BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//6.6.4.4//EN TZID:America/New_York X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York BEGIN:VEVENT UID:74@forgeimpact.org DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260422T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260422T130000 DTSTAMP:20260402T201702Z URL:https://forgeimpact.org/events/smart-capital-options-the-right-financi ng-at-every-stage-of-manufacturing/ SUMMARY:Smart Capital Options: The Right Financing at Every Stage of Manufa cturing DESCRIPTION:\n\n\n\nGet the lowdown on nailing the perfect funding moves fo r every step in your manufacturing journey.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout This Event\ n\nEvery manufacturer hits the same wall at some point: you know what you need to build\, buy\, or upgrade\, but figuring out how to finance it with out derailing everything else is another job entirely.\n\nThis webinar cut s through the noise. Whether you are an early-stage hardware startup tryin g to fund your first pilot run or an established manufacturer planning a m ajor automation or Industry 4.0 investment\, the challenge is less about f inding capital and more about finding the right capital at the right time. \n\nWe have brought together lenders\, government financing experts\, and a manufacturer who has been through it to give you a practical\, stage-by- stage look at what is actually available\, what you need to qualify\, and how to layer funding sources without overextending. No single program pitc h. No one-size-fits-all advice. Just a clear framework you can apply to yo ur business the next day.\n\nWho Should Attend\n\nThis session is built fo r founders\, COOs\, operations leaders\, and manufacturing decision-makers at hardware startups and established manufacturers alike. If you are plan ning capital expenditures\, evaluating automation\, or exploring digital t ransformation and want a clearer picture of how to finance it\, this is fo r you. Advisors and ecosystem partners supporting manufacturing companies will find it equally valuable.\n\nWhat You Will Walk Away With\n\n A prac tical framework for matching your funding needs to the right financing too l at the right stage\n Real insight into eligibility\, timelines\, and wh at lenders and program managers look for\n A capital readiness checklist you can put to use right away\n Concrete next steps and real points of co ntact\n\nModerator\n\nMark Michalski Manufacturing Expert in Residence\, F ORGE\n\nPanelists\n\nLisa Gonzales Welch Business Development Specialist\, U.S. Small Business Administration\, MA District Office\n\nLily Fitzgeral d Director\, Center for Advanced Manufacturing\n\nAbby Nguyen-Burke Senior Vice President\, Team Leader\, Equity Alliance for Business\, Eastern Ban k\n\nJoe Hastry Co-Founder\, Finance &\; Ops Leader\, Florrent\n\nAbout the Organizations\n\nFORGE is a nonprofit that helps physical product com panies navigate the journey from prototype to production\, through manufac turing education\, non-dilutive grants\, and connections to a vetted netwo rk of regional suppliers and manufacturers.\n\nThe U.S. Small Business Adm inistration\, MA District Office connects small businesses with government -backed financing including 7(a) loans\, 504 loans\, and microloans for wo rking capital\, equipment\, and facility investments.\n\nNote: SBA’s coo peration does not constitute or imply endorsement of any opinions\, produc ts\, and/or services. All SBA programs are extended to the public on a non -discriminatory basis. Handicapped Accessible.\n\nThe Center for Advanced Manufacturing is a division of MassTech that funds and supports Massachuse tts manufacturers through matching grants\, innovation programs\, and Indu stry 4.0 investments\, with more than $100 million deployed since 2016.\n\ nEastern Bank is the number one SBA lender in Massachusetts\, offering fle xible financing options for businesses that may not qualify through conven tional lending channels\, including through its Equity Alliance for Busine ss program.\n\nFlorrent is a deeptech energy company developing bio-based supercapacitors for power quality and grid reliability applications\, and a firsthand example of a hardware startup navigating the path from pilot to production\n\n\n\n ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://forgeimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/ 03/FORGE_US-SBA-Graphic.jpg CATEGORIES:Online LOCATION:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/smart-capital-options-the-right-finan cing-at-every-stage-of-manufacturing-tickets-1985212710658 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR