Striving to Stay Relevant, Small Business Administration Evolves Under New Leader

The setting was rather standard for a Washington event—a large room inside a government building, complete with a stage and an ornate podium along one wall. However, no one stepped on stage. No one spoke at the podium.

Instead of the semi-scripted panel discussions and question-and-answer sessions you might expect here, a dozen business leaders sat facing one another at three long tables, often interrupting one another with new ideas, tangents and critiques. Instead of a Powerpoint presentation on drop-down monitors, a pair of oversized notepads stood on easels in the center of the room.