357</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6740357</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 18:30:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Visita guiada por el Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center (September 30, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Event%20Banners%20(13).png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;Si le interesa saber más sobre lo que ofrece el Centro, un excelente primer paso es visitarlo. Para facilitarlo, nos complace ofrecer visitas guiadas programadas a cargo de nuestro personal.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;Durante esta visita guiada, usted recorrerá las instalaciones en grupos reducidos, acompañado por un miembro del equipo del Centro.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;Este recorrido de una hora ofrece una visión directa de los beneficios, el propósito y la misión del Centro, así como la oportunidad de plantear preguntas y recibir respuestas.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;Este evento se lleva a cabo en español.&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6813863</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6813863</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 19:30:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Entrepreneur Center Tour (September 30, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Tour_header.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you are interested in learning more about what the Center offers, a great first step is a visit. To accommodate that we are pleased to offer Staff-guided scheduled tours.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Staff-guided Tour will walk you through in small groups, escorted by a Center staff member.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This one-hour tour offers direct insight into the benefits, purpose and mission of the Center as well as an opportunity for questions and answers.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Open Sans, WaWebKitSavedSpanIndex_5" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;For more information about the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center visit &lt;a href="http://www.GwinnettEntrepreneurCenter.com" target="_blank"&gt;www.GwinnettEntrepreneurCenter.com&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6766931</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6766931</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>The Power of Budgeting for Entrepreneurs | Expert Workshop | Webinar (October 01, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;h1&gt;&lt;font face="YACgEev4gKc_0, _fb_, auto"&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Budgetting.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;The Power of Budgeting for Entrepreneurs&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Virtual Webinar | Free Registration | No membership required&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="62" data-end="261"&gt;This interactive session focuses on building and maintaining a budget, distinguishing between business wants and needs, and setting practical goals for personal spending, saving, and debt management.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2 data-section-id="12hq10n" data-start="268" data-end="283"&gt;Who It's For&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="285" data-end="612"&gt;
  &lt;li data-section-id="1yuqexc" data-start="285" data-end="354"&gt;Small business owners looking to strengthen their personal finances&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="1ue8vjm" data-start="355" data-end="419"&gt;Entrepreneurs seeking better control of spending and cash flow&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="115nrpl" data-start="420" data-end="469"&gt;Business owners working to reduce personal debt&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="fq2mep" data-start="470" data-end="526"&gt;Individuals looking to create a realistic savings plan&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="1jz9c8m" data-start="527" data-end="612"&gt;Entrepreneurs who want to align personal financial habits with their business goals&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;h2 data-section-id="tiabv6" data-start="619" data-end="633"&gt;Why Attend?&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p data-start="635" data-end="974"&gt;A strong business starts with a strong financial foundation. This session will help business owners develop practical budgeting skills, make informed financial decisions, and create a plan for managing spending, saving, and debt. Through interactive discussions and exercises, participants will gain tools they can begin using immediately.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2 data-section-id="1i6yfrl" data-start="981" data-end="1018"&gt;Benefits for Small Business Owners&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="1020" data-end="1333"&gt;
  &lt;li data-section-id="1jxzn1x" data-start="1020" data-end="1074"&gt;Learn how to create and maintain a realistic budget.&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="1d8xp3m" data-start="1075" data-end="1144"&gt;Better understand the difference between financial wants and needs.&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="byj9ht" data-start="1145" data-end="1197"&gt;Develop strategies for managing personal spending.&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="hj48cq" data-start="1198" data-end="1257"&gt;Explore practical approaches to saving and reducing debt.&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="k1l1cr" data-start="1258" data-end="1333"&gt;Build habits that support both personal and business financial stability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;h2 data-section-id="a7lj53" data-start="1340" data-end="1368"&gt;What You'll Get Out of It&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="1370" data-end="1670" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""&gt;
  &lt;li data-section-id="10rl9gl" data-start="1370" data-end="1428"&gt;A framework for building and managing a personal budget.&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="1rbh5lb" data-start="1429" data-end="1485"&gt;Tools to evaluate spending decisions more effectively.&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="48szis" data-start="1486" data-end="1553"&gt;Practical goal-setting techniques for saving and debt management.&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="1oe6he8" data-start="1554" data-end="1605"&gt;Greater confidence in managing personal finances.&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="1lskihp" data-start="1606" data-end="1670" data-is-last-node=""&gt;Actionable steps to improve your overall financial well-being.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;Expert Presenters&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/joelbarnett.png" alt="" title="" border="0" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 10px;" align="left"&gt;Joel Barnett&lt;/strong&gt; is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in Atlanta, where he helps individuals, families, and business owners build personalized strategies around retirement planning, wealth accumulation, college savings, and long-term financial security. His focus areas include retirement savings strategies, business retirement plans, and wealth strategies.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="contStyleNarrowLineHeight"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="contStyleNarrowLineHeight"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="0" data-end="197"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/jamesherndon.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="141.75" height="213" align="left" style="margin: 10px;"&gt;James Herndon&lt;/strong&gt; began investing with &lt;span data-state="closed"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.edwardjones.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com"&gt;Edward Jones&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt; as a client in 2008 and joined the Edward Jones family in 2019. He earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification in April 2024.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="199" data-end="419"&gt;He taught at Emory University for 12 years. The growing demands of fatherhood prompted him to explore opportunities outside of academia, and he now loves helping clients pursue their financial goals.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="contStyleNarrowLineHeight"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="contStyleNarrowLineHeight"&gt;This program is made possible with support from &lt;a href="https://www.lisc.org/" target="_blank"&gt;LISC&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="contStyleNarrowLineHeight"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lisc.org/" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/local_initiatives_support_corporation_lisc_logo.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="68" height="68"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;COMPLIMENTARY ADMISSION&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;This session will be available virtually.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;Attendees will receive a link before the program begins.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;For more information, please get in touch with Greg Goebel at the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center via email at GEC@GwinnettCounty.com.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333"&gt;&lt;font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#222222" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;________________________________________&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div align="left"&gt;
  &lt;font color="#1A1A1A" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;For further information please contact Greg Goebel at the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center at GEC@GwinnettCounty.com.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6704223</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6704223</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>How to Do Business with Gwinnett County | Expert Workshop with Gwinnett County Purchasing | Registration opens Sept 1 (October 06, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Purchasing.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;

