ABOUT THIS YEAR'S EVENT
The National Entrepreneurs Association which has served more than 8,000 entrepreneurs will host the 2026 Entrepreneur and Small Business Conference on Friday, November 6, 2026 at the Radisson Hotel Southfield-Detroit. This one-day event features expert training on marketing, pitching, funding, artificial intelligence, book publishing and more. This year’s theme is "Accelerate" and it’s all about helping entrepreneurs move their businesses forward faster. Whether you’re looking to scale your business, expand your network or take your business to the next level, this event will provide the knowledge, connections, and inspiration you need to accelerate your success.
LEARN FROM LEADING EXPERTS
Learn from experts who know what it takes to grow and succeed in today’s business environment. This event brings together leading voices in entrepreneurship, business growth, technology, marketing and more giving you valuable insights that you can put to work immediately to move your business forward with greater confidence.
Precious L. Williams
CEO of the Perfect Pitch Group
Featured on ABC’s Shark Tank
Hank Barker
AI Trainer & founder of PriorAIty LLC
Trained more than 1,000 professionals
Andrea Walker Liedy
President of Walker Publicity Consulting
17 years experience in journalism
Attend the 2026 Entrepreneur and Small Business Conference and learn proven strategies from experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts. Here's some of what you can expect.
Event Highlights
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Dynamic Keynote Speakers
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High Impact Breakout Sessions
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Powerful Panel Discussions
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Free Professional Headshots
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Leading Business Resource Providers
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Exhibitors/Vendors
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Power Networking Lunch
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Entrepreneur Bootcamp All Class Reunion
*Picture from 2023 NEA Entrepreneur Conference at Hollywood Casino Greektown
2026 NEA Conference Agenda at a Glance
2026 Keynote Speaker Precious L. Williams
The #1 Corporate Sales Trainer & Pitch Dynamo
Featured on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” CNN, Forbes, and two TEDx stages
Precious L. Williams, the 13-time national elevator pitch champion and 5x #1 bestselling author from New York is not just a speaker—she is a high-impact catalyst who transforms communication from TRASH to straight CASH. As the founder and CEO of the Perfect Pitch Group, Precious is renowned for her results-driven approach, which has equipped TOP Fortune 100 corporate sales teams, global business leaders, law firms and finance professionals with strategies to close deals and secure funding.
The Go-To Expert for Global Impact
● Fortune 100 & Global Brands: Precious is the secret weapon for top-tier companies, having delivered world-class keynotes and training for global powerhouses including Verizon, BMW, Blackstone, Dominion Energy, SiriusXM, HubSpot, and Conde Nast.
● Academic Excellence: Her expertise is sought after by the world's leading educational institutions, with invitations to speak at Harvard University and Columbia University.
● Quantifiable Results: Her clients have collectively won millions in pitch competitions and secured lucrative corporate contracts, directly translating her "pitching genius" into measurable financial success.
●Media & Authority: Featured on Shark Tank (Season 8) and celebrated in national media for her sales mastery, Precious delivers proven methods that drive immediate action and profitability.
The Million-Dollar Pitch: How to Magnetize Clients, Captivate Investors and Own Every Stage
It’s time to stop being a best-kept secret and start claiming your profit. Precious is stepping onto the National Entrepreneurs Association stage to show you how to speak with undeniable authority, sell effortlessly without sounding pushy and position your business as the premier choice in your market. Get ready to learn from the best, elevate your brand, and start closing high-ticket deals before you even leave the building.
Key Takeaways:
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Steal Precious’s signature pitch framework to command immediate authority and generate premium sales
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Position your small business so powerfully that corporate partners and clients beg to hire you
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Eliminate pitch anxiety and step into the magnetic confidence that closes high-value deals every time
Welcome Remarks
Southfield Mayor Dr. Kenson J. Siver
Southfield Mayor Dr. Kenson J. Siver will provide opening remarks to welcome conference attendees to Southfield.
The City of Southfield has been described as “the Center of It All.” As one of Michigan’s leading business centers, Southfield is home to more than 10,000 businesses, over 27 million square feet of office space, and a daytime population of nearly 175,000. With more than 100 Fortune 500 companies and businesses representing a wide range of industries, Southfield offers a dynamic environment for entrepreneurs, professionals, and business leaders. Its central location and convenient access to communities throughout southeast Michigan make it an ideal destination for conferences and business development.
