Square’s Let’s Talk event series unites local merchants to collaborate, connect and strengthen their communities

ago 13, 2013

Square co-founder Jack Dorsey to visit cities across North America

SAN FRANCISCO – August 13, 2013 – In today’s economy small and mobile business owners are innovating and cooperating with each other to succeed. Square, the company making commerce easy for everyone, is launching Let’s Talk, a new North American event series designed to bring business owners together to collaborate, connect and strengthen their communities.

Square hosted Let’s Talk events in San Francisco’s SoMa and Dogpatch neighborhoods as well as in Oakland and Stockton, California earlier this year. The events ignited conversations about the challenges posed by local government, and employee and customer acquisition issues.

Now Square is inviting neighborhood business owners and mobile merchants in St. Louis, Detroit, Toronto, New Orleans, and the Bronx for an in-depth discussion moderated by Square CEO and founder Jack Dorsey.

“Businesses of every size should have the tools and resources to compete on the merit of their work and ideas,” said Square CEO Jack Dorsey. “The growth and success of a community depends upon the people who support it. We’re eager to meet business owners, listen to their stories, introduce them to one another, and unite their neighborhoods.”

Dorsey will kick off the nationwide series by returning to his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri where four featured local merchants will join him in a panel discussion: Sump Coffee, Whisk Bakeshop, Cherokee Street Bikes, and Scarlett Garnet.

Scott Carey, owner of Sump Coffee said, “This city is a place that allows great freedom to create something uniquely local and new. The more business owners realize the benefits of staying local, the more St. Louis City will grow. We’re looking forward to welcoming Jack back to St. Louis for this important conversation.”

Square invites local business owners to attend free Let’s Talk events in the following cities:

St. Louis, MO (August 29)
Detroit, MI (September 17)
Minneapolis, MN (October 3) *
Toronto, CA (October 23)
New Orleans, LA (November 7)
The Bronx, NY (December 17)
*This panel discussion will be moderated by Square CFO Sarah Friar.

For further information on Let’s Talk, to RSVP for an event, and to learn more about local businesses in these areas, click here. Follow the Let’s Talk event series on social media: Facebook, Twitter and #LetsTalk.

Square is making sophisticated, big-business tools simple, easy to use, and available to anyone. Square has enabled millions of businesses around the world to run and grow their business.

About Square, Inc.
Square is making commerce easy for everyone. Starting with a free credit card reader for the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, Square Reader allows anyone to accept credit cards anywhere, anytime, for a low transaction rate of 2.75 percent per swipe, with no hidden fees. Square Register serves as a full point of sale system for businesses to accept payments, manage items, and share menu and location information. Square Wallet, available in the U.S., is the most seamless way to pay, enabling individuals to pay at their favorite local businesses, discover new ones nearby, explore menu listings, and store receipts. Founded in 2009, and headquartered in San Francisco, Square is currently available in the U.S., Canada, and Japan. More information is available at squareup.com.

press@squareup.com