The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is celebrating small businesses in May with a breakfast and a virtual summit that includes learning sessions. The national summit takes place on May 5 and 6, and local businesses will be featured at a breakfast in Albuquerque on May 8, 2026.

The virtual summit begins online May 5 at 9:00 am MDT with a welcome from national program administrators of the SBA and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network. The 10:15 am session is timely for small businesses looking for a loan. Participants will learn about how the SBA is filling financing gaps through myriad SBA programs that New Mexico businesses can access through local lenders. The session, called Access to Capital, explores the challenges small businesses face when accessing capital and why traditional lending models often fall short. It highlights common barriers such as complex application processes, limited transparency, and misalignment between lender requirements and real-time business needs. Participants gain insight into the funding journey, key gaps in the system, and the impact on business growth. The session also shares practical considerations and emerging approaches—leveraging data, technology, and collaboration—to improve access to funding and create a more responsive, supportive capital ecosystem for small businesses. The nonprofit lenders featured on this website under the Loan tab make it easier to access SBA lending programs through these approaches.

Other virtual sessions outline how to use AI in a business and how to win government contracts. See the full two-day agenda and register here to access the sessions.

The May 8, 2026, breakfast starts at 7:30 am at Sandia Golf Club in Albuquerque. The event features New Mexico small businesses and support organizations that have been voted “best” as Business of the Year in several categories, including women-owned, veteran-owned, rural, entrepreneur, and more. Business support organizations and local lenders will be on hand to receive awards in their own categories. Congratulations to WESST for being selected as New Mexico Micro-Lender of the Year and to B:Side Capital as SBA 504 New Mexico Certified Development Company of the Year. WESST and B:Side Capital are nonprofit lenders that facilitate SBA loans in New Mexico.

The breakfast is co-hosted by the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce. Register for the May 8, 2026, breakfast here.