By Milton Kirby | Decatur, GA | September 15, 2026
For a small-business owner, knowing that a government contract exists and knowing how to compete for it can be two very different things.
DeKalb County wants to narrow that gap.
The 2026 DeKalb County Small Business Summit and Pitch Competition will bring entrepreneurs, government officials and business-support organizations together October 14 at the Emory Conference Center Hotel in Atlanta.
The day will focus on issues organizers say DeKalb business owners have identified as priorities: access to capital, county contracting, tools that save time and straightforward information about operating a legitimate business.
The summit is sponsored by the DeKalb County Office of the CEO, the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce and the Decide DeKalb Development Authority.
Organizers are making a simple promise to business owners: access.
“You will spend the day with the people who make those decisions, not a list of links to call later,” organizers said in announcing the summit.
Familiar Challenges for Small Businesses
The priorities outlined for this year’s summit are familiar.
At the 2025 gathering, county officials, business leaders and entrepreneurs spoke about many of the same challenges: access to capital, government contracting, business resources, networking and keeping small companies growing during uncertain economic conditions.
Frankie Atwater Sr., president and CEO of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, said small businesses make up 99 percent of the businesses in DeKalb County.
“It’s our job at the Chamber to continue to provide that support that they need — that network for them to continue to grow,” Atwater said.
He also emphasized the importance of giving entrepreneurs information they can use.
“Knowledge is power,” Atwater said, pointing to panels, workshops and networking as ways to help business owners build connections and position their companies for growth.
For business owners, the need can be even more immediate.
Dontricia Dunnum, who attended the 2025 summit, said she came looking for both information and connections that could help her business navigate a difficult economic period.
“I’m trying to expand my network, gain more knowledge and insight on how to still keep my business steady and afloat during this economic season,” Dunnum said.
She also hoped to make connections and gain insight into growing the business.
Those concerns help explain why organizers are again emphasizing practical assistance rather than simply networking.
DeKalb Wants More Businesses Competing for County Work
One of the clearest opportunities involves government contracting.
During the 2025 summit, DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson emphasized the purchasing power of county government and the wide range of services it requires.
“Governmental entities are the number one procurer of services in the world,” Cochran-Johnson said. “So there’s nothing you can imagine. There’s no business services provided that, in most instances, we don’t need.”
Her message to entrepreneurs was equally direct.
“The doors for business are open in DeKalb County,” Cochran-Johnson said.
She encouraged business owners interested in county opportunities to use DeKalb’s purchasing and contracting system to find solicitations and begin the process of competing for government work.
The 2026 summit returns to that theme by promising business owners a clearer path into county contracting and access to people involved in making business decisions.
For entrepreneurs unfamiliar with government procurement, however, finding an opportunity is only the beginning.
Businesses may have to understand certification requirements, purchasing rules, insurance requirements, bidding procedures and other parts of the procurement process before they can successfully compete.
That makes the value of the summit potentially less about one day of meetings and more about whether entrepreneurs leave knowing what to do next.
Five Businesses Will Take the Stage
The 2026 summit is also adding a competitive element designed to move selected entrepreneurs from instruction to presentation.
Five DeKalb businesses will pitch their companies live during the summit.
The first-place winner will receive a business growth package valued at $16,500.
The competition includes training before finalists reach the stage.
Semifinalists will participate in a two-week Pitch Academy. The five finalists will then participate in a four-week Growth Incubator designed to help prepare them for the competition and continued business development.
Applications for the pitch competition closed September 11.
While the competition will put five companies in the spotlight, the larger summit is designed for a much broader segment of DeKalb’s small-business community.
From Access to Opportunity
Last year’s summit carried a message that DeKalb County was changing the way it worked with local entrepreneurs.
One speaker described the gathering as evidence that county government was “reimagining how business is done” by connecting entrepreneurs with resources intended to help them succeed regardless of the economic climate.
The 2026 summit gives the county another opportunity to demonstrate what that means.
Panels, workshops and networking can introduce entrepreneurs to resources. A pitch competition can put promising companies in front of decision-makers. Procurement sessions can teach business owners where county opportunities exist.
The longer-term measurement will come after the conference.
Do more DeKalb businesses become qualified to compete for county work? Do more submit bids? Do entrepreneurs find financing? And do more locally owned companies ultimately win contracts and grow?
Those outcomes will determine whether access provided during a one-day summit becomes lasting economic opportunity.
The 2026 DeKalb County Small Business Summit and Pitch Competition will be held October 14 at the Emory Conference Center Hotel, 1615 Clifton Road NE in Atlanta. Registration and breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m., with the program scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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