&lt;h1&gt;&lt;font color="#242424" face="Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web (West European), -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;strong data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"&gt;How to Do Business with Gwinnett County&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;

&lt;p data-start="202" data-end="576"&gt;&lt;strong style="color: rgb(67, 140, 202);"&gt;In-person and online | Interactive | Free | No Membership Required&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="202" data-end="576"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;font color="#FF6C00"&gt;Registration opens Sept 1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="202" data-end="576"&gt;If you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner who’s ever wondered&amp;nbsp;&lt;em data-start="272" data-end="322"&gt;“How do I actually do business with the County?”&lt;/em&gt; &lt;span data-start="272" data-end="322"&gt;then&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;this expert workshop is for you.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="202" data-end="576"&gt;Join us for a practical, insider-led session with the &lt;strong&gt;Gwinnett&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong data-start="454" data-end="492"&gt;&amp;nbsp;County Purchasing Division&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;that breaks down the process step by step and shows you exactly how to get started.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="578" data-end="696"&gt;This is not theory. This is real, actionable guidance straight from the people who manage County purchasing every day.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3 data-start="703" data-end="728"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="707" data-end="728"&gt;What You’ll Learn&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p data-start="729" data-end="818"&gt;During this interactive workshop, the Gwinnett County Purchasing team will walk you through:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="820" data-end="1516"&gt;
  &lt;li data-start="820" data-end="892"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="822" data-end="892"&gt;How to &lt;strong data-start="829" data-end="874"&gt;become a registered supplier&lt;/strong&gt; with the County&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="893" data-end="1079"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="895" data-end="943"&gt;How to use the &lt;strong data-start="910" data-end="939"&gt;County Purchasing website&lt;/strong&gt; to:&lt;/p&gt;

    &lt;ul data-start="946" data-end="1079"&gt;
      &lt;li data-start="946" data-end="970"&gt;
        &lt;p data-start="948" data-end="970"&gt;Register as a supplier&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;

      &lt;li data-start="973" data-end="1032"&gt;
        &lt;p data-start="975" data-end="1032"&gt;Find &lt;strong data-start="980" data-end="1030"&gt;current bids and RFPs (Requests for Proposals)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;

