In a high-stakes, ever-changing landscape marked by supply chain disruptions, rising costs, and economic uncertainty, how do the most successful small businesses gain a competitive edge? CNBC’s Small Business Playbook offers essential strategies to help owners turn obstacles into opportunities—covering everything from accessing capital and leveraging cutting-edge AI tools to curating the perfect tone to connect with your customers. Featuring expert insights, real-world case studies and forward-thinking tactics, this deep dive into American entrepreneurship empowers small business owners to adapt, grow, and thrive in today’s economy.
Jonah Berger is a Wharton School professor and internationally bestselling author of Magic Words, Contagious, Invisible Influence, and The Catalyst.
Dr. Berger is a world-renowned expert on natural language processing, change, word of mouth, influence, consumer behavior, and why things catch on. He has published over 80 articles in top‐tier academic journals, teaches one of the world’s most popular online courses, and popular outlets like The New York Times and Harvard Business Review often cover his work. Berger has keynoted hundreds of major conferences and events like SXSW and Cannes Lions, advises various early-stage companies, and consults for organizations like Apple, Google, Nike, Amazon, GE, Moderna, and The Gates Foundation.
Here are some examples of media coverage: NPR’s Marketplace, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, USA Today, Fast Company Profile, Harvard Business Review, and The New York Times.
Rick Caruso is a business innovator, civic leader and philanthropist. He is the founder and Executive Chairman of Caruso®, one of the largest privately held real estate companies in the United States.
The company has achieved a compounded annual growth rate of nearly 20% since its inception.
Its portfolio includes renowned retail, residential, mixed-use properties that focus on customer experiences and serve as timeless town centers. His newest addition is a Forbes 5 Star resort, Rosewood Miramar Beach, in Montecito, California. As cited by Green Street Advisors, Caruso properties consistently outperform traditional shopping destinations and sales per square foot, with results three times the industry average.
He served three mayors as the youngest Commissioner in the city's history when Mayor Tom Bradley appointed him for the L.A. Department of Water and Power. Mayor Hahn selected Caruso as President of the L.A. Police Commission where he led the effort to overhaul the Los Angeles Police Department and recruited William Bratton as Chief of Police. Together, they reduced the city's crime rate to the lowest levels in 50 years.
He and his wife, Tina, founded the Caruso Family Foundation, dedicated to supporting organizations that improve the lives of at-risk children in need of healthcare and education.
Caruso, a long-serving member of the USC community, endowed the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology at the Keck School of Medicine and the USC Caruso Catholic Center.
Caruso was asked to serve as Chair of the University Southern California's Board of Trustees. As Chair, he oversaw transformational reforms to the university's culture and the Board's governance model to ensure accountability and oversight.
In the aftermath of the recent fires in Los Angeles, he and Tina gave a $5 million lead gift to raise $20 million for critical resources for Los Angeles Fire Department. This $20 million goal was met in 6 days. Following this, Caruso founded and launched Steadfast LA, a civic nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the rebuilding of Los Angeles.
Richard Christiansen is a gardener, traveler and world-builder. Originally from rural Australia, Christansen moved to the United States and founded Chandelier Creative agency in 2005. Leading teams in New York, Los Angeles, and Paris, he worked on strategy, creative direction and campaign ideation for Hermes, Cartier, Lane Crawford, Calvin Klein, Madewell, Nike, and many others.
In 2020, in an effort to assist the farmers who were struggling in the Los Angeles area as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Richard launched Flamingo Estate with a CSA program. What began as selling produce boxes has grown into a self care brand that champions botanical wellness and pleasure from Mother Nature.
He believes in the power of green thumbs and middle fingers and has devoted himself to connecting and supporting the best regenerative farmers and growers in America, to harvest the best ingredients. Flamingo Estate is now a collection of over 150 products working with a network of over 125 Regenerative farms.
Christiansen is a proud supporter of The Jane Goodall Institute. He lives in Los Angeles with Harvey, his dogs, chickens, goats, and bees.
Lena Imamura is an artist, systems builder, and creative alchemist based in New York City. She shapes energy into form through light, technology, and creative infrastructure.
From early work in artist collectives and cultural institutions to founding Acountess (financial management for artists) and co-founding GLO Studio (a pioneering custom neon company), Lena has spent her life building containers where creative ideas become reality. Today, she serves as the artist behind GLO Studio, a partner at Metalabel (a new platform for collective creative release), and co-founder of GLO Modern (an experimental gallery-store for art and design). Across all her ventures, she is focused on growing systems and spaces that help artists — including herself — thrive.
