Isabel Guzman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Isabel Guzman
|
|
|---|---|
.png)
Guzman in 2024
|
|
| 27th Administrator of the Small Business Administration | |
| In office March 17, 2021 – January 20, 2025 |
|
| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Dilawar Syed |
| Preceded by | Jovita Carranza |
| Succeeded by | Kelly Loeffler |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1970/1971 (age 54–55) Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BS) |
Isabella Casillas Guzman (born 1970) is an American government official. From 2021 to 2025, she was the head of the Small Business Administration (SBA) during the Biden administration. She started this important job on March 17, 2021. She is also the fifth Latina woman to be part of the Cabinet of the United States, which is a group of top advisors to the President.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Isabella Casillas Guzman was born in Burbank, California. Her family has Mexican roots. Her ancestors were Texans for four generations. They had moved from the Mexican states of Aguascalientes and Jalisco during the Mexican Revolution. In the 1960s, Guzman's father moved from Texas to Los Angeles.
Guzman has also shared that her family's background includes Jewish, German, and possibly Chinese heritage. Her parents owned a small business, which might have inspired her later career. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.
Guzman's Career Journey
_(cropped).jpg)
Isabella Guzman has had a long career helping businesses and working in government. From 1998 to 2002, she was a studio manager at Miauhaus Studios. She continued as a managing partner there until 2010.
She also worked for the government of California. From 2002 to 2003, she was a deputy appointments secretary for Governor Gray Davis. This role involved helping the governor choose people for different government positions.
Guzman then worked as an advisor for Illulian from 2003 to 2005. She also took time in 2004 to help launch Fortius Holdings as a consultant. Later, from 2009 to 2014, she was a director at ProAmerica Bank.
Helping Small Businesses
In 2014, Guzman joined the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA is a U.S. government agency that supports small businesses. She worked as a deputy chief of staff there. From 2017 to 2019, she was an independent consultant. She also helped start a company called GovContractPros in 2018.
In April 2019, Guzman became the director of California's Office of the Small Business Advocate. This office is part of the California Governor's Office of Economic Development. Her job was to support and speak up for small businesses in California.
Leading the Small Business Administration
On January 7, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden announced that he would nominate Guzman to lead the Small Business Administration. This is a very important role in the U.S. government.
The Senate Small Business Committee voted 15–5 to approve her nomination. Then, on March 16, 2021, the United States Senate confirmed her appointment with a vote of 81–17. She officially became the Administrator of the Small Business Administration on March 17, 2021.
See also
In Spanish: Isabel Casillas Guzmán para niños
