The Board is embarking on an outreach and engagement effort to strengthen the program – Townhall planned for Fall 2022
WASHINGTON – Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration and the voice for America's 33 million small businesses in President Biden's Cabinet, announces the selection of new advisory board leadership to the Small Business Develop Centers (SBDC), a national network of nearly 1,000 small business resource partners, nationwide, that serves an essential role in the development of local and rural-based small businesses and startups by providing training and advice to entrepreneurs – a priority of the Biden-Harris Administration.
"SBA's Small Business Development Centers drive economic growth and open doors of opportunity in communities across America, especially in support of those small businesses hardest hit by the pandemic and growing climate disasters," said Administrator Guzman. "With equity as our North Star, I look forward to working with the board and the entire SBDC network overall to strengthen inclusive small business support networks and to advance entrepreneurship, especially with rural businesses and people of color in our underserved communities."
The Board elected Lea Márquez Peterson as the new Board Chair, and Kristin Bailey will serve as Vice Board Chair.
"The Board of Advisors have demonstrated their service to small business owners and Small Business Development Centers," said SBA Associate Administrator of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development Mark Madrid . "I am energized to work with the National SBDC Advisory Board in positioning our small business owners to thrive."
SBA Associate Administrator of the Office of Small Business Development Centers Bruce Purdy said, "We are excited and pleased to work with our National Small Business Development Center Advisory Board. We encourage Small Business Development Centers to consult with them as they each have extensive business, community engagement, and leadership experience to help guide the SBDC program in expanding outreach to small businesses."
The National SBDC Advisory Board is appointed to advise, counsel, and confer with the Associate Administrator of the Office of Small Business Development Centers in carrying out the SBDC program under Section 21 of the Small Business Act.
The Board consists of nine members serving in a representative capacity. Each member is appointed by the SBA Administrator and must be either a small business owner from academia or familiar and empathetic with small business challenges and opportunities. Members of the Board are appointed for terms of three years and elect the Chairperson.
National Small Business Development Center Advisory Board
Adjoa Asamoah, Founder, and CEO, ABA Consulting LLC
Karen Barbour, President , The Barbour Group, LLC
Kristen Bailey, Co-Founder & CEO of Sweets & Meats BBQ
Louis Foreman, Founder and Chief Executive of Enventys
Dr. Joseph Guzman, Director of the Economic Policy Institute
Benjamin Kwitek, President and CEO of InterForm, Inc.
Ms. Cabrera Morris, Founder of BCM Consulting
Lea Márquez Peterson, Member, Arizona Corporation Commission
Senator Bruce Thompson, Georgia State Senator
For more information on the Advisory Board members, please go to SBDC Advisory Board Member Profiles (sba.gov).
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. 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.
About the Small Business Development Center Program
The SBA's SBDC program is a cooperative effort of the private sector, the educational community, and federal, state, and local governments to deliver counseling, training, and technical assistance in all aspects of small business management through its nearly 1000 centers nationwide. SBDCs play an essential role in the economic development of their state and local communities through direct, face-to-face counseling of small businesses and innovative training programs. SBDCs' impact on small business access to SBA's programs and services include Access to Capital, Government Contracting and Business Development, Procurement, Disaster Assistance, Small Business Innovative Research and Technical Training and International Trade Programs.