Our Team
Antonio Aguilar Jr.
Central & Northern California Outreach Manager
Antonio manages Small Business Majority's outreach efforts in the Central Valley and Northern California. In this role, Antonio develops relationships with business partners, small business owners and community leaders to promote economic change in the heart of California.
Prior to joining Small Business Majority Antonio worked for one of the largest community action agencies in the nation, where he focused on learning and development, as well as organizational culture. In his most recent role, Antonio led efforts in organizing and planning quarterly leadership retreats, a newly launched manager training series, and an all staff conference for more than 600 employees.
Additionally, Antonio has more than seven years of human resources experience primarily in social services. Antonio has run the HR department of a private behavioral health agency, as well as operations for an adolescent substance abuse treatment agency. Antonio was born and raised in Fresno County, and now resides in Sanger where he serves on the city’s Planning Commission. He is passionate about providing resources and opportunities to underserved communities and wants to continue to give back to those in need. Antonio is fluent in Spanish.
Gerente de Alcance Comunitario en el centro y norte de California
Antonio administra los esfuerzos de alcance comunitario de Small Business Majority en el Valle de San Joaquín Central. En esta posición, Antonio desarrolla relaciones con socios comerciales, propietarios de pequeñas empresas y líderes comunitarios para promover cambios económicos en el corazón de California.
Antes de unirse a Small Business Majority Antonio trabajó para una de las agencias de acción comunitaria más grandes de la nación, donde se enfocó en el aprendizaje y desarrollo, así como la organización cultural. En su más reciente puesto, Antonio dirigió esfuerzos para organizar y planear retiros de liderazgo trimestrales, una nueva serie de capacitación para gerentes lanzada recientemente y una conferencia de más de 600 empleados.
Además, Antonio tiene más de siete años en recursos humanos en servicios sociales. Antonio ha dirigido el departamento de recursos humanos de una agencia privada de salud conductual, así como las operaciones de una agencia de tratamiento de abuso de sustancias para adolescentes. Antonio nació y creció en el Condado de Fresno, y ahora reside en Sanger donde es miembro de la Comisión de Planificación. A él le apasiona proporcionar recursos y oportunidades a comunidades desatendidas y quiere continuar ayudando a aquellos que lo necesiten. Antonio habla Español.
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Rachel Aherin
Development Manager
Rachel Aherin writes and reports on grants for Small Business Majority. She has previously worked as a grant writer for the International Rescue Committee and the American Civil Liberties Union, and has served as a development consultant for a variety of nonprofit organizations. Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and her master’s degree from Hunter College’s Creative Writing Program. She was awarded a writing fellowship from the Edward F. Albee Foundation.
Rachel serves as a member of Small Business Majority’s DEI Council.
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Jessica Anguiano
Southern California Senior Outreach Manager & Minority Entrepreneurship Programs Manager
Jessica manages Small Business Majority's outreach efforts in the Southern California region. She brings over five years of experience working as a business consultant to small business owners.
Before Small Business Majority, Jessica served as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Project Director for two Women's Business Centers, directing the day-to-day operations and overseeing CARES portfolios. In this role, she helped entrepreneurs develop start-up business plans, build social media marketing, and assisted with general business navigation throughout the pandemic. She recently became a board member at Women Strengthening Women, where she will be help provide resources to women in the region and foster a pathway to entrepreneurship and financial independence.
Previously, she worked behind the scenes in big chain retailers, leading teams with visual merchandising, assisting with remodeling stores, analyzing consumer behavior reports, and working with oversea vendors. With a master's degree in International Business and marketing background, Jessica has also taught college-level business and consumer behavior courses. She's also fluent in Spanish.
Gerente de Alcance Comunitario en el sur de California & Gerente de Programas Empresariales Minoritarias
Jessica administra los esfuerzos de alcance comunitario de Small Business Majority en la región del sur de California. Ella tiene más de cinco años de experiencia trabajando como consultora de negocios, ayudando a propietarios de pequeñas empresas.
Antes de unirse a Small Business Majority, Jessica se desempeñó como la Directora de Proyectos de la Ley de Ayuda, Alivio y Seguridad Económica de Coronavirus (CARES por sus siglas en Inglés) en dos Centros de Negocios para Mujeres, dirigiendo las operaciones diarias y supervisando los portafolios de CARES. En este puesto, ella ayudó a propietarios de pequeñas empresas a crear planes comerciales, construir planes de mercadeo en redes sociales, y asistió con la navegación comercial general durante la pandemia. Ella recientemente se convirtió en miembro de la junta de Women Strengthening Women, donde ayudará a proporcionar recursos para las mujeres de la región y fomentará un camino hacia el espíritu empresarial y la independencia financiera.
