Office of Business Opportunity

OBO "Access Granted" Videos

The Office of Business Opportunity presents Access Granted, a series of webinars designed to help small businesses navigate the challenges brought on by COVID-19. Webinar panelist also discussed virtual business conversion, government procurement, virtual networking and business development resources.

Click on link(s) below the graphics to watch:

Episode 1

Episode 1: Guest panelists: Francisco Gonzalez, LiftFund; JP Yorro, NextSeed; Abby Gonzalez, U.S. Small Business Administration; Lalitha Raman, SCORE Houston; Brandi McDonald, Limestone Commercial; Ed Ryland, ARVO Realty Advisors; and Frank Chambers, Calculating Wages Company.

Episode 2

Episode 2: Shirley Brooks, program director, Women's Business Enterprise Alliance; Steve Levine, publisher, Small Business Today Magazine; and Tim Scarborough, program director, UH Procurement Technical Assistance Center.

Episode 3

Episode 3: Guest panelists: Dr. Stephen Barth, professor, UH Conrad N. Hilton College and founder, HospitalityLawyer.com; Arquella Hargrove, CEO, Epic Collaborative Advisors and adjunct professor, University of Houston Downtown and Lone Star College; Ellyn Haikin Josef, pro bono counsel, Vinson & Elkins; and Anton Krayniy, associate - energy transactions and projects, Vinson & Elkins.

Episode 4

Episode 4: Guest panelists Anh Nguyen, founder of Amplified Marketing; LaShaunda Pickett-Rene, assistant vice president of TruFund; Nickea Bradley, deputy director of the City of Houston's Office of Emergency Management; and Miara "Maven Miara" Shaw, founder of Maven Business Academy.

Episode 5

Episode 5: Guest panelists Moquita Quinan, Diversity Affairs Coordinator for Austin Gilbane; Myriam Bahaj, CEO for Acies Design; Jose Jimenez, Director of Neighborhood Services & Economic Opportunity, Harris County-Precinct 2; and Ida Benson, Business Opportunity Specialist, U.S. Small Business Administration.

Episode 6

Episode 6: Guest panelists Kyra Hardwick, managing consultant at the Kyra Company; Julia Hogan-McNeil, owner of The Juju Products; Rebecca Karp, CEO and managing principal, Karp Strategies; Layle McKelvey, director of Community Relations & Inclusion at the Manhattan Construction Company; and Tiffany Townsend, owner of Safe Ship Sugar Land.

Episode 7

Episode 7: Guest panelists  Anton Krayniy, associate, Energy Transactions & Projects at Vinson & Elkins LLP; Michelle Levi McDaniel, CEO of Elite Image Tax and Notary Service LLC; Marlon D. Mitchell, president of Houston Business Development Inc. (HBDi).