CHICAGO, June 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MEDIA ADVISORY

On Thursday, June 13, 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, will travel to Chicago, Ill. to attend Opportunity Finance Network’s (OFN) Small Business Finance Forum, celebrate Pride Month, and kick off the SBA’s Small Business Boom tour.

In the morning, Administrator Guzman will join OFN President and CEO Harold Pettigrew for a fireside chat at OFN’s Small Business Finance Forum. After their discussion concludes, Administrator Guzman will lead a round table on child care where she will highlight the essential role that small businesses play in the child care ecosystem. The roundtable will be closed to members of the media.

Administrator Guzman will then travel to mHUB hard tech and advanced manufacturing innovation center, where she will meet with members of leadership staff as well as mHUB manufacturers who have used the Innovation Center to grow their business.

Following her visit to mHUB, Administrator Guzman will kick off the SBA’s Small Business Boom tour and celebrate Pride Month by visiting three local, LGBTQI+ owned small businesses. Administrator Guzman’s first stop will be to a local landscaping business. She will then travel to a nearby bakery and cafe which will be celebrating its soft opening with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. Finally, she will visit a lighting manufacturing company where she will highlight how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda has ignited a surge in domestic manufacturing and the integral role these investments play in the Small Business Boom.

The OFN Fireside Chat, mHUB tour, and small business visits are open to members of the media who RSVP to theodora.lake@sba.gov.

Thursday, June 13
OFN Fireside Chat

WHO:                 SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman

OFN President and CEO Harold Pettigrew

WHEN:              9:30 a.m. CT

WHERE:            Chicago, IL. Exact location details sent upon RSVP to theodora.lake@sba.gov 

mHUB Tour

WHO:                 SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman

WHEN:              11:25 a.m. CT

WHERE:            Chicago, IL. Exact location details sent upon RSVP to theodora.lake@sba.gov 

LGBTQI+ Owned Small Business Visit

WHO:                 SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman

WHEN:              1:20 p.m. CT

WHERE:            Chicago, IL. Exact location details sent upon RSVP to theodora.lake@sba.gov

LGBTQI+ Owned Small Business Visit and Ribbon Cutting

WHO:                 SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman

WHEN:              2:10 p.m. CT

WHERE:            Chicago, IL. Exact location details sent upon RSVP to theodora.lake@sba.gov

 LGBTQI+ Owned Small Business Visit

WHO:                 SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman

WHEN:              3:00 p.m. CT

WHERE:            Chicago, IL. Exact location details sent upon RSVP to 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.

Rebecca Galanti
U.S. Small Business Administration
202-756-0304
Rebecca.Galanti@sba.gov