As part of the White House’s celebration of Black History Month, Marie Johns, deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), shared her experience with entrepreneurialism and talked about her role in the Obama administration. Johns comes from a family of small business owners, a background that helps her understand the needs of American entrepreneurs:
My grandfather owned a landscaping company in my hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. As one of the first African-American owned business in Indiana to win a statewide contract, his company maintained the land around state highways. After my uncle earned his degree in pharmaceutical science at Howard University, my grandfather helped him start his own pharmacy, which served the city’s African-American community. Their spirit of entrepreneurship has always inspired me. Following a 21 year career in the telecommunications industry, I founded my own small business: an organizational effectiveness and public policy consulting practice.
Johns continues, discussing her capacity with SBA:
Now, as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), I have the privilege of supporting the small businesses that are innovating, growing the economy, and creating jobs every day. I am especially focused on helping the SBA reach businesses in underserved markets, such as African-American communities. These businesses often have a harder time getting the tools and financing they need in order to compete and thrive. Our loan programs help banks lend more to small businesses everywhere, and our counselors reach millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners each year.
Click here to read Deputy Administrator Marie Johns’ full post on the White House blog.