Anteriormente, ella trabajó en grandes cadenas, liderando equipos con mercadeo visual, ayudando con la remodelación de tiendas, analizando reportes de comportamiento del consumidor, y trabajando con proveedores en el extranjero. Con una Maestría en Negocios Internacionales y experiencia en marketing, Jessica también se desempeñó como profesora, enseñando cursos en negocios y del comportamiento del consumidor a nivel universitario. Jessica también habla Español.
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John Arensmeyer
Founder & CEO
Follow John on Twitter @JohnArensmeyer
John Arensmeyer has used his long experience as a small business owner to build Small Business Majority into a nationally recognized organization focused on empowering America's entrepreneurs to build a thriving and inclusive economy. Small Business Majority is the leading advocate for critical public policy issues facing America’s small businesses—particularly access to capital, healthcare, taxes, retirement/asset building and numerous workforce issues. In the past few years John has spearheaded the growth of Small Business Majority’s Venturize.org portal, providing critical practical resources to our nation’s 30 million small businesses and independent self-employed entrepreneurs.
Prior to launching Small Business Majority 16 years ago, John was the founder and CEO of ACI Interactive, an award-winning international interactive communications company. Information Week named ACI's signature product one of the nation's top 100 e-business innovations, and the company was cited by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the top 100 fastest growing private companies in the Bay Area. Earlier, John was the chief operating officer of a pioneering multimedia business,an attorney in New York, an aide to the mayor of Philadelphia and a staff member on Capitol Hill.
John is a frequent speaker on small business policy issues and a regular guest on TV and radio, including MSNBC's Your Business, PBS NewsHour, Fox News, Bloomberg TV, NPR's Marketplace and the CBS Evening News. In 2009 he was an active participant at the White House summit on healthcare reform. He testifies regularly before congressional committees, and has briefed White House officials and congressional leadership on small business policy issues. He serves on the Advisory Board for the Access to Markets initiative and is an Ally of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism. He recently served as Board Chair of California's Insure the Uninsured Project. He has led a study group at Harvard's Kennedy School of Politics and has served on the Association for Enterprise Opportunity's Economic Impact Council and Micro Capital Task Force.
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Robert Bennett
Small Business Engagement Director
Robert Bennett oversees the process of building and fostering relationships with small business owners, business organizations, and advocacy groups with a particular focus on cultivating spokesperson engagement activities for the Small Business Majority spokesperson program. He also manages the National Small Business Council, a grassroots leadership program that offers significant contributions to Small Business Majority’s work.
Before joining Small Business Majority, Robert worked with various national nonprofit organizations such as the National Homelessness Law Center and the ALS Association, where he was responsible for diversifying revenue programs and strengthening existing corporate partnerships. Most recently, Robert served as Business Operations Specialist with the Society for Human Resource Management, a professional association dedicated to empowering people and workplaces by advancing HR practices and by maximizing human potential.
Robert serves as a member of Small Business Majority’s DEI Council.
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Kathleen E. Berry, PHR
Vice President, Operations
Kathy Berry directs Small Business Majority’s finance, human resources and administrative operations. She has more than 35 years of business management experience, including more than 20 years in small entrepreneurial environments, having helped grow three small businesses in the arenas of healthcare, interactive technology and online education. She also has held senior positions with companies and organizations focused on technology, law and housing.
Prior to joining Small Business Majority 11 years ago, Kathy served as a Director at iMind Education Systems and as Director of Operations for ACI Interactive, where she oversaw administration, human resources and accounting. Immediately before joining Small Business Majority, she was Human Resources Manager for Freed & Associates, a boutique healthcare consulting firm. She serves as Small Business Majority’s Secretary-Treasurer.
Kathy serves as Co-Chair of Small Business Majority’s DEI Council.
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Bianca Blomquist
California Policy Director & Northern California Outreach Director
Bianca Blomquist manages Small Business Majority’s legislative efforts statewide and outreach efforts in Northern California. She develops relationships with small business owners and stakeholders to empower the voice of small businesses in California. Bianca leads the Federal, State and Grant Assistance Committee for the City of San Jose small business task force on COVID-19 and serves as liaison to the Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy (JEDE) Committee in the California state legislature. She also serves on the Steering Committee for the California Asset Building Coalition (CABC), on an outreach advisory group for Covered California, and on the Board of California Main Street Alliance (CAMS).
