20 stories for 20 years: Uplifting small business voices through national and state councils

At Small Business Majority, our guiding belief is simple: the strongest policy solutions come directly from the people who run small businesses every day. Entrepreneurs know their challenges better than anyone, and they deserve a meaningful role in shaping the policies that affect their livelihoods. Our national and state-based small business councils are one way we make this possible by giving small business owners a formal platform to guide our mission, influence policy and strengthen small business ecosystems nationwide.

For more than 15 years, Small Business Majority’s National Small Business Council has brought together entrepreneurs from a broad range of industries and communities who volunteer their time to help guide our organization’s strategic direction. These members participate in board meetings, speak at public events, contribute to policy development and serve as ambassadors in the media. 

The real-world experiences of our National Small Business Council members are invaluable to Small Business Majority’s work. Whether it’s identifying emerging challenges or refining our policy agenda, council members ensure we stay grounded in the daily realities of small business ownership.

To support our council leadership, we offer media training, equipping them with tools to tell their stories publicly and advocate for solutions they support. Many of our council members have gone on to speak with senior White House officials (including the president), members of Congress and journalists, offering firsthand accounts of what it takes to start and grow a small business and what policies would make a meaningful difference.

One powerful example of our council members in action is Nikki Bravo, a National Council member and small business owner from Chicago. Nikki recently had the opportunity to meet with staff from U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s (Ill.) office. Afterward, she shared how valuable these types of conversations are for shaping pro-small business policy policy.

While Small Business Majority has long received input and guidance from members of our National Small Business Council, we also have a network of state councils. Our current state model began in 2021 when we launched our Georgia Small Business Council. At the time, we recognized the need for a more structured, ongoing way to gather insight from entrepreneurs, especially those from communities that have historically been overlooked in policy conversations. The Georgia Council quickly demonstrated the power of sustained engagement and helped lay the groundwork for councils in other states and at the national level.

What began as a single state council in Georgia has since blossomed into a robust, interconnected network of business owners shaping economic policy across the country. Their leadership, expertise, and deep commitment to their communities strengthen our work and ensure that small business voices remain at the center of national, state and local dialogue.

Small Business Majority will continue expanding this model so that more entrepreneurs, especially those from under-resourced or underrepresented communities, can shape the policies that affect them. Their lived experiences remain essential to building a fair, inclusive and thriving small business economy.