SBA Administrator receives Small Business Champion Award

Photo: Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman (R) poses with Operation HOPE CEO John Hope Bryant (L)

ATLANTA – SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman accepted the Small Business Champion Award for her leadership and focus on equity.

Release:

On Monday, December 11, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s cabinet for America’s 33 million small businesses, traveled to Atlanta to participate in a fireside chat at the 2023 HOPE Global Forums Annual Meeting with Operation HOPE Chairman and CEO John Hope Bryant.

Administrator Guzman discussed the Biden-Harris Administration’s focus on equity and commitment to powering the American dream through entrepreneurship during the fireside chat. This fiscal year, the SBA delivered $50 billion in capital, disaster relief, and bonding to small businesses and disaster-impacted communities across America. SBA lending to underserved businesses — including those owned by people of color, women, and veterans — has increased under President Biden. In FY23, SBA backed more than 4,700 loans to Black-owned businesses, totaling nearly $1.5 billion.

After the fireside chat, Chairman Bryant presented Administrator Guzman with the Small Business Champion Award for fostering small business growth nationwide.