On August 26 and 27, Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) visited Alaska to engage with businesses benefiting from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing In America agenda, including entrepreneurs from underserved communities.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the United States has seen a significant increase in small business activity, with 19 million new small business applications since President Biden took office. This growth is notably driven by women and people of color. In Alaska alone, over 30,000 new business applications have been filed since President Biden assumed office.
Deputy Administrator Syed began his visit at Triverus, LLC in Palmer. Triverus is recognized as Alaska’s 2024 Exporter of the Year and was a runner-up for the SBA’s Pacific Northwest Region’s Exporter of the Year. The company has developed advanced technology using Small Business Innovative Research to clean flight decks for the U.S. Navy.
Syed then met with leaders from the Small Business Development Center to discuss their new Artificial Intelligence Center and strategies to reach more rural and underserved communities. They also reviewed the launch of the State Small Business Credit Initiative Tribal Program consortium with 125 federally-recognized tribes in Alaska—the largest such consortium in the nation.
A discussion with leaders of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation followed, focusing on Alaska's economic outlook and workforce challenges for small businesses. This was succeeded by an Alaska Native Corporation roundtable where government contracting issues were discussed alongside community successes and struggles.
The first day concluded with a meeting between Deputy Administrator Syed and Mayor Suzanne LaFrance of Anchorage to review small business development impacts and operational challenges in Alaska.
On Tuesday, Deputy Administrator Syed and Jackson Brossy, SBA’s Assistant Administrator for Native American Affairs, participated in a tribal consultation discussing proposed HUBZone program updates and Executive Order 14112 implementation aimed at enhancing federal funding accessibility for Tribal Nations.
This was followed by a meeting with Green Earth Landworks, LLC owner—a Hispanic woman recognized in 2009 with an Emerging Business Leader award—specializing in revegetation and environmental services. Later, Syed met with Cook Inlet Lending to learn about its engagement efforts in underserved markets.
The visit concluded with a roundtable discussion at UMOJA Coworking Space and Incubator where BIPOC business owners shared their personal journeys and barriers faced.
Media inquiries for interviews with Deputy Administrator Syed should be directed to Teddy Lake at Theodora.Lake@sba.gov.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power American business ownership dreams by providing resources and support necessary for starting, growing or expanding businesses or recovering from disasters through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships. More information can be found at www.sba.gov.