SBA Administrator Participates in Global Entrepreneurship Conference and Engages with Small Businesses in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN- On Monday, July 15 through Tuesday, July 16, 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, traveled to Puerto Rico to participate in the Global Entrepreneurship Conference, visit small business visits, and engage in dialogue about promoting entrepreneurship in Puerto Rico and across the Western Hemisphere.

On Monday, Administrator Guzman participated in a fireside chat at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) with Founder and President Jonathan Ortmans to discuss entrepreneurship in the U.S. and highlight the SBA's efforts to promote Latino small business ownership. Later, the Administrator participated in a small business roundtable hosted by the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce to discuss Puerto Rica's exporting economy. The SBA then signed a strategic alliance memorandum with Hecho en Puerto Rico to collaborate on strengthening Puerto Rican small businesses' access to international trade opportunities.

In the afternoon, Administrator Guzman visited Condado Window, a local small business that manufactures hurricane-resistant doors and windows, to highlight Puerto Rico's small business economy and discuss funding opportunities available under President Biden's Investing in America agenda for manufacturers to lower energy costs and boost productivity. Administrator Guzman then participated in a fireside chat with the Metro Women's Business Center to talk about the growth of women entrepreneurship in Puerto Rico before touring a bazaar of women-owned small businesses alongside San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo.

On Tuesday, July 16, Administrator Guzman delivered a keynote speech at the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) of Puerto Rico's Third Disaster Business Resilience Forum in Carolina, Puerto Rico, to highlight the SBA's disaster preparedness and recovery resources alongside national and local emergency management officials. Afterwards, she toured the Carolina Entrepreneurial Center alongside Carolina Mayor José Carlos Aponte and local officials.

In the afternoon, Administrator Guzman joined the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Startup Nations Ministerial. Hosted by the SBA in partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), the Ministerial brought together government officials from Latin America and the Caribbean responsible for advancing small business, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the nation is experiencing a historic Small Business Boom of over 18.5 million new business applications nationwide - and Latino entrepreneurs are fueling this wave of entrepreneurship. Latino entrepreneurship is at its highest rate in three decades, with one in 10 Latino households now owning a business.

For follow-up interview requests for Administrator Guzman, please contact Rebecca Galanti at [email protected]

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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.

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