Dr. Kenson J. Siver was sworn in as the sixth mayor of Southfield on November 16, 2015. He has lived and worked in Southfield since 1967.
2026 Kickoff Speaker BerHenda Williams
Media Producer, Poet and Founder of Culture Shift(Hers) Unite™
Ber-Henda Williams is a womanist cultural strategist, Soft Power formation guide, media producer, poet, keynote speaker, and Founder of Culture Shift(Hers) Unite™. Through storytelling, leadership formation, and intentional community-building, she helps women leaders and organizations move beyond overextension and performance toward greater clarity, capacity, and coherence. She is also the Creator and Executive Producer of The Ber-Henda Williams Show™ and Host of the Soul of a Lead(Her) Podcast. As a Wayne State University graduate, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and minor in International Marketing.
Topic: Accelerate Without Abandoning Yourself: Soft Power Leadership for Sustainable Growth: Entrepreneurs are often taught to equate acceleration with moving faster, doing more, and overriding the body’s signals. In this energizing kickoff, Ber-Henda Williams invites attendees to reimagine acceleration as aligned movement. Through the three pillars of clarity, capacity, and coherence, you will explore how to grow your businesses without losing yourself in the process.
Key Takeaways:
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A more sustainable definition of acceleration rooted in alignment rather than urgency
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A framework for assessing clarity, capacity and coherence before making your next business move
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Greater confidence to pursue growth without abandoning values, well-being or vision.
Featured Speaker Andrea Walker-Leidy
Owner Walker Publicity Consulting
Andrea Walker-Leidy is the owner of Walker Publicity Consulting and Look On Purpose. With more than 17 years of experience in journalism, marketing and public relations, she helps entrepreneurs and organizations find their story, share it with confidence and connect with the people they want to reach.
Through Walker Publicity, Andrea develops communications and media strategies that help clients gain visibility. With Look On Purpose, she explores how personal style and presence can help people show up as themselves. Her work brings both sides together: knowing what you want to say and being intentional about how you show up.
Storytellers: Marketing & PR That Makes You Stand Out
Every entrepreneur has a story, but knowing how to share it can be the difference between being seen and being remembered. In this session, Andrea Walker-Leidy will show entrepreneurs how to identify the stories that matter to their audience and use them to guide intentional marketing and public relations. Attendees will leave with practical ways to sharpen their message, show up consistently and create opportunities for their business to be seen and heard.
Key Takeaways:
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Identify the Stories That Matter: Learn how to uncover the stories in your business that will connect with your target audience and make your brand memorable.
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Sharpen Your Message: Develop a clear, consistent message that communicates who you are, what you do and why your business matters.
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Turn Your Story Into Opportunities: Use storytelling strategically in marketing and public relations to increase visibility, build credibility and create opportunities to be seen and heard.
Featured Speaker Hank Barker
AI Trainer and Founder of PriorAIty LLC
Hank Barker is the founder of PriorAIty LLC, an AI training and adoption company focused on making artificial intelligence simple, practical, and actionable. He has trained more than 1,000 professionals on how to use tools including ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, automation platforms, and emerging AI agents to improve productivity and integrate AI into everyday workflows.
Hank has delivered AI training for organizations across manufacturing, government, education, workforce development, professional services, real estate, marketing, sales, HR, and other business functions. His work focuses on helping people move beyond simply experimenting with AI and toward using it intentionally to improve the way they work.
Topic: Accelerate with AI: How Entrepreneurs Can Work Smarter and Scale Faster
AI has moved far beyond simply asking ChatGPT a question or generating a quick piece of content. Today’s AI tools can research, analyze information, work across files, assist with multi-step projects, build repeatable workflows, and increasingly act as active partners in how entrepreneurs get work done. In this fast-paced session, Hank Barker will show entrepreneurs how to move beyond basic AI use and begin making AI an integral part of your day-to-day work. The session will conclude with a clear path for identifying where AI can have the greatest impact in your business and what to do next.
Key Takeaways:
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Discover how modern AI capabilities including AI workspaces, agents, automations, data analysis, and multi-step task execution are changing what entrepreneurs can accomplish.
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Learn how to move beyond one-off AI use and begin integrating AI into recurring business processes, projects, and everyday work.
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Explore AI tools and capabilities beyond the platforms you may already use and understand where different tools can provide the most value.