Prior to joining Small Business Majority, Bianca served as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill for a member of the House Financial Services Committee. She lobbied for five years on healthcare, transportation, labor and trade issues in Washington, D.C. Throughout her career, Bianca has campaigned in California, Minnesota and Wisconsin on state and national initiatives that impact the status of working families throughout the country.
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Tasha Brown
Midwest Director
Tasha directs Small Business Majority's outreach, education and policy efforts in the Midwest region from our Chicago office where she focuses on enhancing financial security for small business owners, their employees and their families.
Tasha has a breadth of experience across multiple industries and disciplines including government, education and entrepreneurship. Before joining Small Business Majority, Tasha worked with more than 300 entrepreneurs to help them launch or grow their business. She led the Illinois Small Business Development Center at the South Suburban location of the Women’s Business Development Center. Tasha is a member of the 2023 Chicago Foundation for Women’s Willie’s Warriors Leadership cohort, the Global Partnership for Poverty and Entrepreneurship at the Keouogh School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame, and the Governing Council of Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center where I serve as the UCC Clergy Representative. She was the 2020 recipient of the Economic Development Award from the South Suburban Small Business Association. She has spoken frequently with the media to share her insights on the state of Black-owned businesses in the South suburban area of Chicago.
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David Chase
Vice President, Policy & Advocacy
David Chase is responsible for setting Small Business Majority's policy agenda and developing a corresponding advocacy strategy, in collaboration with our federal government affairs team and state policy directors. Before joining Small Business Majority in 2010, he served in the office of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, where he built coalitions with business and other stakeholder groups to advance the governor's agenda. David was part of the team responsible for building the coalition behind Governor Schwarzenegger's 2007 bipartisan healthcare reform proposal.
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Rebekah Chase
Controller
Rebekah Chase is Small Business Majority's Controller. She maintains the organization’s accounting systems, prepares financial reports and assists in budget development. She also works with the Grants department to prepare, review and report on grant contracts.
Rebekah has more than a decade of experience in the non-profit, private and public sectors that includes fiscal planning, auditing and administering employee benefit programs. Before joining Small Business Majority more than five years ago, she was the Director of Accounting for a school district in California where she oversaw budget development, accounts payable/receiveable and other business operations. Rebekah began her career doing bookkeeping and auditing at a small business.
Rebekah recently successfully completed her Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP) Advanced instruction program through The Nonprofit CPA’s Alliance.
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Josaline Cuesta
California Program Director
Josaline Cuesta manages the execution of Small Business Majority’s programs and initiatives throughout the state of California in collaboration with the California team. Additionally, she directs the organization's Central Valley and Southern California offices and develops and fosters strong relationships with business organizations, community organizations and policymakers. Josaline serves as a member of the 2022 Entrepreneurship & Economic Mobility Task Force (EEMTF) under the office of the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. She also serves on the Coordinating Council for Inland Economic Growth & Opportunity (IEGO) and is a co-lead on the CA FWD’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business Ownership by People of Color policy work group.
Prior to joining Small Business Majority, Josaline worked in the private and public sector for almost two decades. Most recently Josaline led community engagement initiatives and large-scale outreach programs for local government. She has also directed office operations for a state elected official and spearheaded the creation of a customer service department for an online startup company. In her spare time, she is a member of the National Charity League, Inc. Riverside Chapter, a board member of the Riverside County Parks Foundation, and a board member of the Pick Group of Young Professionals. She's fluent in Spanish.
Directora de Programas de California
Josaline Cuesta administra la ejecución de los programas e iniciativas de Small Business Majority en todo el estado de California en colaboración con el equipo de California. Además, ella dirige la oficina de la organización en el sur y el valle central de California y desarrolla y fomenta relaciones sólidas con organizaciones comerciales, organizaciones comunitarias y legisladores. Josaline se desempeña como miembro del Grupo de Trabajo bajo la Oficina de Desarrollo Comercial y Económico del Gobernador de California (EEMTF por sus siglas en inglés). Ella también es miembro del Consejo de Coordinación para el Crecimiento y la Oportunidad Económica de Inland (IEGO) y es codirectora del grupo de trabajo sobre políticas de CA FWD’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business Ownership by People of Color.