      &lt;li data-start="1035" data-end="1079"&gt;
        &lt;p data-start="1037" data-end="1079"&gt;Track upcoming contracting opportunities&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;/ul&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="1080" data-end="1151"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="1082" data-end="1151"&gt;The difference between &lt;strong data-start="1105" data-end="1149"&gt;bids, RFPs, and other solicitation types&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="1220" data-end="1289"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="1222" data-end="1289"&gt;How the County works with &lt;strong data-start="1248" data-end="1287"&gt;suppliers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="1290" data-end="1366"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="1292" data-end="1366"&gt;How to &lt;strong data-start="1299" data-end="1324"&gt;prepare your business&lt;/strong&gt; to successfully compete for County work&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="1367" data-end="1449"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="1369" data-end="1449"&gt;Information on &lt;strong data-start="1384" data-end="1411"&gt;regular training events&lt;/strong&gt; for current and prospective vendors&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="1450" data-end="1516"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="1452" data-end="1516"&gt;A live &lt;strong data-start="1459" data-end="1474"&gt;Q&amp;amp;A session&lt;/strong&gt; to get your specific questions answered&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p data-start="1518" data-end="1602"&gt;You’ll also learn about ongoing opportunities to connect with the County, including:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="1603" data-end="1909"&gt;
  &lt;li data-start="1603" data-end="1743"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="1605" data-end="1743"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="1605" data-end="1645"&gt;Quarterly Virtual Purchasing Clinics&lt;/strong&gt;, which spotlight specific County departments, upcoming opportunities, and how to work with them&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="1744" data-end="1909"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="1746" data-end="1909"&gt;The &lt;strong data-start="1750" data-end="1796"&gt;Annual In-Person Supplier Networking Event&lt;/strong&gt;, where businesses can meet County departments, build relationships, and explore new opportunities face to face&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;h3 data-start="1916" data-end="1963"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="1920" data-end="1963"&gt;Why Small Businesses Love This Workshop&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p data-start="1964" data-end="1989"&gt;Attendees walk away with:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="1990" data-end="2281"&gt;
  &lt;li data-start="1990" data-end="2044"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="1992" data-end="2044"&gt;A clear roadmap for doing business with the County&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="2045" data-end="2104"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="2047" data-end="2104"&gt;Confidence navigating the purchasing system and website&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="2105" data-end="2164"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="2107" data-end="2164"&gt;Insider tips that save time and prevent costly mistakes&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="2165" data-end="2232"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="2167" data-end="2232"&gt;Awareness of real, upcoming opportunities, not just general info&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="2233" data-end="2281"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="2235" data-end="2281"&gt;Direct access to County purchasing expertise&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;h3 data-start="2288" data-end="2305"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="2292" data-end="2305"&gt;Presenter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p data-start="2306" data-end="2383"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="2306" data-end="2344"&gt;Dana Garland, CPPB, FOII, NIGP-CPP&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br data-start="2344" data-end="2347"&gt;
&lt;strong data-start="2347" data-end="2383"&gt;Purchasing Manager, Gwinnett County&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="2385" data-end="2735"&gt;Dana has been with Gwinnett County for over &lt;strong data-start="2426" data-end="2438"&gt;24 years&lt;/strong&gt; and brings a wealth of knowledge and real-world experience to every presentation. She is a trusted, engaging speaker who has presented at the Center many times, and small business owners consistently say they leave her sessions with &lt;strong data-start="2672" data-end="2734"&gt;practical, actionable information they can use immediately&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="2742" data-end="2903" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""&gt;If you want to grow your business, diversify your revenue, and learn how to tap into County contracting opportunities, this is a workshop you won’t want to miss.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#333333"&gt;&lt;font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#222222"&gt;________________________________________&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div align="left"&gt;
  &lt;font color="#1A1A1A"&gt;For further information please contact Greg Goebel, Program Coordinator at the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center at GEC@GwinnettCounty.com.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6756285</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6756285</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2026 11:30:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Small Business Morning Collective at Pinckneyville Community Center (October 07, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Collectives/13.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ON THE ROAD AGAIN!&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Our August meeting with be Pinckneyville Community Park in Berkely Lake.&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;Registration in now open.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color="#9E0B0F"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Address:&lt;/span&gt; 4650 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Berkeley Lake, GA, 30071&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The GEC Small Business Collectives provide a comfortable and confidential environment for small business entrepreneurs to share ideas and discuss the challenges of business. These peer-to-peer gatherings last for 90 minutes, providing a convenient opportunity for busy individuals to come together, network, and collaborate.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Registration is free, open to the public. Coffee &amp;amp; water provided. Feel free to bring your breakfast.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong style="color: rgb(75, 79, 88);"&gt;&lt;font color="#4B4F58"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong style="font-family:" open=""&gt;Morning Collective&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Meets on the first Wednesday of each Month (locations vary).&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;7:30am - 9:00am&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="left"&gt;Visit our &lt;a href="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/collectives" target="_blank"&gt;Small Business Collectives Page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="left"&gt;Contact Greg Goebel at &lt;a href="mailto:gec@gwinnettcounty.com" target="_blank"&gt;GEC@GwinnettCounty.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;

&lt;table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="WaLayoutTable"&gt;&lt;/table&gt;

&lt;table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="WaLayoutTable"&gt;&lt;/table&gt;

&lt;p align="left"&gt;Note: Our small business programs are specifically geared toward adults who are starting or running a small business. Therefore, we are unable to accommodate children in our groups, classes, workshops, and other events.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6709998</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6709998</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Entrepreneur Center Tour (October 08, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Tour_header.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you are interested in learning more about what the Center offers, a great first step is a visit. To accommodate that we are pleased to offer Staff-guided scheduled tours.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Staff-guided Tour will walk you through in small groups, escorted by a Center staff member.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This one-hour tour offers direct insight into the benefits, purpose and mission of the Center as well as an opportunity for questions and answers.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Open Sans, WaWebKitSavedSpanIndex_5" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;For more information about the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center visit &lt;a href="http://www.GwinnettEntrepreneurCenter.com" target="_blank"&gt;www.GwinnettEntrepreneurCenter.com&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6836454</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6836454</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2026 14:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Leadership Skills That Drive Business Success:  Beyond the Business Plan (October 13, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color="#0072AA"&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Leadership%20(2).png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;Leadership isn’t only about who reports to you — it shows up in every relationship you have as a business owner: your clients, your team, your colleagues, and how every person experiences working with you.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color="#FF6C00"&gt;In person only, limited seating | Please only register if you are committing to attend | Registration Now Open&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nobody hands you a leadership manual when you start a business.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Leadership is not a title. It is not an org chart. It is not only reserved for the moment you have direct reports. Leadership is how people experience you. And as a business owner, everyone experiences you.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Most small business owners are leading entirely on instinct. And instinct alone does not scale.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why Attend?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;

