HAWAII – On Tuesday, August 22, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and voice for America’s 33 million small businesses in President Biden’s Cabinet, visited Hawaii on a multi-day trip that included joint meetings with Senator Mazie Hirono. Joining the Administrator were SBA Pacific Regional Administrator Elmy Bermejo, SBA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Native American Affairs Jackson Brossy, and leadership from the SBA’s Hawaii District Office.
Administrator Guzman began her visit to Hawaii by meeting with four organizations: The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA); Waianae Economic Development Council; INPEACE; Hawaiian Lending & Investments, which provide critical support in helping Native Hawaiians establish and grow small businesses as well as support other areas of economic development. Administrator Guzman and SBA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Native American Affairs Jackson Brossy took the special opportunity to sign the Native Languages Interagency MOA to work together and encourage programs and projects to include instruction and preservation of Native languages, further executing on the Administrator’s goal of threading equity through the SBA’s work. The multi-agencies include the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and additional federal agencies.
On Wednesday, August 24, Administrator Guzman was hosted by Sen. Hirono for a meeting with small business owners, community leaders and entrepreneurs from the Honolulu area.
The officials first meeting was with the Native Hawaiian Organizations Association (NHOA), a trade association established to provide a unified voice for Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs). NHOs provide economic benefits to the State of Hawaii and the Native Hawaiian community by developing job opportunities, building the capacity of innovative industries, and supporting important social and economic programs.
They visited the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership (MCBL), which was established by YWCA Oahu, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and a community of partners to become the only Women’s Business Center (WBC) in Hawaii. WBCs are SBA resource partners designed to assist women in starting and growing small businesses and seek to “level the playing field” for women entrepreneurs who still face unique obstacles in the business world.
Following that visit, Administrator Guzman and Sen. Hirono toured the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HDTC) Entrepreneurs Sandbox, a community center for innovators of all ages. The Entrepreneurs Sandbox encourages creativity, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship and features a collaboration and event area ideal for town hall meetings and community gatherings, digital media studio, coworking space, meeting rooms, and a few small offices.
“Hard work and resilience are deeply ingrained in Hawaiian culture, and the small businesses here have truly demonstrated those qualities as they’ve met challenges, pivoted, innovated, and thrived. Small businesses help fuel our economy and create jobs, and I’m proud to partner with Senator Hirono to work with business owners, resource partners, and local leaders so we can continue to support Native Hawaiian small businesses and women and veteran entrepreneurs and help them access the capital and resources they need to succeed,” said Administrator Guzman.
Afterwards, they visited Iolani Palace, a National Historic landmark and a powerful symbol of Hawaii's past and its future.
Administrator Guzman and Sen. Hirono ended their day with a visit to Roy’s Restaurant in Hawaii Kai, which received more than $15 million in federal relief funding during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to keep approximately 500 employees on payroll.
Administrator Guzman met with Navy leadership to discuss supporting small businesses thru government contracting. President Biden has committed to leveraging the buying power of the federal spend to ensure growth opportunities are equitably available to more of America’s over 33 million small businesses and innovative startups. The Federal Government is the largest consumer of goods and services in the world, spending over 550 billion. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that federal investments build wealth and opportunity for underserved entrepreneurs and small business owners. In FY21, the federal government reached the President’s small, disadvantaged business goal of 11% one year ahead of schedule with $62.4 billion in spending, setting a new governmentwide record for SDB contracting. The meeting with the Navy leadership concluded with a tour of Historical Sites: USS Missouri, USS Arizona, USS Utah; and the Pacific Air Museum.
On Thursday, August 25, Administrator Guzman began her visit to Maui with a meeting with Maui Chamber of Commerce and Mitzi Toro, owner/founder of The Maui Cookie Lady. The Maui Cookie Lady’s baked goods feature an array of locally sourced ingredients and benefited from COVID EIDL and PPP funds to overcome the pandemic’s challenges. Administrator Guzman and the chamber’s leadership discuss how to support small businesses to start and grow their business.
Administrator Guzman met with Hawaii Small Business Person of the Year 2022, Truss Systems Hawaii’s owner Scott Loomer. Truss Systems Hawaii Truss Systems Hawaii has been manufacturing prefabricated walls on Maui for over 20 years. During the pandemic, Scott used a PPP loan and did not lay off any staff. During the construction slowdown, Scott used this time to upgrade equipment and make repairs to the property and equipment.
Administrator Guzman met with SBA Community Navigator Maui Economic Development Board. The goals of the Navigator Hub are to increase communications with Hawaii’s underserved communities and deliver training and counseling to small businesses on SBA services, resources, funding, and education.
Administrator Guzman toured Maui Brewing Company, Hawaii’s largest craft brewery operating 100% in Hawaii, a local small business that started in 2005 as a small seven-barrel brewpub restaurant in Kahana on Maui with the help of SBA financing. Today, it is the largest craft beer producer in the State of Hawaii.
Administrator Guzman finished her tour of Maui by visiting Maui Coffee Roasters, a staple since 1982. Concerned about the environment, Maui Coffee Roasters uses eco-friendly technological advances to roast which eliminates 90% of all emissions, while using 60% less fuel.
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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.