Dr. Karin Kimbrough is the Chief Economist for LinkedIn where she leads a team devoted to surfacing thought leadership on the world of work. Prior to joining LinkedIn in 2020, she served as the Assistant Treasurer for Google and the Head of Macroeconomic Policy at Bank of America. In addition, Kimbrough worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in the Markets Group for nearly a decade and as an Economist and FX Strategist at Morgan Stanley in London and NY. She serves on the board of directors for Fannie Mae, the National Bureau of Economic Research, and the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She holds a Bachelor’s from Stanford University, a Master’s from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Oxford.
Kelly Loeffler, the 28th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, is an entrepreneur, executive, philanthropist, and former U.S. Senator from Georgia who has dedicated her three-decade career to growing businesses and advancing economic opportunity for all.
A self-made businesswoman, Loeffler rose from modest beginnings. She grew up in rural Illinois working on her family’s farm, attending public school, and waitressing - becoming the first in her family to graduate college. She was recruited into the automotive industry and later earned her MBA.
She then built a 25-year career in financial services and technology, including as SVP of Investor Relations, Chief Communications Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer at Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE). As a member of the executive leadership team at ICE, Loeffler contributed to more than a dozen transactions including the company’s acquisition of the NYSE - helping grow the business from a small startup with less than 100 employees to a Fortune 500 company.
In 2018, she was the founding CEO and first employee of Bakkt (NYSE:BKKT), a fintech startup formed to bring institutional infrastructure to the crypto asset class.
Loeffler was appointed to serve in the U.S. Senate in 2020, where she brought her private-sector experience to Washington. She championed conservative values, advocated for small businesses, and passed legislation to strengthen healthcare, veterans’ services, and economic growth. A decade-long WNBA team owner, she was the first U.S. Senator to introduce a bill to protect girls’ sports.
After her Senate service, Loeffler founded Greater Georgia Action, an election integrity advocacy and voter outreach nonprofit. She also founded RallyRight, a conservative tech startup – while serving on several corporate and philanthropic boards.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois College of Commerce, an MBA from DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, and is the only CFA® charterholder to ever serve in Congress. A lifelong Catholic, she is also a tireless advocate for President Trump’s America First agenda and strongly supports the pro-growth policies that enable the American Dream.
Julia Boorstin is CNBC's Senior Media & Tech Correspondent based at the network's Los Angeles Bureau. She is also a contributor to CNBC's "TechCheck" franchise. Boorstin covers media and tech with a focus on their intersection and technological innovation, and delivers reporting, analysis, and interviews for the network. Previously, she was part of the ensemble for CNBC's daily program, "TechCheck," that ran from April 2021 to February 2023. She joined CNBC in May 2006 as a general assignment reporter and in 2007 moved to Los Angeles to cover media.
She is the author of the bestseller, "WHEN WOMEN LEAD: What they achieve, Why they succeed, and How we can learn from them," a book about female leaders that was published by Simon & Schuster's Avid Reader Press in October 2022.
In 2013, Boorstin created and launched the CNBC Disruptor 50, an annual list she oversees, highlighting the private companies transforming the economy and challenging companies in established industries. Additionally, she reported a documentary on the future of television for the network, "Stay Tuned…The Future of TV." She also helped launch CNBC's 'Closing the Gap' initiative covering the people and companies closing gender gaps, and leads CNBC's coverage of studies on this topic.
Boorstin joined CNBC from Fortune magazine where she was a business writer and reporter since 2000. During that time, she was also a contributor to "Street Life," a live market wrap-up segment on CNN Headline News. In 2003, 2004 and 2006, The Journalist and Financial Reporting newsletter named Boorstin to the "TJFR 30 under 30" list of the most promising business journalists under 30 years old. She has also worked as an intern for the State Department's delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and for Vice President Gore's domestic policy office.
She graduated with honors from Princeton University with a B.A. in history. She was also an editor of The Daily Princetonian.
Contessa Brewer is a correspondent and substitute anchor for CNBC appearing throughout Business Day as well as the network’s 7pm ET newscast “The News with Shepard Smith.” She covers major news stories for CNBC including presidential elections, hurricanes, the coronavirus pandemic and trade wars. Her specialty coverage areas are casinos, the gaming industry and the insurance industry. Brewer joined the network in 2017 and is based at CNBC Global Headquarters.
A National Emmy-Award winning journalist, Brewer is known for her marathon on-air coverage of breaking news and big political stories. While an anchor for MSNBC, she hosted daily news programs and the long-running, primetime series “Caught on Camera.” As a correspondent, Brewer has contributed reports to CBS News, CBSN, WNBC, NBC News and MSNBC, where she covered a wide range of stories including presidential elections, debt ceilings, government shutdowns, natural disasters, terror attacks and celebrity news. She began her career in Reno, NV followed by Palm Springs, CA and Milwaukee, WI.
Brewer is a Remembrance Scholar and magna cum laude graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication and Honors Program. She’s narrated several audiobooks and resides in New York with her husband, twin sons and a dappled dachshund.
Courtney Reagan is CNBC’s Senior Retail Reporter. In 2011, Reagan was named general assignment reporter for CNBC’s Business Day programming.
As part of her coverage of the retail sector, Reagan has interviewed the CEOs of Walmart, Target, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Home Depot, Gap Inc, Burberry, eBay, JCPenney and many others. In addition to her coverage of the retail business spanning everything from traditional stores to e-commerce distribution centers, Reagan also contributes to market coverage at New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq Marketsite and New York Mercantile Exchange. She has interviewed celebrities including Martha Stewart, Reba McEntire, Kris Jenner and daughters Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian and covered the 2008 financial crisis, hurricanes Irene, Sandy and Michael, and other national general assignment stories.
Previously, Reagan anchored the daily business headline reports for CNBC, the NBC affiliate stations, MSNBC and CNBC world. She has appeared on NBC’s “TODAY Show” and “Nightly News” in various capacities. Reagan also worked on CNBC’s planning team and was a segment producer for CNBC’s former Primetime show, “On the Money,” where she pitched, wrote and produced feature and news stories and packages for the program. Reagan began her career at CNBC in 2006 as a newsdesk producer.
Prior to CNBC, Reagan participated in the NBC Page program, where she held positions at “Dateline NBC” and “Weekend Today,” and also worked in guest relations for the network. Reagan also held positions at ESPN Networks and Merrill Lynch.
Reagan received the National Retail Federation’s Influencer Award on “The List of People Shaping Retail’s Future 2016.”
She holds bachelor’s degrees in finance and mass communication from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Reagan graduated with distinction from NYU’s Stern School of Business with a MBA with specializations in economics, luxury marketing and entertainment/media/technology. She was her class recipient of the “Excellence in Economics” for academic achievement in economics while at NYU.
Reagan is a member of the American Cancer Society Team DetermiNation Marathon Team 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019.
Kate Rogers joined CNBC in September 2014 as a reporter based at the network's Global Headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Rogers covers small business and entrepreneurship for the network appearing on CNBC's Business Day programming and providing daily stories and videos to CNBC.com. She will also contribute to the network's overall markets coverage.
Previously, Rogers was a personal finance and small business reporter for FOX Business and FOXBusiness.com. While there, she reported across FBN's and FOX News' daily programming. She also created and hosted a web series on entrepreneurship and startups called "Growing Your Business" for FOXBusiness.com.
Prior to FBN, Rogers was a reporter at the Nonprofit Times covering the business aspect of nonprofit management, and was an editor at the Union County Local Source.
Rogers holds a bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in Journalism and a minor in Women's Studies from the University of Delaware.
Mark Barnett is the global head of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) at Mastercard, and a member of the company’s Management Committee. He oversees all SME products and solutions, including card and acceptance products, along with an extensive suite of data, cyber, and embedded software solutions - each designed to help business owners run, grow, and protect their operations.
In this key global role, Mark is responsible for enabling small and medium businesses to thrive through trusted partnerships, seamless technology, and innovative services. Mark leads a business committed to doing well by doing good, and is focused on bringing more small businesses into the digital economy by expanding access to seamless payment experiences – powering global economies.
Prior to this role, Mark was president of Mastercard Europe, where he was responsible for driving a digital first-agenda. He led the company's significant, profitable market share growth across a region that spans 43 countries, 550+ million consumers speaking ~39 languages and is driving 73+ billion purchase transactions through partnerships with retailers, financial institutions, and businesses.