&lt;p data-start="1066" data-end="1139"&gt;Leadership is not something that happens only inside your team. It shows up in how you show up for clients, how you communicate with vendors, how you handle conflict with colleagues, and how you hold yourself accountable as the owner. &lt;strong&gt;This session helps business owners recognize the leadership moments they are already in and walk away with practical tools to handle them with more clarity and confidence.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="1066" data-end="1139"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="1066" data-end="1085"&gt;Who This Is For&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br data-start="1085" data-end="1088"&gt;
This roundtable is ideal for;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="1140" data-end="1319"&gt;
  &lt;li&gt;&lt;font color="#1C1C1C"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Solopreneurs&lt;/strong&gt; preparing to bring on their first hire or contractor&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;font color="#1C1C1C"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Business owners&lt;/strong&gt; who have a small team but have never thought of themselves as a leader&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;font color="#1C1C1C"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Experienced Business Owners&lt;/strong&gt; whose business is growing and whose instincts are starting to feel stretches&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What you will walk out with:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul&gt;
  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Clarity&lt;/strong&gt; on how your behavior as an owner directly influences your team’s performance and results&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Practical approaches&lt;/strong&gt; for the three leadership moments business owners avoid most — delegation, feedback, and expectation-setting&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A short exercise&lt;/strong&gt; to identify which of the three you avoid most — and why&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A committed next action&lt;/strong&gt; — specific and named — to take before the end of the week&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p data-start="1397" data-end="1414"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="1397" data-end="1412"&gt;Highlights:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="1415" data-end="1724"&gt;
  &lt;li data-section-id="ckgppi" data-start="1415" data-end="1453"&gt;Free event, no membership required&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="d4k7ik" data-start="1454" data-end="1492"&gt;Focused on growth-stage businesses&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="1w0i2qg" data-start="1493" data-end="1558"&gt;Real, relevant conversation&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="1romd09" data-start="1621" data-end="1662"&gt;Supportive, collaborative environment&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="1s8kr9y" data-start="1663" data-end="1724"&gt;Networking opportunities with like-minded business owners&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Presenter&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/ShanteBell.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="82" height="65" style="margin: 10px;" align="left"&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shawnt&lt;span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody" style=""&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;é&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt; Bell,&lt;/strong&gt; M.S., PHR, SHRM-CP, is a People and Culture Strategist, Founder of JanLu Advisory Co., and owner of Sparkle Squad Gwinnett. She partners with business owners, executives, leaders, teams, and mission-driven organizations to lead transformational change, strengthen leadership, and build high-performing cultures where people and business thrive. As an executive advisor, coach, and facilitator—and a business owner herself—Shawnt&lt;span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody" style=""&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;é&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt; delivers practical, data-informed strategies that drive sustainable growth and lasting organizational impact.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul&gt;
  &lt;li&gt;20+ Years Talent &amp;amp; Organizational Experience&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;M.S. Human Resources &amp;amp; Organizational Development&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;SHRM-CP / PHR Dual Certified Professional&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;Global Executive Leadership Experience&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p data-start="1726" data-end="1867"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="1726" data-end="1740"&gt;Networking&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br data-start="1740" data-end="1743"&gt;
The Center stays open 30 minutes after the event so you can continue the conversation and connect with other participants.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="left"&gt;Contact: gec@gwinnettcounty.com&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6766892</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6766892</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2026 18:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Prepare Your Business to Compete for Public and Private Contracts (October 13, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/2026.10.13%20Procurement%20Workshop%20GEC.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(0, 96, 152); font-size: 46px; font-weight: bold;"&gt;Prepare Your Business to Compete for Public and Private Contracts&lt;/span&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Learn the essential steps to prepare your business and effectively participate in public and private contracting opportunities. This workshop provides practical guidance on common requirements, organizing key documentation, and implementing best practices to help position your business competitively and professionally.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Topics Covered:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul&gt;
  &lt;li&gt;Basic requirements for competing for public and private contracts&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;Common documentation and certifications&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;How to prepare your business for procurement and contracting processes&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;Best practices for presenting proposals in a professional manner&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Presented by:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="https://prosperausa.org/seminar/prepare-your-business-to-compete-for-public-and-private-contracts/" target="_blank"&gt;Prospera&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="1726" data-end="1867"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="1726" data-end="1740"&gt;Networking&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br data-start="1740" data-end="1743"&gt;
The Center stays open 30 minutes after the event so you can continue the conversation and connect with other participants.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="left"&gt;Contact: gec@gwinnettcounty.com&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6829592</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6829592</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Brand Therapy: Live Solutions for Real Brand Challenges | Registration opens September 1 (October 15, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"&gt;&lt;span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"&gt;&lt;span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Brand%20Therapy.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;Brand Therapy: Live Solutions for Real Brand Challenges&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In person and Virtual options | Free Registration | No Membership required&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;Bring your questions, challenges, and brand frustrations to this interactive session. Participants will have the opportunity to receive live feedback, discuss real-world branding issues, and walk away with practical solutions they can immediately apply to strengthen their business presence.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Benefits &amp;amp; Takeaways&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul data-w-component="list" data-w-variant="native-unordered"&gt;
  &lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;font face="inherit" style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000"&gt;Get live feedback on your brand.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;font face="inherit" style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000"&gt;Solve real business challenges.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;font face="inherit" style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000"&gt;Learn from other business owners.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;font face="inherit" style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000"&gt;Leave with practical next steps.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Expert Presenter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Programs/shannel.png" alt="" title="" border="0" align="left" style="margin: 10px;"&gt;&lt;font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#222222" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;Shannel Wheeler is a creative and brand strategist, graphic designer, instructor, 2X author, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of &lt;a href="https://awesomedesignacademy.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Awesome Design Academy&lt;/a&gt;. She is an alum of The Ohio State University and SCAD Atlanta, studying both visual communication design and interactive design. With 20 years of professional experience, &lt;span data-markjs="true" data-ogac="" data-ogab="" data-ogsc="" data-ogsb=""&gt;&lt;font face="inherit"&gt;Shannel&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt; has a breadth of knowledge, creating branding and design solutions for Fortune 500 clients, corporate brands, nonprofits, small businesses, tech startups, and her own entrepreneurial pursuits.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#222222" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;&lt;span data-markjs="true" data-ogac="" data-ogab="" data-ogsc="" data-ogsb=""&gt;&lt;font face="inherit"&gt;&lt;a href="https://awesomedesignacademy.com/" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/ADA-logo-light-e1703387453845-qh9irtkbvjghws5zks0aydswo3f1xrblqobno952c4.png" alt="" title="" border="0" align="left" style="margin: 10px;"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Shannel&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt; believes that learning design should be fun, engaging, and practical for today's world. She uses online content, creative products, books, workshops, and classes to teach and inspire learners to apply what they've learned to their personal, professional, or business goals. She continues to remain a lifelong learner and practitioner of what she teaches through brand and design implementation for her clients. Above all, her primary goal is to create with purpose and help others do the same.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;COMPLIMENTARY ADMISSION&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;This session will be available both as a live, in-person event and virtually.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;You have the option to join us physically in the training room (note that seats are limited) or to attend online. Indicate your preferred mode of attendance during registration.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;Virtual attendees will receive a link before the program begins.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;For more information, please get in touch with Greg Goebel at the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center via email at GEC@GwinnettCounty.com.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333"&gt;&lt;font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#222222" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;________________________________________&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div align="left"&gt;
  &lt;font color="#1A1A1A" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;For further information please contact Greg Goebel at the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center at GEC@GwinnettCounty.com.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6728852</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6728852</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Small Business Marketing Roundtable | with guest Christine Clement (October 20, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;h1&gt;&lt;strong data-start="0" data-end="39"&gt;&lt;font color="#333333"&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Event%20Banners%20(16).png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;Small Business Marketing Roundtable&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;

