Wanna meet your entrepreneur hero? Now's your chance.
In his role at the helm of the mobile-payment company Square, Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey is becoming a champion of small merchants. Over the next four months, Dorsey will visit cities across the U.S. and Canada to lead discussions with local business owners in a series called "Let's Talk." The goal of the series is to get business owners to collaborate locally.
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"The growth and success of a community depends upon the people who support it," Dorsey says in a statement. "We're eager to meet business owners, listen to their stories, introduce them to one another and unite their neighborhoods."
The series kicks off in Dorsey's hometown of St. Louis, Mo. In the first chat, participating local businesses will include Sump Coffee, Whisk Bakeshop, Cherokee Street Bike and Scarlett Garnet. "The more business owners realize the benefits of staying local, the more St. Louis will grow," says Scott Carey, the owner of Sump Coffee, in a statement.
Related: Jack Dorsey on Launching Twitter and His Top Advice for Young Treps
Here is a look at Square's "Let's Talk" lineup. Dorsey will be moderating all events, except the one in Minneapolis, which will be led by Square Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar.
- August 29: St. Louis, Mo.
- September 17: Detroit, Mich.
- October 3: Minneapolis, Minn.
- October 23: Toronto, Canada
- November 7: New Orleans, La.
- December 17: The Bronx, N.Y.
Small-business owners interested in attending one of the free events should register on the Square sign-up page. Check out the video below to get a sense of what the "Let's Talk" events will be like. This is from a previous event held by Square in San Francisco.