ATLANTA – On May 4, 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, will join the “Building a Better America Through Entrepreneurship” bus tour to celebrate National Small Business Week 2022 in Georgia. Administrator Guzman will visit nine cities across the country and, in collaboration with the SBA’s local offices, join local elected officials to celebrate America’s small businesses who have played an integral role in powering our nation’s historically strong economic comeback.
The “Building a Better America Through Entrepreneurship” tour will take place May 2-5 and feature stops in San Francisco, California; Denver, Colorado; Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia; Columbia and Richburg, South Carolina; Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; and Norfolk, Virginia. The celebratory bus will officially take off from Rodney Cook Sr. Park in Atlanta, GA.
Georgia Stops
Atlanta, GA
9:30 am:
SBA National Small Business Week Bus Tour Launch
9:30 am, Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Rodney Cook Sr. Park
616 Joseph E. Boone Blvd.
Atlanta, GA 30314
- SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman
- John Hope Bryant, founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, Inc.
- Jason Winston, Atlanta City Council in Georgia, District 1
- SBA Regional Administrator Allen Thomas
- SBA District Director Terri Denison
Administrator Guzman, City of Atlanta officials, along with the National Women’s Business Center of the Year, ACE (Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs), will officially kick off the 2022 National Small Business Week Bus Tour from Rodney Cook Sr. Park, highlighting recovery success and small business champions from across Atlanta.
11:00 am:
Administrator Tour of New Black Wall Street
11:00 am, Wednesday, May 4, 2022
8109 Mall Pkwy
Stonecrest, GA 30038
- SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman
- Elizabeth Wilson, Georgia Micro Enterprise Network, Executive Director)
- Lecester “Bill” Allen, Founder/CEO/President, Allen Entrepreneurial Institute
Administrator Guzman will tour The New Black Wall Street Market, an extension of a Community Navigator Program “Spoke” organization called the Allen Entrepreneurial Institute. The market is an homage to the original Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the early 1900s and features 100+ shops and restaurants.
Augusta, GA
WHAT:
Press Conference Following Visit to Georgia Cyber Center
WHEN:
3:35 pm, Wednesday, May 4, 2022
WHERE:
Georgia Cyber Center
100 Grace Hopper Ln.
Augusta, GA 30901
WHO:
SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman
SBA Regional Administrator Allen Thomas
SBA Deputy District Director Rosemarie Drake
WHY:
Administrator Guzman will highlight the importance of cybersecurity for small businesses, including SBA grants made available for state governments to help emerging small businesses across America develop their cybersecurity infrastructure. She will visit and tour the Georgia Cyber Center and learn about the incredible impact the Center has on Georgia and the nation in the cybersecurity space.
For more information about bus tour stops, National Small Business Week, and other event information, visit www.sba.gov/NSBW. Media interested in scheduling interviews with Administrator Guzman should contact erin.tindell@sba.gov.
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About National Small Business Week
For nearly 60 years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Every day, they are working to grow small businesses, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase America’s global competitiveness.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. 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, 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.