California State Treasurer Fiona Ma will deliver the keynote address at the Inland Prosperity Conference 2026 on August 21 at the Marriott Riverside, bringing high-level state financial policy perspectives to a regional gathering focused on small business capital access and economic development.
Ma’s keynote, titled “Main Street Momentum: How Capital Access Builds Regional Prosperity,” will address the intersection of state-level financial infrastructure and local business growth — a topic with significant implications for fintech companies and traditional lenders serving the small business market.
Capital Access as Economic Policy
The conference, themed “United for Business: Get Ready to Open, Grow and Lead,” arrives at a moment when capital access for small businesses remains a defining challenge across California’s inland regions. While coastal tech hubs attract venture capital and growth equity with relative ease, inland communities often rely on a patchwork of SBA loans, community development financial institutions, and state-sponsored programs to fund business formation and expansion.
As State Treasurer, Ma oversees several programs directly relevant to small business financing, including the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank and various bond financing authorities. Her perspective on how state capital programs can be better deployed at the regional level is expected to be a central theme of the keynote.
The Inland Empire’s Economic Engine
The conference is organized by three institutions with deep roots in regional economic development: the Inland Empire Women’s Business Center, the Coachella Valley Women’s Business Center, and the Randall W. Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship at California State University, San Bernardino.
The Lewis Center has contributed to more than $1 billion in regional economic impact — a figure that underscores the scale of entrepreneurial activity in the Inland Empire, one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States.
“Small business owners across our region are not just opening businesses — they are creating jobs, building wealth, serving families,” said Jackie Scott, Director of the Inland Empire Women’s Business Center. “This conference brings together the resources and expertise they need to scale.”
Sessions Targeting Modern Business Challenges
Beyond the keynote, the conference program includes sessions on several topics at the intersection of technology and business growth. Capital access workshops will address the practical mechanics of securing funding, from loan applications to investor pitches. Sessions on artificial intelligence for business will explore how small enterprises can leverage AI tools for operations, marketing, and decision-making — a topic of growing relevance as AI-powered business tools become more accessible and affordable.
Exit strategy sessions will address business succession and liquidity planning, an increasingly important topic as a generation of baby boomer business owners approaches retirement with significant equity locked in their enterprises.
The speaker lineup includes Sonali Fiske, a TEDx speaker focused on business leadership, and Dr. Christiane Schroeter, a Cal Poly professor and Fulbright scholar whose research spans international business and entrepreneurship.
Regulatory and Policy Implications
Treasurer Ma’s participation signals the state’s recognition that regional economic development requires coordinated capital policy. For fintech companies operating in the small business lending space, the conference offers insight into how state-level regulatory and financial frameworks are evolving to support capital access in underserved markets.
The Inland Empire’s combination of rapid population growth, relatively affordable real estate, and proximity to major logistics infrastructure has made it an attractive market for business formation. However, the region’s financial infrastructure has not always kept pace with its economic growth, creating opportunities for both traditional lenders and fintech platforms to fill capital gaps.
The Inland Prosperity Conference 2026 takes place August 21 at the Marriott Riverside. Registration details are available through the organizing institutions.
