ANCHORAGE, Alaska – On Aug. 26 and 27, White House-appointed Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) traveled to Alaska to meet with businesses benefitting from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing In America agenda, including entrepreneurs from underserved communities.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the United States has experienced a Small Business Boom, with a record 19 million new small business applications since President Biden took office – and this historic small business growth is being powered by women and people of color. Alaska alone has seen over 30,000 new business applications filed since President Biden took office.
Deputy Administrator Syed started his visit at Triverus, LLC, in Palmer. Triverus is Alaska’s 2024 Exporter of the Year and runner-up for the SBA’s Pacific Northwest Region’s Exporter of the Year. This innovative company has also developed cutting-edge technology using Small Business Innovative Research to clean flight decks in support of the U.S. Navy.
He then met with Small Business Development Center leaders to discuss the new Artificial Intelligence Center and how the organization plans to reach even more rural and underserved communities. They also discussed the launch of the State Small Business Credit Initiative Tribal Program consortium with 125 of Alaska’s federally-recognized tribes. This is the largest such consortium in the nation.
Deputy Administrator Syed participated in a discussion with leaders of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation to review the state’s economic outlook, workforce challenges for small businesses and how the organization is working to address those and other issues. This was followed by an Alaska Native Corporation roundtable focusing on government contracting and the ANCs sharing struggles and successes of their communities.
Deputy Administrator Syed concluded the first day by meeting with Mayor Suzanne LaFrance of Anchorage. They reviewed the impact of small business development and the challenges of conducting business operations in Alaska.
On Tuesday, Deputy Administrator Syed and Jackson Brossy, the SBA’s Assistant Administrator for Native American Affairs, participated in a tribal consultation. Discussions centered on proposed HUBZone program updates and implementation of Executive Order 14112 which calls on federal agencies to increase accessibility, equity, flexibility and utility of federal funding and support programs for Tribal Nations.
This was followed by a meeting with the owner of Green Earth Landworks, LLC. This 8(a) business specializes in revegetation and environmental services and is owned by a Hispanic woman who was recognized in 2009 with the Emerging Business Leader award. Deputy Administrator Syed then met with Cook Inlet Lending to learn about the company’s efforts to engage in underserved markets.
The Deputy Administrator’s final stop was a roundtable discussion at UMOJA Coworking Space and Incubator to meet with BIPOC business owners. The entrepreneurs described their personal journeys and shared their thoughts on barriers encountered.
Media interested in scheduling an interview with Deputy Administrator Syed should contact Teddy Lake at Theodora.Lake@sba.gov.
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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.