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Leave with a practical framework for identifying the highest-value opportunities to use AI and next steps.
Featured Speaker Tenita Johnson
Authorpreneur, Publisher, Book Coach & CEO at So It Is Written
Transforming pain into purpose is a gift that authorpreneur, speaker and book coach, Tenita “Bestseller” Johnson gives to everyone she encounters. She is a warrior of words with a fierce passion for guiding authors to expand their brand by showing them how to earn multiple streams of income from just ONE book. As the author of 26 books, seven of which have been Amazon bestsellers, she is living proof that sharing your story leads to your destiny.
Beyond her books, her versatility shines in multiple areas, including her role as the executive producer of the hit stage play, When the Smoke Clears, which was based on her book, When the Smoke Clears: A Phoenix Rises. The play ran in 2017, 2018 and 2024 to sold-out audiences in downtown Detroit, and the movie based on the stage play and book debuted in September 2026 in Troy to another sold-out audience of more than 200.
Topic: Brand, Book, Bestseller: How to Develop 7-12 Streams of Income from One Book: This workshop guides attendees through developing a quality brand as an author centered around their area of expertise, writing a bestselling book that solves ONE specific problem for their intended target market, and unlocking numerous doors of opportunity and multiple streams of income from their ONE book.
Key Takeaways:
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Learn how to write a book and develop a strong author brand around your expertise.
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Discover how to turn one book into multiple streams of income.
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Learn how to leverage your book to establish credibility, attract opportunities and grow your business.
Featured Speaker Bardi Yono Jr.
Business and Tax Attorney at Foster Swift
Bardi Yono Jr. is a Business & Tax Attorney in the Southfield MI office at Foster Swift. He focuses on legal matters associated with entity formation, business succession planning, contracts, start-ups and trusts & estates. Badri earned a B.A. in Political Science and Government from Oakland University prior to receiving his Juris Doctorate magna cum laude from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Learn key legal information to protect yourself, your business, and accelerate your growth.
Topic: Accelerate Your Legal Knowledge: Essentials for Business Growth & Protection: You'll learn essential legal strategies to protect yourself and your business, minimize risk, and make informed decisions that support sustainable growth. This session will cover key legal considerations every business owner should understand to safeguard their business
Key Takeaways:
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Learn strategies to protect yourself and your business from legal risks.
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Make informed legal decisions that support sustainable business growth.
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Gain practical knowledge to safeguard your business and its future.
Radisson Hotel Southfield
26555 Telegraph Road, Southfield, MI 48033
Our conference will be held at the Radisson Hotel Southfield-Detroit, a comfortable and convenient venue located in the heart of Southfield, Michigan. Just minutes from downtown Detroit and many of the area’s restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and business attractions, the hotel provides an ideal setting for both business and leisure. Conference attendees will enjoy a welcoming space designed for learning, networking, and connecting with fellow entrepreneurs. Whether you’re joining us for the day or staying overnight, the Radisson offers a convenient home base.
2026 Entrepreneur and Small Business Conference Exhibitors Include:
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City of Southfield
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Comcast Business
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Culture Shift(Hers) Unite™
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Exodus Precision Health
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Fifth Third Bank
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Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesss
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Great Lakes Pension
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HabitGuard Solutions, LLC
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Lines of Legacy
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National Entrepreneurs Association
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Small Business Administration (SBA)
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Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
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The Perfect Pitch Group
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Virtual Real Estate Services
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Walker Publicity Consulting
Reserve Your Exhibitor and Vendor Space Now
Pictures from Past NEA Conferences
Put your organization in front of entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals who are looking for valuable products, services, resources, and connections to help their businesses grow. Exhibiting at our Entrepreneur & Small Business Conference & Expo gives you the opportunity to showcase your brand, generate new leads, build meaningful relationships and connect directly with a targeted audience of motivated business leaders. Don’t just attend, get in the room, get noticed and grow your network! When you purchase an exhibitor table, you’ll receive:
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Two full conference registrations
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6-foot exhibitor table with tablecloth
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Prime visibility to entrepreneurs and professionals attending the event
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Opportunity to distribute marketing materials and promotional items
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Exhibitor listing on our event website
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Brand exposure throughout the event on signage & event promotions
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Exhibitor listing in the official conference program
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Social media recognition before the event
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Lead-generation opportunities to connect with potential clients and partners
Its Always a Great Time at an NEA Conference!
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