&lt;p&gt;With special guest Christine Clement of Christine Creative.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;font color="#333333"&gt;Fresh ideas. Real conversations. Basic marketing know-how.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p data-start="101" data-end="562"&gt;Join fellow entrepreneurs for an interactive discussion about small business marketing basics: what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. This roundtable, facilitated by a Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center staff member, is a space to share ideas, get feedback, and learn practical ways to promote your business more effectively. Whether you’re refining your brand, improving social media, or planning your next campaign, you’ll leave with new insights and inspiration.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="101" data-end="562"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Seating is limited, please RSVP in advance.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong data-start="564" data-end="579"&gt;Highlights:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="582" data-end="846" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""&gt;
  &lt;li data-start="582" data-end="621"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="584" data-end="621"&gt;Free event, no membership required&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="622" data-end="681"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="624" data-end="681"&gt;Open to every stage of business, from startup to growth&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="682" data-end="735"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="684" data-end="735"&gt;Exchange real-world marketing strategies and tips&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="736" data-end="777"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="738" data-end="777"&gt;Supportive, collaborative environment&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Networking&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Center will open 30 minutes before the event for you to network with the other participants.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Roundtable Host&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/2024-04-17_PLAN_ED_GEC%20Photoshoot-0012223.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="141.75" height="96" align="left" style="margin: 10px;"&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Greg Goebel&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;is the Center Manager at the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center. He hosts the small business collectives and the small business book club at the Center. He has helped hundreds of small business owners develop effective branding and marketing strategies.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;Guest Expert&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"&gt;&lt;font color="#242424" face="Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web (West European), -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/BG8A2079.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="141.75" height="213" align="left" style="margin: 10px;"&gt;Christine Clement is the owner of &lt;a href="http://christinecreativeco.com" target="_blank"&gt;Christine Creative Co&lt;/a&gt;., a marketing and communications company that helps small businesses and organizations take the stress out of marketing and connect more effectively with the customers and communities they serve.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#242424" face="Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web (West European), -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, sans-serif"&gt;With more than 12 years of experience in marketing and communications, Christine brings a strategic, relationship-focused approach to her work. She partners with business owners to develop marketing strategies that align with their goals and provides support across social media, email marketing, copywriting, paid media and communications strategy.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#242424" face="Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web (West European), -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, sans-serif"&gt;After more than a decade in the corporate world, Christine launched Christine Creative Co. to bring that experience to local businesses and organizations, helping them approach their marketing with greater clarity, confidence and consistency.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Event Contact&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;gec@gwinnettcounty.com&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6748915</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6748915</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:30:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Visita guiada por el Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center (October 21, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Event%20Banners%20(13).png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;Si le interesa saber más sobre lo que ofrece el Centro, un excelente primer paso es visitarlo. Para facilitarlo, nos complace ofrecer visitas guiadas programadas a cargo de nuestro personal.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;Durante esta visita guiada, usted recorrerá las instalaciones en grupos reducidos, acompañado por un miembro del equipo del Centro.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;Este recorrido de una hora ofrece una visión directa de los beneficios, el propósito y la misión del Centro, así como la oportunidad de plantear preguntas y recibir respuestas.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;Este evento se lleva a cabo en español.&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6836461</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6836461</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2026 18:30:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Entrepreneur Center Tour (October 21, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Tour_header.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you are interested in learning more about what the Center offers, a great first step is a visit. To accommodate that we are pleased to offer Staff-guided scheduled tours.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Staff-guided Tour will walk you through in small groups, escorted by a Center staff member.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This one-hour tour offers direct insight into the benefits, purpose and mission of the Center as well as an opportunity for questions and answers.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#000000" face="Open Sans, WaWebKitSavedSpanIndex_5" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;For more information about the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center visit &lt;a href="http://www.GwinnettEntrepreneurCenter.com" target="_blank"&gt;www.GwinnettEntrepreneurCenter.com&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6836458</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6836458</guid>
      <dc:creator />
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    <item>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:30:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Small Business Early Morning Collective | Meeting at Brewed Up Lilburn (November 04, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Collectives/13.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Free registration is required. Registration Opens September 1&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The GEC Small Business Collectives provide a comfortable and confidential environment for small business entrepreneurs to share ideas and discuss the challenges of business. These peer-to-peer gatherings last for 90 minutes, providing a convenient opportunity for busy individuals to come together, network, and collaborate.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Registration is free, open to the public. Coffee &amp;amp; water provided. Feel free to bring your breakfast.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong style="color: rgb(75, 79, 88);"&gt;&lt;font color="#4B4F58"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong style="font-family:" open=""&gt;Early Morning Collective&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;In person at&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brewed Up Coffee + Coworking&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;4805 Lawrenceville Hwy&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Suite 320A&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Lilburn, GA 30047&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 14px;" color="#1F1F1F" face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;strong style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(55, 55, 55); font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;; font-size: 15px;"&gt;7:30am - 9:00am&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 14px;" color="#1F1F1F" face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Thank you to our host: &lt;a href="https://www.brewedup.co/" target="_blank"&gt;Brewed Up Coffee + Coworking&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 14px;" color="#1F1F1F" face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.brewedup.co/" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/BU_Digital-04.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="left"&gt;Visit our &lt;a href="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/collectives" target="_blank"&gt;Small Business Collectives Page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="left"&gt;Contact Greg Goebel at &lt;a href="mailto:gec@gwinnettcounty.com" target="_blank"&gt;GEC@GwinnettCounty.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;

