6:00 - 7:30
Local business journalists discuss their raw and real takes on the current state of entrepreneurship in San Francisco based on their original reporting.
Moderated by Owen Thomas (San Francisco Business Times) and in celebration of San Francisco Small Business Week 2025, this panel discusses the good, the bad and the ugly of starting and running a small business in our City by the Bay. Moving beyond reporting break-ins and lauding the opening of new spots, panelists Megan Rose Dickey (Gazetteer SF), Dianne de Guzman (Eater), Kevin Nguyen (San Francisco Standard) and Chase DiFeliciantonio (San Francisco Chronicle) share compelling stories that illustrate trends driving small business success and failure. Where individual entrepreneurs are limited to their own experiences and those of the peers in their network, this panel of journalists presents a full picture of the scene while interrogating the bureaucratic mechanisms and negative media coverage that drag down small business owners. Behind the byline we get to know our local journalists and their unique expertise on the topic of small business opportunity.
Presented in partnership by the library's Small Business Center and Magazines and Newspapers Center.
Owen Thomas is the Managing Editor of the San Francisco Business Times. With years of experience covering Bay Area business trends, including five years as Business Editor at the San Francisco Chronicle, Thomas brings expertise in the challenges and opportunities facing local entrepreneurs.
Megan Rose Dickey covers business and technology in San Francisco for Gazetteer SF. Previously, she wrote the Axios SF daily newsletter and has covered the tech industry for TechCrunch, Protocol and Business Insider.
Dianne de Guzman is the Regional Editor for Eater, covering the restaurant, bar and pop-up scene in the San Francisco Bay Area, Portland, Seattle and Denver. An award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience, she has worked as the Food + Drink editor at SFGATE, a public safety reporter for the Vallejo Times-Herald and a contributor to SFist. A Bay Area native, she is a UC Berkeley graduate with a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from USC.
Kevin Nguyen is a Business Reporter at The Standard. He previously covered commercial real estate and sports business for the American City Business Journals. He’s also written for the Sacramento Bee, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Guardian US.
Chase DiFeliciantonio covers technology and the impact of AI on San Francisco and the region for the San Francisco Chronicle. A fifth-generation San Franciscan, he has also reported on business, labor and the city's economic recovery post-pandemic. Before joining the Chronicle in 2020, he covered legal and business news at the North Bay Business Journal and the Daily Journal.
San Francisco Small Business Week was started in 2004 by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. Running from May 5-9, 2025, the weeklong celebration shines a spotlight on the heartbeat of our city – its small businesses. With a variety of exciting events, workshops and networking opportunities, it's a chance for local entrepreneurs to connect, learn and thrive. The 21st annual event is hosted by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and the San Francisco Public Library is proud to partner for another successful year of learning and networking between small business owners, employees and customers alike.
Connect
Owen Thomas – San Francisco Business Times | Owen Thomas - LinkedIn | Owen Thomas – Muck Rack
Megan Rose Dickey – Gazetteer SF | Megan Rose Dickey – LinkedIn | Megan Rose Dickey – Muck Rack
Dianne de Guzman – Eater | Dianne de Guzman – LinkedIn | Dianne de Guzman – Muck Rack
Kevin V. Nguyen – SF Standard | Kevin V. Nguyen – LinkedIn | Kevin V. Nguyen – Muck Rack
Chase DiFeliciantonio – SF Chronicle | Chase DiFeliciantonio – LinkedIn | Chase DiFeliciantonio – Muck Rack