Doing Business With the Government

Join us for a panel style discussion where we ask representatives from different areas to explain what is a government contract, how businesses can apply for those contracts, and why should a small business owner consider doing business with the government.

Jutta Bangs is the East TN counselor with the APEX Accelerator at the University of Tennessee. APEX provides no cost technical assistance (counseling and training) through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense. APEX focuses on providing information about local, state, and federal contracting opportunities.

Karen Binkley is the Small Business Liaison for the University of Tennessee System Office of Procurement Services. She leads the university’s three-pronged supplier diversity program through outreach initiatives for vendors, in-reach efforts with university employees, and lateral reach (partnerships) with agencies throughout the southeast.

Pamela Cotham manages the City of Knoxville’s Small Business and Diversity Outreach Office working with internal and external stakeholders to increase the utilization of diverse businesses in city procurements. This is accomplished by means of advocacy and connecting the DBE community through training, outreach, resource and bid opportunities.