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&lt;p align="left"&gt;Note: Our small business programs are specifically geared toward adults who are starting or running a small business. In addition, our building is specifically set up as an adult learning and business center. Therefore, we are unable to accommodate children in our groups, classes, workshops, and other events.&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6796311</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6796311</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2026 17:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Financial Intelligence by Karen Berman and Joe Knight | Small Business Book Club at the Snellville Library (November 09, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;h3&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 28px;" color="#0F1111" face="Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;span data-csa-c-id="w7bmjo-lty9db-fvture-10bf1m"&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 24px;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Book%20Club/9.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;Financial Intelligence: Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean by Karen Berman and Joe Knight&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;About the Book Club&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This group isn't just about reading, it's about dynamic interactions that can reshape your business strategies. Join us to engage in insightful discussions and connect with likeminded entrepreneurs.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We open with a brief book talk, followed by interactive discussion of the topic. Please stay after for some open networking time!&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul&gt;
  &lt;li&gt;Open to any sector&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;Free registration, no cost to attend&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;Open to any stage of business&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;Read the book or just listen in&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;About the Book&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Book%20Club/financialintel.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" align="left" width="154.5" height="233" style="margin: 10px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accessible, jargon-free, and filled with entertaining stories of real companies, Financial Intelligence gives nonfinancial managers the confidence to understand the nuance beyond the numbers--to help bring everyday work to a new level.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Inc. magazine calls it one of "the best, clearest guides to the numbers" on the market. Readers agree, saying it's exactly "what I need to know" and calling it a "must-read" for decision makers without expertise in finance.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Since its release in 2006, Financial Intelligence has become a favorite among managers who need a guided tour through the numbers--helping them to understand not only what the numbers really mean, but also why they matter.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This new, completely updated edition brings the numbers up to date and continues to teach the basics of finance to managers who need to use financial data to drive their business. It also addresses issues that have become even more important in recent years--including questions around the financial crisis and those around broader financial and accounting literacy.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contact:&lt;/strong&gt; Greg Goebel at &lt;a href="mailto:gec@gwinnettcounty.com"&gt;GEC@GwinnettCounty.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;__________________________________________________________________&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://accountingspecialties.com/" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Member%20Logos/ASTS2.png" alt="" title="" border="0" width="227" height="80"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sponsored by &lt;a href="https://accountingspecialties.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Accounting Specialties and Tax Solutions&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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      &lt;td width="300"&gt;
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&lt;/table&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Note: Our small business programs are specifically geared toward adults who are starting or running a small business. Therefore, we are unable to accommodate children in GEC groups, classes, workshops, and other events.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6458727</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6458727</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Encore Entrepreneurs Roundtable (50+) | Registration opens October 1 (November 10, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;h1&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/ENCORE.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;ENCORE Entrepreneurs Roundtable (50+)&lt;/h1&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;at Pinckneyville Park Community Center&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#3A3838" face="roboto, Arial, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Helvetica Neue, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji"&gt;4650 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Berkeley Lake, GA, 30071&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;Registration opens Sept 1!&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;It’s never too late to start something!&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;Join fellow adults 50 and up for an engaging and supportive roundtable discussion focused on starting a business in your next chapter. Whether you’re pursuing a long-time dream, turning a hobby into income, or exploring a new purpose after retirement or career transition, this session offers practical guidance and real conversation about what it takes to launch successfully.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;Facilitated by the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center resident mentor, this interactive roundtable provides a welcoming space to share ideas, ask questions, and explore important topics such as business planning, funding options, licensing, marketing, and local resources for entrepreneurs. You’ll leave with greater clarity, confidence, and actionable next steps for moving your business idea forward.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Seating is limited (please RSVP in advance.)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Benefits of Attending&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="954" data-end="1424"&gt;
  &lt;li&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;Learn the essential steps to start and structure your business&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;Explore how to turn your experience, skills, or passions into a business opportunity&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;Get answers to common questions about &lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;business planning, business structure, marketing, and local resources for entrepreneurs&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;Discover local resources, workshops, and mentoring programs designed to support entrepreneurs&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;Build confidence by connecting with others beginning a similar journey&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;Network with a supportive community of aspiring business owners ages 50+&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Highlights&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="1442" data-end="1723"&gt;
  &lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;font face="inherit" style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000"&gt;Free event, no membership required&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;Designed specifically for adults 50 and older&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;Open to anyone exploring or launching a business&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;Practical, discussion-based format&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;Supportive and welcoming environment&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Networking&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#000000" face="Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;The Recreation Center will remain open for 30 minutes following the roundtable so participants can continue conversations, exchange ideas, and build new connections.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Roundtable Host&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/dave.png" alt="" title="" border="0" width="141.75" height="142" align="left" style="margin: 10px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;David McCulloch&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;David helps entrepreneurs start and grow businesses as the resident mentor at GEC. His areas of expertise include strategic planning, business development, marketing, and related legal matters. David has over 30 years of experience in senior leadership.

