GRAND RAPIDS, Feb. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yesterday, 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, joined Congresswoman Hillary Scholten and Vice President Kamala Harris for events in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration’s Black Small Business Boom.

In the morning, Administrator Guzman and Congresswoman Scholten visited The Beastro: Fresh Canine Cuisine, a local Black woman-owned business that provides healthy, custom-curated meals for dogs. At The Beastro, the leaders met with owner and founder Jessica Ann Tyson to discuss her unique business journey and the Black Business Boom under the Biden-Harris Administration.

Administrator Guzman then traveled to Della Soul Records, a Black woman-owned record and cultural gift store in Grand Rapids. After touring the shop with business owner Della Marie Levi, Administrator Guzman was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris who stopped by to discuss how Black business ownership is growing at its fastest rate in more than three decades under the Biden-Harris Administration, with the rate of Black households that own a business having more than doubled. They also discussed continued efforts in the Biden-Harris Administration to build upon this progress and support Black entrepreneurship as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.

For follow-up interview requests for Administrator Guzman, please contact Teddy Lake at Theodora.Lake@sba.gov.  
Event photos available upon request to 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