- Details
- By Brian Edwards
- Economic Development
Isabel Casillas Guzman, who expanded Native lending and federal contracting at the Small Business Administration during the Biden administration, has launched a Los Angeles-based strategic advisory firm.
Guzman, who administered over $1 trillion in federal programs during her SBA tenure, will serve as founder and president of Avenida Advisors, a growth consultancy that will work with businesses and communities.
Before leading the SBA from 2021 to 2025, she was California Gov. Gavin Newsom's top small business official and also served as SBA's deputy chief of staff during the Obama administration. She also founded several private sector businesses.
The new venture builds on “decades of private and public sector experience to help businesses and communities thrive,” Guzman said in a statement.
No SBA administrator spent more time in Indian Country than Guzman, according to prior Tribal Business News reporting. She visited eight tribal communities — including the Navajo Nation, Winnebago Tribe and Alaska Native villages — where she learned firsthand about logistical challenges and capital access needs facing Native entrepreneurs. Under her leadership, the SBA increased Native lending by 89%, reaching $267 million in the last fiscal year.
“I'm proud of the strong ties I've built with tribal communities over the years, and I look forward to continuing this mission through Avenida's work with tribal businesses and communities,” Guzman wrote to Tribal Business News.
Joining Guzman are two former SBA executives: Isabelle James, who previously served as deputy chief of staff, and Katie Frost, who led the Office of Capital Access, overseeing loan programs with a team of over 5,000.
“She's the real deal,” Jackson Brossy (Diné), assistant administrator at the SBA’s Office of Native American Affairs during Guzman’s tenure, said of his former boss. “She wanted to do right by Native people because she knows that they're a big part of the SBA and the overall economy.”
During Guzman's tenure, Native-owned businesses secured $23.3 billion in federal contracts in 2023 — an $8 billion increase from 2020.
