HOUSTON – On Wednesday, July 31, 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, traveled to Houston to meet with disaster-impacted community members, visit a local small business, and participate in a fireside chat at Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s 60th International Biennial Boule.
In the morning, Administrator Guzman toured an SBA Business Recovery Center (BRC) at the University of Houston-Downtown, which serves Houston business owners who have been negatively impacted by recent disasters, including the May derecho and Hurricane Beryl. While at the BRC, the Administrator met with business owners to learn about their experiences and hear firsthand how the SBA can support them on the long road to recovery.
Administrator Guzman also visited Slayed Creationz Hair Studio, a Black-owned business that received SBA support in the wake of recent disasters. The Administrator was greeted by the owner, LaCresha Banks, and the two spoke about how the SBA has helped sustain business operations during difficult times.
Following this small business visit, Administrator Guzman joined U.S. Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher for a disaster recovery briefing with federal, state, local, and non-profit partners at United Way of Greater Houston. The roundtable focused on collaborative recovery efforts and how public and private sector partners can come together on behalf of the greater Houston area.
The Administrator then traveled to Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s 60th International Biennial Boule to participate in a fireside chat moderated by International President Rasheeda S. Liberty. During their discussion, Administrator Guzman highlighted the continued partnership between the SBA and the National Pan-Hellenic Council’s (NPHC) nine historically Black fraternities and sororities and how the SBA is supporting Black entrepreneurship.
For follow-up interviews with Administrator Guzman, please reach out to Teddy Lake at theodora.lake@sba.gov.