AEO is a national membership organization and voice of microenterprise development in the United States. For nearly two decades, AEO and its hundreds of member organizations have helped more than two million entrepreneurs support themselves and their families and contribute to their communities through business ownership.

AEO strives to increase capacity of the field to support underserved entrepreneurs in starting, stabilizing and establishing businesses and to foster greater understanding of the importance of strong and effective microenterprise initiatives to the U.S. economy.  AEO represents the public policy interests of its members and, through its growing network of partners, facilitates interactions among small entrepreneurs and the organizations that seek to help them succeed.