Summit participation includes Ariel Capital Investments Co-CEO Mellody Hobson, Agency representatives, and other key speakers
Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and voice for America’s 32.5 million small businesses in President Biden’s Cabinet, announced the full schedule and speaker slate for the SBA’s 2022 Women’s Business Summit taking place March 28-30, 2022, in celebration of Women’s History Month, which includes Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary Deb Haaland of the U.S. Department of Interior. The event will be held in cosponsorship with the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center.
“We could not be more thrilled to announce the participation of Vice President Harris, Secretary Deb Haaland, and Mellody Hobson in the SBA’s Women’s Business Summit,” said Administrator Guzman. “This year’s summit reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s focus and commitment to increasing equity and opportunity for women entrepreneurs, key drivers of our nation’s historic economic growth. With Vice President Harris’ leadership and experience, and the expertise of our other participating leaders, we’re looking forward to bringing the women-owned small business community together to have critical conversations about the shared dream of entrepreneurship and how the SBA can empower them with tools, knowledge, and access to resources.”
“We are excited to launch this historic Women’s Business Summit in March 2022 in honor of Women’s History Month,” said Natalie Madeira Cofield, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Women’s Business Ownership, U.S. Small Business Administration. “And we are even more excited and honored to have Vice President Harris and Secretary Haaland join us for our inaugural summit. As a woman entrepreneur myself, I know the value of events like this, and there is nothing more valuable than learning from your peers. This is just one of the ways the SBA is working to reach women entrepreneurs where they are.”
Administrator Guzman will kick off the Summit with an opening address on March 28 during an in-person opening reception, made possible due to the Biden-Harris Administration’s critical vaccine strategy, allowing Americans to safely gather in-person, and commitment to Building a Better America for women-owned small businesses. The following days’ events will be all virtual and include panels, “Ask an Expert” workshops, and fireside chats featuring representatives from across the SBA to help women-owned small businesses build, scale, and grow. In-person salon/listening sessions will also be held by local and regional hosts.
Schedule is subject to changes.
Women’s Business Summit Schedule and Speakers Line up
Monday, March 28, 2022 – In-person Opening Reception featuring Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 – First Day of Virtual Programming
- Opening Remarks by: Isabella Casillas Guzman, SBA Administrator (11:30 a.m. ET)
- Featured Remarks by: Vice President Kamala Harris (11:40 a.m. ET)
- Welcoming Remarks by: Natalie Madeira Cofield, Assistant Administrator of SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership (11:50 a.m. ET)
- Cosponsor Remarks by: Nicola Corzine, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center (12:00 p.m. ET)
- Opening Fireside Chat with SBA Assistant Administrator Natalie Madeira Cofield and Mellody Hobson, Co-CEO and President, Ariel Capital Investments – (12:10 p.m. ET)
- “Building an Equitable Recovery Framework for Women Entrepreneurs” – (12:30 p.m. ET)
Participants: Mark Madrid, Associate Administrator of SBA Office of Entrepreneurial Development; Jaime Gloshay, Co-Director of Building and Impact of Native Women Lead; Kathy Korman Frey, Faculty at George Washington University’s School of Business; Ayris Scales, CEO of Walker’s Legacy - “Innovation and Investment” – (1:15 p.m. ET)
Participants: Bailey DeVries, Associate Administrator of SBA Office of Investment and Innovation; Gené Teare, Senior Data Journalist at Crunchbase; Mekaelia Davis, Director of Inclusive Economies of the Surdna Foundation; Marianne Markowitz, CEO of the First Women’s Bank; Susan Au Allen, CEO and National President of the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce - “From Essential Worker to Essential Entrepreneur: CARE Economy Entrepreneurship Opportunities” – (2:00 p.m. ET)
Participants: Diedra Henry-Spires, Senior Advisor to the Administrator at SBA; Tene Dolphin, Executive Director of the National Women’s Business Council; Louise Stoney, Co-founder of Opportunities Exchange; Allison Robinson, CEO of The Mom Project; Fran Pastore, CEO and Founder of the Women’s Business Development - “The $100B Marketplace: Contracting Opportunities for Women-led Firms” – (2:45 p.m. ET)
Participants: Jackson Brossy, Assistant Administrator of SBA Office of Native American Affairs; Maria Rios, President and CEO of Nation Waste, Inc.; Necole Parker, Principal and CEO of The Elocen Group; Monica Jojola, President of Montech Inc.; Shelby Scales, Director of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
