Broadband Breakfast on September 9, 2026: Small Business and Broadband

Small businesses depend on reliable, affordable broadband to reach customers, process payments, hire remotely and compete with far larger rivals. Yet many still contend with slow speeds, spotty service and connectivity costs that strain thin margins, particularly in rural communities and underserved urban neighborhoods. Have federally-funded broadband networks had any impact on turning internet infrastructure into real economic opportunity? This session will examine how availability, adoption and digital skills shape small business growth, and what providers, policymakers and local leaders can do to ensure the smallest enterprises are not left behind.

Panelists

• Tyler Martinez, Director of Litigation, NTUF Taxpayer Defense Center
• Greg Guice, Chief Policy Officer, Vernonburg Group
• Jeran Culina, Senior Manager, Business Leaders United
• Sammy Lowdermilk, CEO, The Enterprise Center
• Deb Socia, President and CEO, The Enterprise Center (Ret.) (Moderator)

Tyler Martinez is Director of Litigation at NTUF's Taxpayer Defense Center. Before joining the Foundation, Tyler practiced strategic litigation against government overreach since 2011. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado Law School, while winning accolades for his advocacy skills and serving as Executive Editor of the Journal on Telecommunications and High Technology Law.

Greg Guice is Chief Policy Officer at Vernonburg Group. Greg has helped clients plan for and obtain access to federal resources to ensure they can serve their communities. For the past 25 years he has worked for the Federal Communications
Commission, in private practice and for a non-profit advocating for helping all people gain access to robust affordable broadband, including rural and tribal telecommunications companies as they pursued changes to federal law and policies to help them bring broadband to their communities. The dominant pursuit of Greg’s career has been closing the digital divide. He firmly believes that in a digital society, no one can be left without access to affordable broadband and the skills needed to secure the economic and educational benefits that access provides. Greg Guice earned his bachelor's degree in political science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his law degree at the George Mason School of Law.

Jeran Culina is the Senior Manager of Business Leaders United (BLU). BLU is a national business network comprised of leaders from small and medium-sized enterprises representing a range of industry sectors who are concerned about our nation’s skills mismatch and promote public investments in skills training and education that prepare America’s workers for jobs in the 21^st Century economy. Jeran manages the implementation of engaging and expanding the BLU network. Before joining National Skills Coalition, Jeran worked as a Senior Policy Associate at Advance CTE, which supports state CTE leaders to advance high-quality and equitable CTE policies, programs and pathways. In this role, she managed two sites under the JP Morgan Chase New Skills ready network grant which supports sites in developing more equitable high quality career pathways for all learners.

Sammy Lowdermilk is President and CEO of The Enterprise Center, a Chattanooga nonprofit that serves as an economic development partner of the City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County, connecting local residents with the skills and technology to succeed in a rapidly changing world. He joined the organization's Tech Goes Home program in 2015, became its program director in 2017, and was named President and CEO in October 2025 after serving as interim leader since January. Under his direction, Tech Goes Home grew from six classes to serving more than 18,000 Tennesseans and delivering 15,000 devices in nearly every county in the state. Before joining TEC, he worked for the Launch TN accelerator in the Upper Cumberland region and served as district director for U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis from 2003 to 2011.

Deb Socia recently retired as the President and CEO of The Enterprise Center, a nonprofit that nurtures innovation in Chattanooga, working to connect people to resources and build an inclusive community. Previously, Deb was the founding Executive Director of Next Century Cities, a nonprofit that supports community leaders as they seek to ensure that all have access to fast, affordable, and reliable Internet. Before that role, Deb was the founding Executive Director of the Tech Goes Home program in Boston, whose mission is to ensure digital equity. Deb’s early career included 32 years as an educator and school administrator.