WASHINGTON – Last week, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses and innovative startups, traveled to Austin, Texas to participate in the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference. During multiple events, the Administrator discussed how the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda is powering a Small Business Boom that is being led by women and people of color – with 16.5 million new small business applications filed since the President took office.
On Friday, March 8, Administrator Guzman attended Latinx House’s International Women’s Day Charla and Lunch where she participated in a fireside chat with Veronica Garza, Co-founder and President of Siete Foods, and Mónica Ramírez, Co-founder of The Latinx House. During their conversation, Administrator Guzman highlighted the contributions that Latina entrepreneurs make to the economy and the resources that SBA provides to help these entrepreneurs start, grow, and run successful businesses.
Administrator Guzman then traveled to La Startup Casa, a newly established annual gathering hosted by Google and Inicio, that showcases the dynamic Latino startup ecosystem and connects budding entrepreneurs with business leaders and mentors. At La Startup Casa, Administrator Guzman participated in a fireside chat with Lili Ganges, Chief Technology Community Officer at the Kapor Center, where she discussed how the SBA can support startup entrepreneurs with access to capital. Administrator Guzman then led a roundtable with Lisa Cohen Gevelber, Founder of Grow with Google, where she heard directly from six startup founders about their entrepreneurial journeys and how the SBA can help.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, loans to Latino-owned small businesses have doubled since 2020, with the SBA backing a record-breaking $3 billion in loans to Latino-owned businesses in FY23 alone.
On Saturday, March 9, Administrator Guzman visited the Capital Factory, a coworking community and mentorship-based accelerator designed to help startups find their first investors, customers, and employees. Administrator Guzman participated in a roundtable alongside Joseph Kopser, Investor and Special Advisor for Defense Innovation at Capital Factory, and other entrepreneurs who have received assistance from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, or other SBA support systems.
Administrator Guzman concluded her trip with a recording of the Austinpreneur podcast in front of a live audience. The podcast, hosted by Josh Baer, Founder and CEO of Capital Factory, highlights Austin’s small businesses and entrepreneurs.
For follow-up interview requests for Administrator Guzman, please contact Teddy Lake at theodora.lake@sba.gov.
###
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, 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.