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Event Contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;gec@gwinnettcounty.com&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6709188</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6709188</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 15:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>The Social Media System Every Small Business Needs | Expert Workshop | Registration Opens October 1 (November 12, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;h1&gt;&lt;font face="YACgEev4gKc_0, _fb_, auto"&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Social%20Media%20Ceci%20Robinson.png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;The Social Media System Every Small Business Needs&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;&lt;font face="YACgEev4gKc_0, _fb_, auto"&gt;with Ceci Robinson,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color="#0076A3"&gt;Free Registration Required | In-Person and Virtual Options&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h4&gt;&lt;font color="#242424"&gt;Managing social media as a small business owner doesn't have to be overwhelming, and it won't be once you have the right process and resources in place.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#242424"&gt;If social media is starting to feel like a second job you didn't sign up for, this workshop was built for you. &lt;strong&gt;Learn the techniques that keep social media running while you stay focused on strategy and growth.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#242424"&gt;We'll break down the &lt;strong&gt;top social media platforms&lt;/strong&gt; so you can make a smart, informed decision about where to show up, walk through real campaign examples so you can see a working plan in action, and send you home with a step-by-step template to start building your own.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#242424"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No big budget required!&lt;/strong&gt; Just a clear system that streamlines your social media so you can get back to actually growing your business.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="378" data-end="789" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;About Ceci Robinson&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/cecirobinson.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="131" height="135" style="margin: 10px;" align="left"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;font style="font-size: 16px;" color="#545454"&gt;Cecilla, also known as Ceci, Robinson, is the founder and creative mind behind &lt;a href="https://therpcreatives.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Robinson Productions.&lt;/a&gt; She started the company to give small businesses access to the same strategic marketing big brands use daily. With over a decade of experience and more than 30 brands worked with, Ceci combines creativity, practical systems, and hands-on effort to help each client stand out.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="contStyleNarrowLineHeight"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;COMPLIMENTARY ADMISSION&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;This session will be available both as a live, in-person event and virtually.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;You have the option to join us physically in the training room (note that seats are limited) or to attend online. Indicate your preferred mode of attendance during registration.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;Virtual attendees will receive a link before the program begins.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;For more information, please get in touch with Greg Goebel at the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center via email at GEC@GwinnettCounty.com.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#333333"&gt;&lt;font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#222222" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;________________________________________&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div align="left"&gt;
  &lt;font color="#1A1A1A" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"&gt;For further information please contact Greg Goebel at the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center at GEC@GwinnettCounty.com.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6721747</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6721747</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2026 15:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>People are the Plan: Hire, Manage, and Develop Employees | Expert Workshop | Registration begins on October 13 (November 17, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/PeoplePlan%20(1).png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color="#0072AA"&gt;There is no such thing as a business strategy and a people strategy. There is only one strategy: and your employees, contractors, and stakeholders are the strategy. They are how your business grows, delivers, and sustains itself. Everything else is just a plan on paper.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color="#FF6C00"&gt;In person only, limited seating | Please only register if you are committing to attend | Registration opens on October 13&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You made a people decision today.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The question is not whether your people decisions are affecting your business. They already are. The question is whether you are making them on purpose.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Maybe you avoided a conversation with an employee. Maybe you let a performance issue slide. Maybe you hired a contractor fast because you needed help. Maybe you left a client relationship unaddressed or a stakeholder uninformed.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Each of those decisions, made intentionally or not, is your strategy executing in real time.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why Attend?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Great products, smart marketing, and sound financial decisions all matter. But &lt;strong&gt;sustainable growth depends on the people decisions&lt;/strong&gt; leaders make every day. This session challenges the belief that people and strategy are separate conversations — and provides a practical approach to aligning them.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color="#1C1C1C"&gt;Because when people decisions are intentional, business results aren’t accidental.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="1066" data-end="1139"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="1066" data-end="1085"&gt;Who This Is For&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br data-start="1085" data-end="1088"&gt;
This roundtable is ideal for;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="1140" data-end="1319"&gt;
  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;New Business Owners&lt;/strong&gt; who have a business plan but have never connected it to how they hire, manage, or develop people&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;New Business owners&lt;/strong&gt; who are growing and starting to feel the chaos that comes with more people and more complexity&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Experienced Business Owners&lt;/strong&gt; who treat people decisions as separate from strategy, and are starting to see the cost&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Entrepreneurs&lt;/strong&gt; who have said “I just need better people” without examining the decisions and systems around them&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Solopreneurs&lt;/strong&gt; managing contractors, clients, and stakeholders who want to lead those relationships more intentionally&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="1140" data-end="1319"&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What you will walk out with:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul&gt;
  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Clarity&lt;/strong&gt; on the real cost of treating people decisions as separate from your business outcomes&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Practical approaches&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;to start making people decisions on purpose, not by default or avoidance&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;One real-life people decision&lt;/strong&gt; in your business identified, examined, and ready to be made differently&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p data-start="1397" data-end="1414"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="1397" data-end="1412"&gt;Highlights:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="1415" data-end="1724"&gt;
  &lt;li data-section-id="ckgppi" data-start="1415" data-end="1453"&gt;Free event, no membership required&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="d4k7ik" data-start="1454" data-end="1492"&gt;Focused on growth-stage businesses&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="1w0i2qg" data-start="1493" data-end="1558"&gt;Real, relevant conversation&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="1romd09" data-start="1621" data-end="1662"&gt;Supportive, collaborative environment&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-section-id="1s8kr9y" data-start="1663" data-end="1724"&gt;Networking opportunities with like-minded business owners&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Presenter&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/ShanteBell.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="82" height="65" style="margin: 10px;" align="left"&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shawnt&lt;span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;é&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt; Bell,&lt;/strong&gt; M.S., PHR, SHRM-CP, is a People and Culture Strategist, Founder of JanLu Advisory Co., and owner of Sparkle Squad Gwinnett. She partners with business owners, executives, leaders, teams, and mission-driven organizations to lead transformational change, strengthen leadership, and build high-performing cultures where people and business thrive. As an executive advisor, coach, and facilitator—and a business owner herself—Shawnt&lt;span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;é&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt; delivers practical, data-informed strategies that drive sustainable growth and lasting organizational impact.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul&gt;
  &lt;li&gt;20+ Years Talent &amp;amp; Organizational Experience&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;M.S. Human Resources &amp;amp; Organizational Development&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;SHRM-CP / PHR Dual Certified Professional&lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li&gt;Global Executive Leadership Experience&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p data-start="1726" data-end="1867"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="1726" data-end="1740"&gt;Networking&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br data-start="1740" data-end="1743"&gt;
The Center stays open 30 minutes after the event so you can continue the conversation and connect with other participants.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="left"&gt;Contact: gec@gwinnettcounty.com&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6766896</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6766896</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
    <item>
      <pubDate>Tue, 08 Dec 2026 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <title>Starting a Business Roundtable | Registration begins November 10 (December 08, 2026)</title>
      <description>&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Event%20Banners%20(11).png" alt="" title="" border="0"&gt;

