SBA Announces Entrepreneur, Investor, and Award-winning Entertainer Jennifer Lopez to Headline National Small Business Week Virtual Summit 2021

Washington, Sept. 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced that Jennifer Lopez, entrepreneur, investor, award-winning singer, actress, dancer, and producer, will headline this year’s National Small Business Week (NSBW). Ms. Lopez will join SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman in “Pathways to Entrepreneurship: A Fireside Chat,” moderated by Maria Teresa Kumar, MSNBC contributor, to discuss entrepreneurship and engagement in this new economy.

“I’m excited that Jennifer Lopez is joining us to headline National Small Business Week to discuss her journey as a successful entrepreneur and share her thoughts about how we can help small businesses continue to power our nation’s economy,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. “As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize that Latinx entrepreneurs are starting businesses at incredible rates and celebrate the diversity in our economy.  SBA is committed to ensuring all entrepreneurs have access to the capital, markets, and networks that they need to launch and grow. We are honored that Ms. Lopez is sharing her insights and shining a light on entrepreneurship to inspire the next generation of aspiring entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams of business ownership. With our small businesses leading the way, we can build our economy back better.”

In the Fireside Chat, SBA Administrator Guzman and Ms. Lopez will discuss pathways to entrepreneurship and the SBA’s initiatives and plans to support our small businesses impacted by COVID and new startups seeking to launch.

Ms. Lopez’s participation finalizes SBA’s full speaker line-up for National Small Business Week, including entrepreneur Mark Cuban, Chef José Andrés, White House Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Cedric Richmond, and other business and elected leaders.

Biography for Jennifer Lopez, Entrepreneur, Investor, and Entertainer:

Jennifer Lopez is an award-winning actress, producer, singer, entertainer, and businesswoman who has helped to build billion-dollar brands and has established herself in film, music, television, and business as one of the most influential artists in history.  As a fashion icon, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Jennifer Lopez has been named to the TIME 100 list, Forbes' "Most Powerful Celebrity," and was the first to grace People Magazine’s cover for "Most Beautiful Woman in the World.” With a career spanning over two decades at the top of every field, Jennifer Lopez is cemented in history as a global icon and the ultimate multihyphenate.

National Small Business Week Virtual Summit (NSBW)

Administrator Guzman announced National Small Business Week 2021 in a news release last month. The free, three-day conference takes place in a virtual atrium, and features a series of educational panels on best practices for small businesses to pivot and recover in a changing economy.   NSBW events this year provide a forum for business owners to get expert advice, learn new business strategies, connect with industry experts, and meet other business owners as they look to pivot and recover.

For more information about the National Small Business Week Virtual Summit, please visit http://www.sba.gov/NSBW.  All events are live-streamed and used the event hashtag #SmallBusinessWeek.

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Cosponsorship Authorization #21-21-C. SBA’s participation in this Cosponsored Activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any Cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made, if requested at least two weeks in advance, by contacting [email protected]. SCORE is partially funded by SBA Cooperative Agreement No. SBAHQ-14-S-0001. 

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. 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.

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