Mark joined Mastercard in 2003 and has held various leadership roles, including leading Global Consulting Services and serving as president of the Mastercard U.K., Ireland, Nordics and Baltics Division.
Mark has over 25 years of experience in the retail banking and payments industry. Most of his client work has been at board level - developing payments strategy, designing product innovations, advising card schemes and processors, supporting government payment initiatives, and implementing major transformation programs.
Mark has an Master of Business Administration from Imperial College Business School at University of London, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics, also from London University.
Jen Rogers is an award-winning financial reporter and anchor. Most recently, she was the host of The Final Round, Yahoo! Finance’s live daily close-of-market show and Time for Change, its program focused on issues of diversity and social justice in the business world.
Before joining Yahoo! Finance, Jen spent more than a decade in television -- at CNN, MSNBC, and Reuters. She has had a front row seat for the biggest tech and finance stories of our time and has interviewed a who’s who of business leaders, including Warren Buffett and Elon Musk.
Jen is a runner, a reader, and a cancer survivor. She co-founded Comedy vs Cancer, an annual event which raises money for cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she also serves on the Patient and Family Advisory Council.
AGENDA
*Agenda subject to change
2:00pm ET
Welcome
2:05pm
Small Business: Economic Snapshot
Small businesses continue to be weighed down by a shrinking labor force, unrelenting wage pressures, and unavoidable price hikes. Expert insights from LinkedIn Chief Economist Karin Kimbrough on current inflation and labor trends, AI’s impact on work, and tips to navigate today’s challenging landscape.
For many entrepreneurs, growing a customer base is a never-ending challenge, especially on social media when it feels like most of the time you are fighting algorithms for eyeballs. So, what’s the secret to turning your passion into a fulfilling and profitable business? Lena Imamura, owner of a neon light business, shares strategies that have been key to her success, while also struggling with crushing rent, recruiting talent and material costs.
Lena Imamura, GLO Studio Co-Founder Interviewer: Courtney Reagan, CNBC Senior Retail Reporter
2:25pm
The Persuasive Power of Words
The right language can directly influence how your current and future customers think and act. A professor at one of the country’s leading business schools will offer tips on how to communicate more effectively and to persuade people to buy what you’re selling.
Jonah Berger, Wharton School Professor Interviewer: Kate Rogers, CNBC Restaurant & Small Business Correspondent
2:35pm
Flamingo Estate: From Hobby to A-List Brand
Every business owner dreams of creating a lasting brand, but only a handful succeed. Enter Flamingo Estate Founder Richard Christiansen, who went from pandemic vegetable farmer to one of the most sought-after luxury produce, fragrance, and seasonal pantry goods suppliers around. Heirloom tomato candles and LeBron James honey, anyone? From regenerative farm partnerships to retail pop-ups and celebrity collaborations, learn how to go from grassroots to multi-million-dollar business in record time.
Richard Christiansen, Flamingo Estate Founder Interviewer: Julia Boorstin, CNBC Senior Media & Tech Correspondent
2:50pm
Built to Last: Small Business Resilience in a Rapidly Changing World
Sponsored and programmed by: Mastercard
In an increasingly competitive marketplace with shifting consumer behaviors and digital acceleration, small businesses stand at a critical crossroads. The heartbeat of local economies and the engine of global innovation—they also face disproportionate challenges in times of change and transformation. But with change comes opportunity. This session will help business owners understand how to go beyond the status quo and offer insights and guidance to move forward with confidence, stability, and security.
Mark Barnett, Mastercard Global Head of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Interviewer:Jen Rogers, CNBC Events Contributor
3:00pm
Recovery and Rebuilding After the LA Wildfires
The 2025 Los Angeles wildfires have resulted in $250 billion in economic, property and employment losses, and nearly 45 percent of commercial buildings destroyed. Two local business owners impacted by this historic disaster share their frustrating road to recovery as they navigate revenue losses, financial aid and insurance red tape. And we’ll get an update from a leading developer working to fast-track the rebuilding process for disaster survivors.
Whether it is recovering from natural disasters, expanding your company or securing a loan, small business owners do not have to face challenges alone. U.S. Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler shares new initiatives and policies aimed at supporting Main Street economies and job creators to start, grow and succeed.
Kelly Loeffler, U.S. Small Business Administration 28th Administrator Interviewer:Kate Rogers, CNBC Restaurant & Small Business Correspondent
3:25pm
Event Concludes
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Sponsor
Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re building a resilient economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.