Antes de unirse a Small Business Majority, Josaline trabajó en el sector público y privado durante casi dos décadas. Más recientemente, Josaline dirigió iniciativas de participación comunitaria y programas de extensión a gran escala para el gobierno local. Ella también ha dirigido las operaciones de la oficina de un funcionario electo estatal y encabezó la creación de un departamento de servicio al cliente para una empresa startup en línea. En su tiempo libre, ella es miembro del capítulo Riverside de National Charity League, Inc., miembro de la junta de la Fundación de Parques del Condado de Riverside, y miembro de la junta Pick Group of Young Professionals. Ella también habla Español.
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Elena Ellingson-Cosenza
Communications Assistant
Elena Ellingson-Cosenza serves as Small Business Majority’s Communications Assistant. She supports the organization’s policy communications, educational content, media outreach, and social media campaigns. Prior to joining Small Business Majority, Elena worked in the Office of Majority Leader Steny Hoyer as a Speechwriting Fellow and interned at CLS Strategies. She also holds a Master’s degree in Political Communication from American University.
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Annemieke Farrow
Director of Development
As Director of Development, Annemieke Farrow oversees Small Business Majority’s development efforts, including identifying potential new funding sources and managing the grant writing department. She also develops strategies to measure the impact of Small Business Majority’s programs and streamline impact data collection across the organization. Previously, Annemieke served as Small Business Majority’s Grants Manager.
Annemieke has a background as a freelance writer and copy editor, and joins Small Business Majority from the foundation realm. Most recently, she worked as the Community Impact Fellow for the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, where she researched new opportunities for grantmaking and supported multiple strategic initiatives. One new initiative worked to increase college completion for underrepresented students in the Sacramento area; Annemieke assisted with program logistics, event planning and the development of assessment protocols. She also supported the Foundation’s capacity-building initiative for local nonprofits, providing direct support for nonprofit staff while collecting and analyzing data to assess program effectiveness and participant learning outcomes.
Annemieke holds a Master of Science in Community Development from U.C. Davis, where she studied community engagement techniques and the importance of community-based initiatives to support lasting change. Her thesis used the lens of youth empowerment to explore how participation in a youth-led philanthropy program impacted the program’s high-school-aged board members.
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Jeremy Flick
Digital Engagement Manager
As Small Business Majority's Digital Engagement Manager, Jeremy Flick works closely with the small business engagement and digital communications teams to maintain and drive continuous improvements to the organization’s small business owner database and direct outreach efforts. He collaborates with team members across the organization to improve digital tools, practices and procedures to ensure a comprehensive digital approach to external small business engagement.
Prior to joining Small Business Majority, Jeremy most recently worked as Director of Digital Marketing and Technology for the Trust for the National Mall, where he oversaw all aspects of the organization’s digital marketing efforts with a specific focus on streamlining processes and providing technical and functional support.
With a background in the visual arts, Jeremy also maintains an active studio practice as an artist. His works have been exhibited nationally and his paintings are included in numerous private, corporate and academic collections throughout the U.S. and in Europe.
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Ira Gotliboym
Research Analyst
Ira Gotliboym is Small Business Majority’s Research Analyst. He helps conduct research on public policy issues surrounding small businesses, assists with developing questions for surveys and polls, analyzing research findings, and helps with managing research vendor relationships.
Before joining Small Business Majority, Ira was an Economic Research Fellow at the Small Business Administration- Office of Advocacy, where he provided economic data on small businesses to media outlets and congressional staff. In addition, he aided with reviewing economic impacts of federal policies on small businesses. During his fellowship, Ira released two fact sheet publications on the breakdown of immigrant ownership throughout small businesses.
Ira holds a Master’s degree in Applied Economics from the University of Maryland and Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Rutgers University.
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Mark Herbert
Chief Strategy Officer
Mark Herbert is responsible for organizational strategy and works closely with the CEO to implement the strategic direction for Small Business Majority. He also leads emerging national, mission-aligned initiatives in addition to overseeing fundraising and development for the organization. In these roles, he operationalizes new initiatives and identifies and develops funding partnerships for Small Business Majority. Through his work in California, Mark is a member of the Governance & Allocation Committee for the California Rebuilding Fund and the Equity at Work Council for ReWork the Bay.
