WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Brett Palmer, president of the Small Business Investor Alliance (SBIA), the leading association for lower middle market private equity funds and investors, is participating in today’s Economic Development Summit in Butte, Montana, hosted by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.). The goal of the event is to connect, collaborate, and create new jobs and more business opportunities for American companies. The event will include 11 keynote addresses, 44 panels and workshops, more than 100 one-on-one networking sessions, a trade show and more.

“The SBIA is proud to again be a part of the important discussions addressing capital formation and job creation taking place in this week’s Economic Development Summit”

“The SBIA is proud to again be a part of the important discussions addressing capital formation and job creation taking place in this week’s Economic Development Summit,” said Brett Palmer, president of the SBIA. “We’re looking forward to continue working closely with Senator Baucus and America’s brightest business leaders to come up with ways to stimulate growth in small businesses, increase employment and continue the economic recovery path we’re on. Educating and empowering entrepreneurs is a goal that the SBIA wholeheartedly shares with the Senator.”

“Folks in Washington talk a lot of talk about creating jobs, we’re bringing the biggest names in business together with main-street entrepreneurs who walk the walk every day,” said Senator Baucus in a press release issued by his press office in early September. “For two days we’ll transform Butte, Montana, into the center of the international business world. The rules are simple: everything is on the table, no politics allowed, and solutions should come from the private sector. Time and time again we’ve used this formula to create real results for main-street American jobs, and I have no doubt this year’s summit will be the best one yet.”

The SBIA’s Palmer is participating in a panel at the event on ways that entrepreneurs and small businesses can benefit from forming relationships with private equity firms and specialty finance companies that contribute to job growth by serving the capital needs of America’s small and mid-sized businesses.

Included in those attending the event will be some of the biggest names in business, such as: Boeing President and CEO Jim McNerney, Delta CEO Richard Anderson, Co-founder of PayPal and Tesla Motors and founder and CEO of SpaceX Elon Musk, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, FedEx Founder and President and CEO Fred Smith, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, Former U.S. Ambassador to China, past presidential candidate and international businessman Jon Huntsman, Jr., Oracle President and CFO Safra Catz, Ford Motor Company President and CEO Alan Mulally, HP CEO Meg Whitman (by teleconference), and ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance.

About the Small Business Investor Alliance (SBIA)

The Small Business Investor Alliance (SBIA) is the premier organization of lower middle market private equity funds and investors. SBIA members provide vital capital to small businesses nationwide, resulting in economic growth and job creation. SBIA has been playing a pivotal role in promoting the growth and vitality of the private equity industry for more than 50 years. For more information, visit www.sbia.org or call 202-628-5055.