Washington, April 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today announced that it will host its first-ever Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Diverse and Emerging Fund Manager Forum on April 25. The event will feature the Honorable Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman and leaders across the institutional investor and private markets asset management community, offering viewpoints on the changing landscape of U.S. private markets, the next generation of asset managers, and the evolution of the SBIC Program. The event follows the release of the SBA’s Equity Action Plan and reinforces the Biden-Harris Administration and Administrator Guzman’s priority of advancing inclusive equity in all its programs and services.
During the forum, participants will have the opportunity to hear from industry leaders and explore how the SBIC program and its national network of asset managers and fund investors are working to advance a more inclusive system of capital allocation.
“For more than 60 years, SBICs have provided over $100 billion in financing to support the needs of U.S. small businesses. The capital SBICs provide is often not in adequate supply from traditional sources,” said Associate Administrator for the Office of Investment and Innovation, Bailey DeVries. “As asset allocators exclusively financing U.S. small businesses, SBIC funds have a tremendous opportunity to drive reinvestment in America and construct a capital allocation system as diverse as our country. We look forward to a robust forum discussion on topics impacting how we build a more inclusive economy.”
Agenda:
(1:00pm-1:05pm) Welcome and Introduction of U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Isabella Guzman
Speaker: Bailey DeVries, Associate Administrator Office of Investment & Innovation, U.S. Small Business Administration
(1:05pm-1:20pm) Opening Remarks
Speaker: The Honorable Isabella Guzman, Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
(1:20pm-2:05pm) Session 1: The Future of Private Market Investing and Emerging Managers
Moderator: Dana Johns, Director of Private Equity, Maryland State Retirement System
- Mina Pacheco Nazemi, Co-Head, Barings Fund and Co-investment Group
- Nate Kirk, Managing Director, Everside
- Andrea Auerbach, Global Head of Private Investments, Cambridge Associates
- Eleanor Hsu, Co-Chief Investment Officer, Kaiser Family Foundation
(2:15pm-3:00pm) Session 2: Considering the SBIC Program? How Does it Work?
Moderator: Alan Roth, Partner, Winston & Strawn
- Stacy Harmsen, Partner, Spell Capital
- Sengal Selassie, President, Brightwood Capital Advisors
- Della Clark, Principal, Innovate Capital Growth Fund
- Brian Matthews, Co-founder, Cultivation Capital
(3:10pm-3:55pm) Session 3: How Are LPs and GPs Thinking About Diversity and ESG in Private Markets Investing?
Moderator: Jason Lamin, CEO and Founder, Lenox Park Solutions
- Carl Jenkins, MD & Group Head of Corporate Finance-Community Investments, BMO Harris
- Damien Dwin, Founder, Lafayette Square
- Jason Powers, Chief of SBIC Licensing, U.S. Small Business Administration
- Stacey Wittelsberger, Principal, Patriot Capital
(3:55pm-4:00pm) Closing Remarks
Speaker: Bailey DeVries, Associate Administrator Office of Investment & Innovation, U.S. Small Business Administration
###
About SBA Office of Investment and Innovation
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) leads programs that provide the high-growth small business community with access to two things: financial capital and R&D funds to develop commercially viable innovations. Our work is underpinned by public-private partnerships that help small businesses on their trajectory from idea to IPO. Learn more at www.sba.gov.
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 or 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