Previously, Mark served as the organization’s Vice President of California, California Director, Project Manager and Outreach Manager in California where he developed strong relationships with small business owners and business organizations across the state. Prior to joining the organization more than eight years ago, he worked for state and federal lawmakers where he directed business operations and built relationships with small business owners and key stakeholders as they pertained to public policy issues. He also serves on the advisory boards for the Northern California Small Business Development Centers network (which oversees a total of 18 SBDCs in California). Additionally, he serves on the board of directors for the California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity (CAMEO) and TMC Community Capital.
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Lisa Marlow
Media Relations Manager
Lisa Marlow is the Media Relations Manager for Small Business Majority. She brings more than 10 years of experience in strategic communications to the team. In her role, she is responsible for planning and executing all media relations campaigns and strategies at the national, state and local levels.
Before Small Business Majority, Lisa was most recently Director of Strategic Communications at Subject Matter, where she raised the profile of clients with reporters and ensured new client resources were prominently placed in top-tier digital/print outlets. Before Subject Matter, she served as the Manager of Media Relations and Communications at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, where she drove effective and efficient communication for four years on the need to increase affordable housing for people in low-income communities.
Lisa serves as a member of Small Business Majority’s DEI Council.
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Taija McRae
Engagement Assistant
Taija McRae supports the organization's small business engagement efforts by interviewing small business owners, collecting stories and important small business owner data, and working collaboratively with the Outreach Team to facilitate educational events. She is a recent graduate of Bowie State University, and she previously worked at TEKsystems Inc as a payroll/accounts receivable specialist where she managed large accounts and supported several account managers. In her spare time, Taija volunteers for a scholarship program called ScholarCHIPs Inc., where she mentors and provides support to college students with incarcerated parents.
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Cassie Mills
Vice President, Communications
Cassie Mills oversees implementation of the organization's internal and external communications efforts, including state and national media outreach, social media and digital marketing, organization websites, reports and more. She also contributes to the organization’s communications efforts by writing reports, web content and media materials. Previously, Cassie served as the organization's Communications Manager and Senior Communications & Research Associate.
Prior to joining Small Business Majority in 2013, Cassie provided strategic communications support to the U.S. Department of Energy, where she focused on storytelling and promoting success stories of projects supported by the Department. She has worked as a writer and editor in a variety of sectors, including at the Louisiana state legislature, universities and research and nonprofit organizations.
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Mayra Ordonez
Bilingual Communications Manager
As Small Business Majority’s Bilingual Communications Manager, Mayra coordinates the organization’s bilingual communication efforts to reach and engage the monolingual and bilingual Latino business community. In addition to this work, she manages content for Venturize, our educational portal, and supports the organization's media relations efforts. Previously, Mayra served as Small Business Majority’s Communications Assistant.
Prior to joining Small Business Majority, Mayra interned at several organizations in Washington, D.C., including the United Nations Foundation, Georgetown University, the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Department of Human and Health Services. Mayra also holds a Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Georgetown University. She's also fluent in Spanish.
Gerente de Comunicaciones Bilingüe
Como Gerente de Comunicaciones Bilingüe de Small Business Majority, Mayra coordina los esfuerzos de comunicación bilingüe de la organización para alcanzar y colaborar con la comunidad empresarial latina monolingüe y bilingüe. Además de este trabajo, ella desarrolla el contenido para Venturize, nuestro portal de educación, y apoya los esfuerzos de colaboración de la organización con los medios de comunicación. Anteriormente, Mayra se desempeñó como la Asistente de Comunicaciones de Small Business Majority.
Antes de unirse al equipo de Small Business Majority, Mayra realizó pasantías en varias organizaciones de Washington, D.C., incluyendo la Fundación de las Naciones Unidas, la Universidad de Georgetown, el German Marshall Fund de los Estados Unidos, y el Departamento Federal de Servicios Humanos y de Salud. Mayra también tiene una Maestría en Mercadeo y Comunicaciones de la Universidad de Georgetown. Ella también habla Español.
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Meghan Ott
Digital Communications Manager
As Small Business Majority's Digital Communications Specialist, Meghan Ott manages the organization's social media accounts, handles event promotion and creates marketing and educational materials. She also supports the organization's engagement efforts by interviewing and writing profiles of small business owners. Meghan previously served as an intern for Small Business Majority's communications team and before that, she interned at Women for Women International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching women in conflict-affected areas financial literacy and vocational skills. Prior to working at Women for Women International, she interned at SHIFT Communication, a PR agency in Boston.
