Hi, everyone. It’s an honor to join you today. I want to recognize Deputy Secretary Graves for the tremendous work he and his team have done to bring this event together and to develop Commerce’s Business Diversity Principles Initiative. At Commerce, our number one goal is to improve America’s competitiveness so our workers and companies can succeed in the global economy. We’re placing equity at...

Minority entrepreneurs make critical contributions to our economy generating nearly $2 trillion in revenue each year. However, an equity gap remains between minority and non-minority-owned businesses. Last week, Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves spoke about the need to close this equity gap at the 40th Annual Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week. Hosted by Commerce’s Minority Business...

Hello everyone! I’m honored to join you all here at MED Week. I’m particularly pleased to welcome not only our federal partners, members of the Department of Commerce family, and our minority businesses to this gathering, but also our friends from the National Minority Supplier Development Council, who have teamed up with MBDA for the first time this year to commemorate this historic milestone for...

Eleven years ago today, the United States joined nations around the world in establishing the International Day of the Girl to acknowledge the struggles facing young girls and strengthen their commitment to expanding resources and opportunities to help girls and women succeed and thrive. Today, First Lady Jill Biden hosted an event to honor 15 girls in the U.S. who are leading change by tackling...

This month marks the somber 6th anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s landfall on Puerto Rico, an unfathomable tragedy that shook the core of the island and left an indelible mark on its people. The scale of the disaster was overwhelming, and its impact will be felt for generations. Lives were lost, houses were flattened, infrastructure crippled, and essential services rendered inaccessible. Through my...

The Hispanic American community is deeply rooted in the history of the United States and is an integral part of the rich fabric of our nation. True to our mission of creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity—for all Americans—the Commerce Department works every day to support and invest in the Hispanic business community to create jobs and promote economic growth. As of April 1...

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Deputy Secretary Don Graves hosted Latino elected officials, leaders, and stakeholder organizations to solicit their input on Commerce initiatives that will assist in promoting inclusive economic growth for Latino communities. Both events took place at the Commerce Department where both Raimondo and Graves addressed the...

The Capital Readiness Program represents the Commerce Department’s largest investment in support of underserved entrepreneurs. Today, Vice President Harris announced the recommended awardees for the MBDA Capital Readiness Program. The Capital Readiness Program is a $125 million technical assistance program to help underserved entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses. Once final awards are...

Hello everyone! I’m so honored to be here at the UnidosUS Annual Conference. The commitment shown by UnidosUS to achieve equity for all Americans, particularly those in the Latino community, cannot be overstated. This year’s theme, "The Power of US,” truly grounds our unity, collaboration, and shared progress across the impactful work everyone in this room does at all levels to create a fairer...

Thank you, Under Secretary Cravins, for that kind introduction. Hello everyone, and Happy Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! It is such an honor to be here at MBDA’s National AA and NHPI Business Summit. This event is so important, and we are grateful to MBDA for putting all of this together. I’m especially pleased to be joined here today by Congresswoman Chu, as...