BALTIMORE, MD – On Tuesday, April 19, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice for America’s 32.5 million small businesses in President Biden’s Cabinet, joined U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, in Baltimore, MD, to highlight the positive impact the SBA’s Community Navigators Pilot Program, an initiative of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, has had for the Baltimore metro area’s smallest and most underserved businesses.
“Our SBA Community Navigators are building bridges to underserved communities so more American entrepreneurs can successfully start and grow their businesses. I was honored to join Chairman Cardin to hear directly from Baltimore small businesses benefiting from the SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program,” said Administrator Guzman. “For our nation’s small businesses, connections are key - and our local spoke, the Greater Baltimore Urban League, is working to connect with area businesses which have historically been left behind or left out of recent COVID relief. With their cultural competencies and trust in their communities, our Navigators are building networks and filling knowledge gaps to break down barriers to SBA resources.”
Administrator Guzman and Sen. Cardin were joined by the Greater Baltimore Urban League, a “spoke” of Community Navigator Pilot Program grantee the National Urban League. The Community Navigator Pilot Program is an initiative that was born out of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and is designed to reduce barriers faced by small businesses and underserved entrepreneurs when attempting to access programs needed to recover and thrive. The program provides $100 million in funding to grantee organizations like the National Urban League to work with community groups (spokes) to improve access to government resources.
“The Community Navigator Pilot Program has now been in operation for nearly six months, and it is clear from today’s listening session that it is off to a great start and that the services are in demand,” said Sen. Cardin. “I was proud to welcome Administrator Guzman back to Baltimore this morning to highlight this vital program and hear from entrepreneurs about how this program has helped them.”
“Our nation is in the midst of a historic surge in new business formation being led by minority and women entrepreneurs,” continued Sen. Cardin. “We must maximize this opportunity by connecting entrepreneurs at all stages of the business development cycle with the resources they need to thrive, and that is exactly what this pilot program does.”
Abrams, Foster, Nole & Williams, P.A., a local Baltimore accounting firm, hosted the visit. It was a fitting day to convene at this small business – the day after Tax Day. For their visit, Administrator Guzman and Sen. Cardin joined a roundtable discussion with local business owners, including owners of a hair salon, a sports bar, and an indoor cycling studio. Mark Madrid, Administrator for the SBA’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development (OED), moderated the roundtable.
“Our visit to Baltimore today made clear the tremendous impact that the Greater Baltimore Urban League is having in Maryland, which is further catalyzed by the Community Navigator Pilot Program,” said Associate Administrator Mark Madrid. “It is clear how Navigators like the Greater Baltimore Urban League serve as a trust builder that truly connects with those Baltimore small business owners who need us the most right now.”
During the roundtable discussion, Administrator Guzman also highlighted significant policy achievements made by the Biden-Harris Administration in its first year, including the American Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Thanks in large part to these programs and more, entrepreneurship has rebounded, and American small businesses will soon have access to new contracting opportunities to help rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, move goods faster to market, and strengthen our supply chains.
This visit marks the Administrator’s fourth official visit to Baltimore, MD.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.