September 2011

Washington, DC
September 28, 2011
As Prepared

Thank you Voice of God for that kind introduction. Welcome to the 29th annual Minority Enterprise Development Week Conference.  On behalf of President Barack Obama and Acting Secretary of Commerce Dr. Rebecca Blank, we are delighted you could join us for this very important event.

This year in addition to our many guests from across the Nation, we have visitors from Turkey, England, China, and other parts of the world. And, we all come together not just to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit that exists in this nation and around the world. But we come together to learn about business opportunities in the global marketplace and to network and to build stronger relationships across industry sectors.

Since joining the Minority Business Development Agency in April 2010, I serve as the principal advisor to the MBDA National Director and manage the day-to-day activities of the Agency’s 5 Regional Offices and 48 Minority Business Centers. These Offices and Business Centers are vital centers of economic growth and job creation. Under the Obama Administration, MBDA has assisted minority-owned firms in obtaining nearly $7 billion in contracts and capital, creating nearly 11,000 during the last two years.  As the National Deputy Director, I am also responsible for executing the Agency’s mission to help Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) grow and succeed through access to capital, access to contract and access to business opportunities both domestically and abroad.

Prior to MBDA, I served as Special Advisor to the Under Secretary for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) where I was responsible for business outreach and development of policy initiatives geared at trade promotion and enforcement of U.S. trade laws. Before coming to the Department of Commerce, I was a practicing attorney for several years, working in the private, government and non-profit sector.  I also served as the Interim Executive Director of the Hispanic National Bar Association working with the White House and non-profit organization, such as the Latinos for a Fair Judiciary, in support of the nomination and confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court.

MINORITY ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT WEEK, 2011

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Our Nation is guided by the simple promise that no matter our origins, we can provide a better life for our children.  We have long believed in a fair America, where, with hard work and determination, anyone can succeed.  Our story has been written by generations who have put their shoulders to the wheel of history to move our country forward.

Today, this legacy continues.  Our strength comes from individuals from all walks of life, and of every race and creed.  Minority owned businesses are engines of job creation and backbones of communities across America from Main Street to Wall Street, and from country markets to Silicon Valley.  They are on the cutting edge of development, and are strong competitors at home and abroad.  Small businesses, including minority owned enterprises, are where most new jobs begin.  To recover from this economic crisis and improve our competitiveness, we must help these job creators hire, grow, and revitalize our economy.

My Administration is working to make this growth a reality.  Our Start up America initiative connects established private sector mentors to entrepreneurs, helping accelerate innovation through coordination.  Last year, I signed the Small Business Jobs Act, providing billions of dollars in lending support and tax cuts for small businesses.  The Federal Government is also the Nation's largest purchaser of goods and services, and every Federal agency is taking aggressive steps to improve contracting with small businesses, including minority owned firms.

Even in challenging times, American entrepreneurs consistently respond to adversity with brighter ideas, more ambitious innovations, and smarter technology than the world has ever seen.  These businesses create jobs and support our communities.  As a Nation, we must continue to remove barriers to these opportunities, and ensure they remain open to all Americans.

MBDA Business Center operators Georgia Tech Research Corporation, United Tribes Technical College and Michigan Minority Business Development Council won awards for their projects on Health Information Technology, Environmental Risk Mitigation, Advance Energy Storage Systems, respectively.

16 Federal agencies come together to support development of high-growth industry clusters in 21 states

WASHINGTON – The Obama Administration today announced the winners of the $37 million Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge, a multi-agency competition launched in May to support the advancement of 20 high-growth, regional industry clusters. Investments from three federal agencies and technical assistance from 13 additional agencies will promote development in areas such as advanced manufacturing, information technology, aerospace and clean technology, in rural and urban regions in 21 states. Projects are driven by local communities that identify the economic strengths of their areas, with funding awarded to the best proposals.