Senator Merkley to Speak at Small Business Online Forum

Senator Jeff Merkley will headline a virtual town hall at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 7 for local business owners in the Benton County area. The event is part of a new program called Let’s Keep Connected, which shares information specific to building business resiliency in the mid-valley region.

The virtual town hall is free, and registration is available online at www.letskeepconnected.org.

The Let’s Keep Connected (LKC) partnership was created out of a collaborative effort between Foundry Collective, Corvallis-Benton County Economic Development, and the Linn-Benton Community College Small Business Development Center. Organizers are focused on sharing and interpreting the latest information for businesses coming out of state and federal agencies, and responding to needs in the business community.

“Business in our area need information to make smart choices and adapt during this time of uncertainty,” said Kate Porsche, the Corvallis-Benton County Economic Development Manager. “We’re supporting our business community by bringing quick answers to the most pressing issues on a weekly basis.”

LKC currently hosts three virtual town halls per week – Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30 a.m., and Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. On April 9, LKC will facilitate a virtual town hall with Sam Goldstein, deputy director of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Future sessions will focus on updates from about the components of the new COVID-19 bill (CARES act), information from local economic development partners, updates from the state unemployment office, and frequently asked questions from the LKC community. The full schedule is posted online at www.letskeepconnected.org.