LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman joined the launch of the first federally recognized Women’s Business Center at the Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation (VSEDC) in South Los Angeles to help small businesses start, grow and develop in the city. Mayor Bass highlighted the strong partnership that Los Angeles has with the federal government and emphasized her administration’s work to open Los Angeles for business by making more resources like what the new Women’s Business Center offers available to more people.
“I have worked with Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation for years and have seen firsthand the positive impact the organization is making for small businesses and their contributions to the South Los Angeles community,” said Mayor Bass. “Together with VSEDC and organizations like it, we are working to open the city for business and make sure that City Hall is an advocate, not a barrier, to helping small businesses grow and thrive. I want to thank the Small Business Administration and Administrator Guzman for the continued partnership and for awarding VSEDC with this significant, very well-deserved distinction.”
Today’s opening continues action taken this week to support businesses in Los Angeles. Earlier this week, Mayor Bass announced that the City is making more resources available to support small businesses through LA Optimized 2.0, a program to help small businesses build and strengthen their digital presence and LApreneur, a new online learning platform created to equip entrepreneurs with key skills and information to succeed.
Yesterday, Mayor Bass encouraged residents, small business owners and other Angelenos who were impacted to apply for the low-interest disaster loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration that were recently made available following Mayor Bass’ calls for federal support.
The release of new resources follows the fourth installment of the Los Angeles Region Small Business Summit, an ongoing partnership between the City and County of Los Angeles that drew more than 500 small business owners and entrepreneurs. The Mayor continues to make progress opening Los Angeles for business by expanding City departments’ services for small businesses and improving the experience of doing business with the City.
Last year, Mayor Bass issued Executive Directive 4 which directed comprehensive action at City Hall to support the creation, development and growth of small businesses through convenings like this Summit and improving the way City departments engage with small businesses.