On Tues., February 18, 2020, the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council will host
an Opportunity & Entrepreneurship Summit in Fort Myers, Florida.
On behalf of Ashley D. Bell, White House Policy Advisor for Entrepreneurship and Innovation,
you are invited to join us. The summit will bring together civic leaders, community stakeholders
and entrepreneurs to discuss best practices for revitalization, Opportunity Zone investments,
and collaboration at all levels of government and business.
Mr. Bell will highlight and share success stories from communities around the country and
answer questions related to the continued streamlining, coordinating, and targeting of existing
Federal programs toward Opportunity Zones and benefits for small businesses, among other
topics.
For more detail and to confirm your participation, please register here (Eventbrite) as soon as
possible. Registration is required for attendance and this invitation is non-transferable.
Fort Myers Opportunity & Entrepreneurship Summit• Date: Tues, February 18, 2020
• Time: 9:00 a.m. – Noon (Registration 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.)
• Address: Hodges University, 4501 Colonial Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33966
Free to attend, but registration is required to enter the event! Confirm your
attendance today on Eventbrite.
*This event is closed to members of the press.
Background Information
In 2017, President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which established Opportunity
Zones to incentivize long-term investments in low-income communities across the country.
These incentives offer capital gains tax relief to investors for new investment in designated
Opportunity Zones. Opportunity Zones are anticipated to spur $100 billion in private capital
investment. Qualified Opportunity Zones retain this designation for 10 years.
In December 2018, President Trump signed Executive Order 13853, which established the
White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. The Council is chaired by Ben Carson,
Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and tasked with leading
joint efforts between agencies and executive departments to engage with state, local, and tribal
governments to find ways to better use public funds to revitalize urban and economically
distressed communities.
n April 2019, the White House hosted more than 170 municipal and county officials for an
Opportunity Zone Conference, which included briefings and discussion on regulatory and
implementation developments, best practices, and successes. For more information on
Opportunity Zones, visit OpportunityZones.gov.
