"Leveling The Field." The SBA's Community Navigator Pilot Program

In the fall of 2021 SBA, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman and her team announced a potentially game-changing program, the Community Navigators Pilot Program. 

The Community Navigator Pilot Program will provide $100 million in funding to 51 organizations that will work with hundreds of local groups to connect America's entrepreneurs to government resources.

The primary focus of this program is to provide assets and reduce barriers that all small businesses, including those owned by disadvantaged groups such as veterans, women, and those from rural communities and communities of color, often face in accessing critical support.

I saw firsthand the importance of this project as I recently led a strategic planning retreat for one of the organization's funding recipients (Springfield Community Navigators). Building trust, removing barriers, and opening communication are priorities as these organizations work to level the field.