- “Exporting & E-Commerce” – (3:30 p.m. ET)
Participants: Gabriel Esparza, Associate Administrator of SBA Office of International Trade; Jill Malandrino, Global Markets Reporter at Nasdaq; Rahama Wright, CEO of Shea Yeleen; Angie Yu, Founder and President of Two Rivers Fisheries; Bridgit Antwi, North America Small Business Segment at PayPal
- “The Changing Landscape for the Entertainment Industry” – (4:15 p.m. ET)
Participants: Alison Brower, Insider’s LA Bureau Chief; Jamila Daniel, Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Starz; Layne Eskridge, President of POV Entertainment
- Closing Fireside Chat with Penny Pennington, Managing Partner of Edward Jones and Janis Bowdler, Counselor on Racial Equity at the U.S. Department of Treasury – (4:40 p.m. ET)
- Closing Remarks by: Natalie Madeira Cofield, Assistant Administrator of the SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership (5:10 p.m. ET)
Wednesday, March 30, 2022 – Second Day of Virtual Programming
- Opening Remarks by: Isabella Casillas Guzman, SBA Administrator (11:30 a.m. ET)
- Featured Remarks by: Deb Haaland, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior (11:40 a.m. ET)
- Welcoming Remarks by: Natalie Madeira Cofield, Assistant Administrator of the SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership (11:50 a.m. ET)
- Cosponsor Remarks by: Nicola Corzine, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center (12:00 p.m. ET)
- Opening Fireside Chat with Nicola Mendelsohn, VP of Global Business Group at Meta, and Ann Lewis, Senior Advisor for Delivery of SBA – (12:10 p.m. ET)
- ‘Ask An Expert’: Innovation and Investment – (12:40 p.m. ET)
Participants: Jennifer Shieh, Director of Ecosystem Development of SBA Office of Investment and Innovation; Rikki Jones, Program Analyst of SBA Office of Investment and Innovation - ‘Ask An Expert’: Certification and Contracting with GCBD – (1:30 p.m. ET)
Participants: Cynthia Almendarez, Business Opportunity Specialist of SBA Office of Government Contracting and Business Development; Kiya Perrin, Supervisory Business Opportunity Specialist of SBA Office of Government Contracting and Business Development; Alisa Sheard, Women-Owned Small Business Director of SBA Office of Government Contracting and Business Development; Valerie Coleman, Program Manager of SBA Office of Government Contracting and Business Development; Simona Duffin, Program Analyst of SBA Office of Government Contracting and Business Development - ‘Ask An Expert’: Accessing SBA Resource Providers – (2:20 p.m. ET)
Participants: Shalei Holway, Senior Advisor of SBA Office of Entrepreneurial Development - ‘Ask An Expert’: Exporting and International Trade – (3:10 p.m. ET)
Participants: Sarah Bonner, International Trade Policy Specialist of SBA Office of International Trade - ‘Ask An Expert’: Accessing Loans and Micro Finance – (4:00 p.m. ET)
Participants: Veronica Pugin, Senior Advisor of SBA Office of Capital Access - Closing Fireside Chat – (4:50 p.m. ET)
- Closing Remarks by: Natalie Madeira Cofield, Assistant Administrator of the SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership (5:10 p.m. ET)
For the most up-to-date version of the Women’s Business Summit agenda, click here.
Registration is required to attend the Summit. Click here to register or visit: www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-women-business-summit-registration-253276836837.
MEDIA RSVP: Please RSVP at Press_Office@sba.gov with the reporter’s name and press outlet by 5:00 p.m. ET, Friday, March 25. Additionally, media interested in one-on-one interviews should submit requests in advance.
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Cosponsorship Authorization #21-21-C. SBA’s participation in this Cosponsored Activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any Cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.
About the Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO)
The Office of Women’s Business Ownership’s (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 opportunities to women.
To learn more about SBA’s programs and services for women entrepreneurs, visit www.sba.gov/women. To find other Women’s Business Center locations and SBA resources, visit www.sba.gov/tools/local-assistance.
About the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center
The Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center is a non-profit building a better path for entrepreneurs worldwide. Established in 2014 with support from the Nasdaq Educational Foundation, the Center serves entrepreneurs from around the world through events, education, and mentorship. To learn more, visit https://thecenter.nasdaq.org/.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. 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, or 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.
