Business
Jennifer Kim of SBA: Empowering AAPI Small Businesses for Growth and Equity
Meet Jennifer Kim, Associate Administrator for the Office of Field Operations at the Small Business Administration (SBA)—and a proud Michigander! Speaking at a recent event, Jennifer shared her personal passion for helping small businesses thrive, especially in the wake of the pandemic.
Jennifer, the first Asian Pacific American woman in this role, emphasized that under President Biden’s leadership, the SBA has delivered over $450 billion in relief to small businesses. Today, SBA’s mission is about equity: reaching the smallest businesses and underserved communities—including many AAPI business owners who, like her own family, laid the foundation for economic growth but often lacked easy access to government resources.
She reflected: “When I was growing up, I’d visit the one Korean restaurant an hour away, or the local dry cleaner run by a Korean American entrepreneur. How can we make sure they get the support they need?”
Recognizing the double hit AAPI businesses faced during COVID-19—not just economic hardship but also racism and xenophobia—Jennifer stressed the agency’s commitment to inclusion. She highlighted loan programs, training, and business support resources (find them at sba.gov/mi), inviting everyone to leverage what the SBA offers to help realize their American dream.
Jennifer also encouraged trusted community figures and business owners to help spread the word. “Sometimes not everybody trusts government, but if they know we’ve helped others like them, they’re more likely to seek help.”
Her message is simple but powerful: economic equity is a crucial part of true inclusion—and AAPI entrepreneurs are vital to America’s success story.
#SBA #AAPIbusiness #smallbusiness #economicinclusion #detv #Michigan
SBA Jennifer Kim：助力亚裔小企业共创包容繁荣
“如何让每个亚裔小型企业都能获得成长所需的资源？”——这正是美国小企业管理局（SBA）现场活动中，副局长Jennifer Kim最关心的问题。来自密歇根的她，也自豪地谈及作为亚裔女性在这一岗位上的责任与使命。
Kim女士指出，拜登总统执政期间，SBA已为全美小企业发放超4500亿美元抗疫纾困资金。现在更聚焦“公平”二字：要让最小、最难接触到的企业和少数族裔社区都能受益。其中许多亚裔商家，是她从小耳熟能详的榜样——餐馆、杂货店、洗衣店，他们点亮了社区，也常常因信息闭塞而得不到政策扶持。
Kim回忆疫情初始，自己在纽约的韩餐馆已因歧视传言门可罗雀，“亚裔企业不仅受经济冲击，还要面对偏见和排外。”这使她更坚定要推动多元与包容。她呼吁亚裔企业主多多利用SBA的资源——无论创业贷款、资金支持，还是财务培训和经营辅导（可访问 sba.gov/mi 了解更多）。
她也鼓励社区里的“信任使者”和生意伙伴共同传播SBA信息，“有人可能不信任政府，但如果看到身边企业受益，他们更愿意尝试。”
一句话，经济公平和机会是社区真正包容的基石。亚裔企业家的每一分努力，都在成就美国的梦想。
#SBA #亚裔企业家 #小企业扶持 #多元共融 #奋斗美国梦