&lt;p data-start="0" data-end="36"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="0" data-end="34"&gt;Starting a Business Roundtable&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="0" data-end="36"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="0" data-end="34"&gt;&lt;font color="#FF0000"&gt;Registration opens November 10&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="38" data-end="106"&gt;Big dreams. Smart starts. &lt;strong&gt;Real talk about launching your business.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="108" data-end="552"&gt;Join aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs for an interactive discussion about what it really takes to start a business. This roundtable, facilitated by the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center resident mentor, is a space to share ideas, ask questions, and explore key topics like business planning, funding, licensing, and local support programs. You’ll leave with greater clarity, confidence, and next steps for turning your business idea into reality.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="108" data-end="552"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Seating is limited, please RSVP in advance.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p data-start="554" data-end="582"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="554" data-end="580"&gt;Benefits of Attending:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="583" data-end="915"&gt;
  &lt;li data-start="583" data-end="649"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="585" data-end="649"&gt;Learn the essential steps to start and structure your business&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="650" data-end="726"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="652" data-end="726"&gt;Get answers to common questions about funding, registration, and permits&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="727" data-end="790"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="729" data-end="790"&gt;Discover local resources, workshops, and mentoring programs&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="791" data-end="854"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="793" data-end="854"&gt;Build confidence by hearing from others on the same journey&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="855" data-end="915"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="857" data-end="915"&gt;Connect with a supportive community of new entrepreneurs&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p data-start="917" data-end="934"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="917" data-end="932"&gt;Highlights:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="935" data-end="1175" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""&gt;
  &lt;li data-start="935" data-end="974"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="937" data-end="974"&gt;Free event, no membership required&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="975" data-end="1026"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="977" data-end="1026"&gt;Open to anyone exploring or starting a business&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="1027" data-end="1065"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="1029" data-end="1065"&gt;Practical, discussion-based format&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="1066" data-end="1106"&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="1068" data-end="1106"&gt;Supportive and welcoming environment&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;

  &lt;li data-start="1107" data-end="1175" data-is-last-node=""&gt;
    &lt;p data-start="1109" data-end="1175" data-is-last-node=""&gt;Hosted at the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center with light refreshments&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;ul data-start="582" data-end="846" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Networking&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Center stays open 30 minutes after the event for you to network with the other participants.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Roundtable Host&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://gec1.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/2024-09-17_PLAN_Nonprofit%20Roundtable-07.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" width="237" height="158" align="left" style="margin: 10px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;David McCulloch&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;David helps entrepreneurs start and grow businesses as the resident mentor at GEC. His areas of expertise include strategic planning, business development, marketing, and related legal matters. David has over 30 years of experience in senior leadership.

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Event Contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Greg Goebel, gec@gwinnettcounty.com&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6748921</link>
      <guid>https://gec1.wildapricot.org/event-6748921</guid>
      <dc:creator />
    </item>
  </channel>
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