WISPAPALOOZA 2019 Show Daily Day 3

6 WISPA PALOOZA SHOW I OCTOBER 14 - 18, 2019 www.bekabusinessmedia.com L Z OO 2019 03 DAY 01 DAY 3 Martin Vilaboy Editor-in-Chief martin@bekabusinessmedia.com Gerald Baldino Contributing Editor gerald@bekabusinessmedia.com Percy Zamora Art Director percy@bekabusinessmedia.com Mitch Beyer Digital Marketing Manager mitch@bekabusinessmedia.com Berge Kaprelian Group Publisher berge@bekabusinessmedia.com (480) 503-0770 Anthony Graffeo Publisher anthony@bekabusinessmedia.com (203) 304-8547 W ISPs provide high-speed broadband service to 6 million U.S. households and businesses, largely in rural America. They generally employ fewer than 10 individuals, have been in business for 15 years, and have risked their own private capital to bring service to their customers. They play a vital, if unheralded, role in bridging the rural digital divide. Recognizing the importance of WISPs to getting all Americans online, Michelle Christian, the National Director of the Office of Rural Affairs for the U.S. Small Business Administration, will give the keynote speech at WISPAPALOOZA today (Thursday, October 17) at 11:45 a.m. in the Amazon Ballroom. National Director Christian was first appointed by the White House on February 20, 2018, to serve as the U.S. Small Business Administration Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator. In that capacity, she was responsible for a staff of more than 100 loan, busi- ness and community specialists overseeing the delivery of the federal agency’s small business programs and business development initiatives throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region. Recently, she was elevated to the position of SBA National Director of the Office of Rural Affairs, where she oversees business and economic development throughout rural America. Access to spectrum is central to the WISP business model – it is their fuel to carry affordable broadband services to their rural customers.  But other, small business-specific issues are of paramount concern, too. Chief among them is access to capital, a perennial challenge for WISPs, many of which are bootstrapped, operating on life savings or other forms of private debt. Coming in just behind this is the effect that regulations have on small businesses, which are tight-staffed and in need of every available resource to serve their customers instead of filling out burdensome paperwork or dealing with regulations which are out of date or inapt for their businesses. During the keynote – a fireside chat hosted by WISPA president and CEO, Claude Aiken – Christian is expected to touch on these and other topics, which are unique to WISPs and small businesses operating in rural America.  “We are excited and privileged to have Director Christian speak to WISPA’s members and show attendees,” said Aiken. “WISPs are making a difference in rural America, and the SBA has done great work to sustain them through the agency’s vast expertise, information sharing and loan guarantee programs.”  Added Aiken, “Having the SBA in your corner ensures that WISPs have an advocate in D.C., meaning that we can better focus on building our businesses. The SBA promotes this mission, which has resulted in getting millions of rural Americans online and participating in the digital economy.  Quite simply, the SBA is a critical partner in our broadband deployment efforts.” m Claude Aiken President & CEO 202-578-6197 caiken@wispa.org Trina Coffey Vice President of Events & Operations 407-319-0051 tcoffey@wispa.org Christina Mason Vice President of Government Affairs 202-763-3800 cmason@wispa.org Louis Peraertz Vice President of Policy 202-763-5599 lperaertyz@wispa.org Arielle Coffey Events Coordinator 407-319-0062 arielle@wispa.org Gary Helmers Sales Manager 407-319-0134 ghelmers@wispa.org Mike Wendy Director of Communications 202-763-5257 mwendy@wispa.org Richard Bernhardt National Spectrum Adviser 408-472-0881 rbernhardt@wispa.org Alysha Zang Digital Marketing Associate 407-319-4068 azang@wispa.org Mary St. Clair HR & Billing Assistant 407-717-8516 mstclair@wispa.org Leslie Brown-Bando Policy Assistant 202-629-9308 lbrownbando@wispa.org Roxanna Barboza Policy Associate lbarboza@wispa.org Michelle Christian, SBA Director of Rural Affairs, to Give Keynote