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Isabel Casillas Guzman

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Isabel Casillas Guzman

27th Administrator, US Small Business Administration
Isabel Casillas Guzman

Isabella Casillas Guzman serves as the 27th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and was sworn in on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. Administrator Guzman represents more than 30 million U.S. small businesses and is committed to helping small business owners and entrepreneurs start, grow and be resilient. A lifelong proponent of small businesses, Guzman grew up as the daughter of a small business owner and learned at a young age how important small businesses are to the communities they serve, the people they employ, and the economies they help power. She previously served as Director of the California Office of the Small Business Advocate, a position she held after being appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in April 2019. Guzman administered and advocated for programs and initiatives to help small businesses access capital, markets, and networks for stronger outcomes. She launched new public-private partnerships and collaborated to deliver cutting-edge resources to small businesses, including through initiatives like Get Digital CA to increase technology and e-commerce adoption and Source Diverse Source Local to strengthen supply chain readiness. Her office launched the Entrepreneurship Task Force to serve as a bridge to small businesses and create content and programs to help strengthen the competitiveness of startups and small firms. She has previously served in leadership at the SBA as the agency’s Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor during the Obama-Biden Administration. Administrator Guzman earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.