WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Today, 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, visited four Black-owned small businesses in Washington, D.C. to highlight how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is delivering for Black entrepreneurs.

Administrator Guzman began her day with visits to Black + Forth and Spice Suite, where she met with business owner Angel Gregario, a Black entrepreneur and community leader. During the tour, the Administrator learned about Gregario’s community-focused approach to business, including her initiatives to provide free classes on an array of topics, including marketing, branding, bookkeeping, and taxes.

Administrator Guzman then traveled to the iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl, a Black-owned business in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s vibrant U Street Corridor. While at Ben’s Chili Bowl, Administrator Guzman met with owner and founder Virginia Ali for a conversation about her family’s entrepreneurial journey as a Black-owned business that began during a turbulent period in American history.

To close out the day, Administrator Guzman visited Here's the Scoop!, a Black woman-owned ice cream and dessert shop located across the street from Howard University. Administrator Guzman toured the shop with business owner Karin Sellers and discussed Sellers’ mission to “bring community together one treat at a time.”

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Black business ownership is growing at its fastest rate in more than three decades, and the rate of Black households that own a business has more than doubled. In the last three years, the SBA has made equity a priority, delivering $1.5 billion in capital to Black entrepreneurs in Fiscal Year 2023 alone – more than double from when President Biden took office.

For follow-up interview requests for Administrator Guzman, please contact Teddy Lake at Theodora.Lake@sba.gov.

Photos available upon request at press_office@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, 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. 

Christine Saah-Nazer
U.S. Small Business Administration
202-756-0304
Christine.saahnazer@sba.gov

Han Nguyen
U.S. Small Business Administration
202-756-0304
han.nguyen@sba.gov