PORTLAND, Maine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Travelers Institute®, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV), today will host a Small Business – Big Opportunity® symposium in Portland, Maine. Held in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration Maine District Office, the event will feature government and private sector experts, who will discuss cybersecurity threats, strategies for accessing capital in today’s lending environment and business continuity planning.
“Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities and a vital segment of our economy,” said Behram Dinshaw, President of Small Commercial at Travelers. “Our goal is to initiate conversations about the challenges facing small businesses and to collectively find solutions to overcome the obstacles prohibiting small business owners from prospering.”
The event will be held during National Small Business Week, which the U.S. Small Business Administration has observed since 1963 to recognize the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners and others around the country.
“The SBA is committed to providing education and resources for our small businesses across the state,” said Amy Bassett, District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration Maine District Office. “We are pleased to work with the Travelers Institute to bring this educational series to Maine and to provide a forum to share best practices to help our small business owners succeed.”
Molly Crawford, of the Federal Trade Commission’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, will deliver the keynote address and participate in a panel discussion that highlights successes local entrepreneurs have experienced and the pitfalls they have avoided along the way. The discussion will be moderated by Joan Woodward, President of the Travelers Institute and Executive Vice President of Public Policy at Travelers. In addition to Crawford and Bassett, the panelists will include Steve Shaffer, CEO, Black Dinah Chocolatiers and Jeff Shaw, President, Clark Insurance.
The Travelers Institute has held nearly 40 events for small businesses in the United States and United Kingdom since launching the program in 2011. Visit www.travelersinstitute.org/smallbusiness for more information.
About the Travelers Institute
The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc., engages in discussion and analysis of public policy topics of importance to the insurance marketplace and to the financial services industry more broadly. The Travelers Institute draws upon the industry expertise of Travelers’ senior management, as well as the technical expertise of many of Travelers’ underwriters, risk managers and other experts to provide information, analysis and solutions to public policymakers and regulators. Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. For more information, visit www.travelers.com.
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