RECON LIVE 2025 at The Cove @ UCI Where Community and Opportunity Collide

On May 14, 2025, The Cove at UC Irvine came alive with purpose as RECON LIVE 2025, the annual Small Business Resource Conference hosted by the Small Business Diversity Network (SBDN), opened its doors at 9 a.m., welcoming entrepreneurs, small business owners, support agencies, and public officials. Entry began as early as 8:30 a.m., drawing more than 200 attendees ready to engage with a full day of programming spanning resource panels, chamber showcases, exhibitor booths, and even complimentary professional headshots

The conference commenced with an energetic opening ceremony led by SBDN President Jay Ungos, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a stirring rendition of the National Anthem by Alexis Lopez. Mayor Larry Agran of the City of Irvine then delivered an inspiring civic welcome, reaffirming the city’s investment in small business success.

As participants settled in, they gained insights from a trio of resource driven panels designed to address the most pressing challenges facing small businesses today. The Access to Capital session was moderated by Ed Hart of First Bank, whose role as panel host underscored the importance of financial literacy. Panelists representing First Bank, Wells Fargo, US Bank, the SBA, Genesis Bank, and CDFIs offered attendees a clear breakdown of what lenders look for and how to prepare competitive loan applications .

Next, the Certification panel steered by Michael Herrera from McCarthy Builders delved into minority and supplier diversity certifications, including MBE, WBE, SDVOSB, and more. Panelists from the California Department of General Services, CPUC, NMSDC, and SBA explained how these credentials open doors to government contracts and corporate supply chains.

The afternoon’s Access to Procurement discussion, led by AMPAC’s Mark Morales, demystified pathways into public and private purchasing pipelines. Buyers from agencies across OC shared concrete strategies and upcoming tender opportunities, empowering small businesses to proactively prepare.

A standout session was the Chamber Challenge, a lively showcase featuring local business chambers including Vietnamese, Hispanic, Filipino American, Asian Business, and others such as the Greater Irvine Chamber with prizes awarded for audience engagement. It offered attendees a rapid fire way to understand what each chamber offers in terms of networking, advocacy, and support . In the end, the Newport Beach Chamber emerged victorious for their stage presence and impact .

Throughout the day, the exhibitor hall buzzed with conversations. Booths from Wells Fargo, US Bank, AT&T, McCarthy Builders, Eventography, CoWorq, and OC Metro Water District among others offered attendees everything from funding advice and coworking solutions to branding, technology, and infrastructure resources . In a delightful twist, Eventography provided complimentary headshots, giving professionals an opportunity to polish their personal branding right on site.

A key highlight was the Laptop Giveaway program an initiative supported by AT&T and Human IT under which selected small business owners, entrepreneurs, or students received new or gently used laptops with a year of technical support. As Ed Hart noted, this program underscores the belief that "every small business deserves the tools they need to succeed" .

Adding depth and media resonance, a live podcast session of The Venture Science Podcast by LabX Ventures recorded candid interviews with founders, panelists, and attendees. These conversations fed into the hows and whys behind SBDN's mission, the importance of data driven decisions, and the power of community led entrepreneurship.

What RECON LIVE 2025 Means for Small Businesses

The event underscored several takeaways entrepreneurs can apply immediately

• Funding readiness Community lenders and national providers offered tailored advice for crafting loan ready documents and applications.

• Certification strategy Learning the mechanism and ROI of certifications can dramatically shift supplier opportunities.

• Procurement access Understanding upcoming public and private projects arms businesses to prepare strong proposals and win contracts.

• Networking embedded Sessions and exhibitor booths created the kind of corridors to connections that can become long term collaborators.

• Brand & tech support From headshots to laptops, these initiatives reminded attendees that professionalism is built step by step.

• Chamber participation The Chamber Challenge encouraged businesses to take local boardroom seats, helping entrepreneurs access advocacy, referrals, and peer support.

  
  

By mid afternoon, the partnerships forged, the knowledge exchanged, and the tools distributed all contributed to the primary goal fueling small business resilience and growth. For anyone seated at a recent RECON LIVE panel or networking table, the take home message was abundantly clear the ecosystem of support is present, and structured to help you win.

As RECON LIVE wrapped up with a final raffle and closing remarks, conversations spilled out into the lobby connections already being followed up on, services booked, and strategies mapped. This event wasn’t just a “day of sessions.” It was a pivotal catalyst for Orange County’s small business community connecting entrepreneurs with capital, certification pathways, procurement insights, corporate partners, and even essential equipment and branding upgrades.

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