Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the US Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses, recently announced the selection of 17 new Women’s Business Centers (WBC’s), 13 of which will be hosted by established Minority Serving Institutions (MSI’s) across ten states, including three locations in LA County.
“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, we have seen historic Small Business Boo, with women, especially women of color, filing new business applications at double the rates of men,” said Administrator Guzman. “The SBA’s expanding network of Women’s Business Centers is meeting these new and established businesses where they are with resources to help them get funding to grow, create jobs, and strengthen our economy. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, the Biden-Harris Administration is proud to double down on its commitment to expanding opportunity and leveling the playing field for women and all those who have been underinvested in for too long.’
The SBA’s WBCs offer one-on-one counseling, training, networking, workshops, technical assistance, and mentoring to women entrepreneurs on numerous business development topics including business startups, financial management, marketing, and procurement. Through the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO), THE 17 new WBCs – including 13 hosted by MSI’s – will help diverse entrepreneurs pivot, grow, and navigate SBA resources they can use to ensure their businesses thrive.
“Through WBCs, the SBA provides practi cal help to women working hard to build suc cessful businesses of their own,” said Christina Hale, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Women’s Business Ownership. “\Vomen entrepreneurs are out front leading the way, driving record numbers of small business applications all around the country, and the SBA’s WBCs empower their efforts through training, technical assistance, and access to credit and capital. WBC resources can be game-changing for women just starting or for those scaling up at1d growing their businesses as well.”
America is currently experiencing a histor ic Small Business Boom with more than 16.8 million new business applications filed since President Biden tookoffice. Women are start ing business across industries at higher rates than their male counterparts. SBA loai1s to women-owned businesses are up 70 percent. Total loan dollars to women-owned businesses are up 61 percent, totaling more than $5 bil lion in lending in FY23 alone.
Below is the full list of new WBCs in LA County:
- Pasadena Area Community District (MSI) – Pasadena, CA
- Vermont-Slauson LDC, (MSI,) Los Angeles, CA
- New Economics for Women (MSI,) – Los Angeles, CA
The OWBO mission is to enable and empower women entrepreneurs through advocacy, outreach, education, and support. Since it was established in response to an Executive Order in 1979, OWBO has provided training, counseling, technical assistance, access to credit and capital, as well as marketing opporÂtunities to women.
To learn more about SBA’s programs and services for women entrepreneurs, visit sba.gov/women.
