SBA Press Release: RO24-41, SBA Administrator Guzman Participates in Final White House Initiative on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders Economic Summit
August 09 2024 - 5:26PM
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.
Event Photos:
WHIAANHPI Economic Summit Fireside Chat
Image Description: Administrator Guzman (R) joins
Ambassador Tai (C) and Erika Moritsugu (L) for a fireside chat at
the final WHIAANHPI Economic Summit.
Mercado González and Northgate Market Image
Description: Administrator Guzman visits the Mercado González
and Northgate Market.
Christine Saah Nazer
U.S. Small Business Administration
202-756-0304
Christine.SaahNazer@sba.gov