ORANGE COUNTY – On Thursday, Aug. 8, 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 34 million small businesses, traveled to Irvine, California to deliver remarks at the final White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) Economic Summit alongside U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
Administrator Guzman and Ambassador Tai began their day together at the WHIAANHPI Economic Summit where they participated in a fireside chat moderated by Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior AANHPI Liaison at the White House.
To open the discussion, Administrator Guzman offered reflections on the one-year anniversary of the deadly Maui wildfires and shared updates on the continued response and recovery efforts by the Biden-Harris Administration. Administrator Guzman also reflected on SBA’s broader role in uplifting the economic futures of the AANHPI community through the power of entrepreneurship, highlighting the progress the SBA has made – including the marked increase in SBA-backed loans to AANHPI entrepreneurs.
After the summit, Administrator Guzman and Ambassador Tai visited Mercado González Northgate Market, a newly opened Mexican food hall with over 20 food stalls and vendors. Administrator Guzman and Ambassador Tai met with store leadership and sampled a variety of products, learning more about their pathway to early success in the Costa Mesa community.
For follow up interviews with Administrator Guzman, please reach out to Teddy Lake at theodora.lake@sba.gov.