AEO and Main Street Alliance Forge Strategic Partnership to Strengthen America’s Small Business Ecosystem

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2025

CONTACT
press@mainstreetalliance.org

Washington, D.C. — October 16, 2025— Two of the nation’s leading champions for small business, the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) and the Main Street Alliance (MSA), have announced a landmark partnership designed to transform how small business support systems collaborate across the country.

Through a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), AEO and Main Street Alliance are joining forces to deepen their collective impact—connecting advocacy, research, and community engagement to build more resilient and inclusive local economies.

For decades, both organizations have worked on parallel paths toward a shared goal: ensuring that every entrepreneur—regardless of background, geography, or industry—can start, grow, and sustain a thriving business. This new partnership cements that shared commitment and sets the stage for a coordinated national effort to strengthen the infrastructure that powers Main Street.

“This partnership marks a new chapter in the movement to advance economic opportunity through entrepreneurship,” said Natalie Madeira Cofield, President and CEO of AEO. “Main Street Alliance has been a powerful advocate for small business owners and local economies. Together, we will expand the reach of our work, amplify the voices of entrepreneurs, and ensure the policies and systems that shape their success are equitable and effective.”

Under the agreement, AEO and Main Street Alliance will collaborate on a range of initiatives that include policy research, ecosystem-building events, joint convenings, and

targeted advocacy campaigns. The partnership also aims to expand access to capital, strengthen technical assistance networks, and advance data-driven insights to inform policy decisions at every level of government.

“Our mission has always been to ensure that the voices of small business owners are heard where it matters most—in the halls of power and within their own communities,” said Richard Trent, Executive Director of Main Street Alliance. “By partnering with AEO, we’re not only aligning our efforts but amplifying them. This collaboration gives us the scale, depth, and reach to drive meaningful, lasting impact for the entrepreneurs who form the backbone of our economy.”

The partnership underscores a growing recognition that the future of American small business depends on collective action. By bridging the gap between on-the-ground advocacy and national systems change, AEO and Main Street Alliance are building a blueprint for how collaboration can fuel innovation, sustainability, and equity in the small business ecosystem.

Together, the two organizations plan to host a series of regional convenings, publish joint reports highlighting the state of small business in America, and coordinate advocacy efforts focused on strengthening access to capital, workforce development, and equitable policy reform.

About the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO)

The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) is the national voice for microbusiness and small enterprise development in the United States. For more than 30 years, AEO has led efforts to empower entrepreneurs through research, advocacy, partnerships, and systems of innovation that expand access to capital and opportunity.

About Main Street Alliance (MSA)

Main Street Alliance is a national network of small business owners working to build a powerful, collective voice for Main Street. MSA engages entrepreneurs across the country to advocate policies and practices that support equitable economic growth, fair competition, and thriving local communities.

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