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Xiomara Peña
Vice President, Programs & Engagement
Xiomara Peña is responsible for organizational visibility by leading Small Business Majority’s Outreach and Engagement departments. Working with other senior executives of Small Business Majority, Xiomara plans, develops and drives initiatives for the organization towards building a more inclusive and equitable economy that directly benefits entrepreneurs in underserved communities. Alongside the organization’s small business engagement team, she works collaboratively on strengthening relationships with policymakers, small business owners, and organizations across the country to amplify our equity lens in all areas of our work. Xiomara has extensive experience supporting small businesses, particularly those run by people of color, women, and immigrants.
She currently serves on the Advisory Council for Support Latino Business, Steering Committee for Policy Entrepreneurs Awards Program led by Common Future and she is a co-chair for Small Business Majority's DEI Council. She was one of 10 leaders selected as a LinkedIn Top Voice in 2019 under the Entrepreneurship & Small Business category. In 2019, Xiomara served on Governor Newsom’s Paid Family Leave Task Force. She's also fluent in Spanish.
Xiomara serves as Co-Chair of Small Business Majority’s DEI Council.
Vice Presidenta, Programas y Colaboraciones Estratégicas
Xiomara Peña es responsable de la visibilidad organizacional al liderar los departamentos de Alcance Comunitario y Colaboraciones Estratégicas de Small Business Majority. Al trabajar con otros ejecutivos de Small Business Majority, Xiomara planifica y desarolla iniciativas de la organización para construir una economía más inclusiva y equitativa que beneficie directamente a los empresarios en comunidades marginadas. Junto con el equipo de Colaboraciones Estratégicas, ella trabaja para fortalecer relaciones con legisladores, propietarios de pequeñas empresas y organizaciones en todo el país para amplificar nuestra perspectiva de equidad en todos los ámbitos de nuestro trabajo. Xiomara tiene amplia experiencia en el apoyo a pequeñas empresas, en particular aquellas dirigidas por personas de color, mujeres, e inmigrantes.
Actualmente ella forma parte del Consejo de “Support Latino Business,” Comité Ejecutivo del Policy Entrepreneurs Awards Program liderado por Common Future y ella es co-presidenta del Consejo DEI de Small Business Majority. Ella fue uno de los 10 líderes seleccionados como LinkedIn Top Voice en el 2019 en la categoría de Emprendimiento & Pequeñas Empresas. En 2019, Xiomara sirvió en la Fuerza de Tarea de Permiso Familiar Pagado del Gobernador Newsom. Ella también habla Español.
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Tanya Perea Doose
Colorado Outreach Manager
Tanya Doose manages Small Business Majority's outreach efforts in Colorado. She brings decades of experience in banking, education, marketing, and management. Most recently, she supported businesses as CEO and Director for the Western Garfield County Chamber of Commerce where she represented hundreds of businesses in three rural, regional communities in Western Colorado.
Born and raised in Colorado, Tanya is passionate about advocating for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and business diversity. She pursues solutions to problems generated by today's evolving business market through education and innovation. Tanya is fluent in Spanish.
Gerente de Alcance Comunitario en Colorado
Tanya administra los esfuerzos de alcance comunitario de Small Business Majority en Colorado. Ella trae decadas de experiencia en banca, educación, mercadeo, y administración. Más recientemente, ella proporcionó apoyo a las empresas como directora de la Cámara de Comercio del Condado Western Garfield, en donde representó cientos de empresas en tres comunidades regionales rurales en el oeste de Colorado.
Nacida y criada en Colorado, a Tanya le apasiona defender las pequeñas empresas, los empresarios y la diversidad empresarial. Ella busca soluciones a los problemas creados por los cambios en el mercado empresarial a través de la educación e innovación. Tanya habla español.
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Brian Pifer
Vice President, Research & Insights
Brian oversees Small Business Majority’s research initiatives, including scientific opinion polling, focus groups and economic research. This research provides policymakers, advocates and others in the entrepreneurial ecosystem with the information they need to navigate complex small business issues. Brian leads the design, execution and reporting on these multidisciplinary research projects and manages Small Business Majority's s Insights program, which provides custom private research and subscription services for partners interested in understanding entrepreneurs' needs, challenges and opportunities.
Brian also manages Small Business Majority's Venturize platform, the one-stop educational hub for the nation's entrepreneurs. Prior to joining Small Business Majority eight years ago, Brian was an editor and reporter at daily newspapers in Northern California, covering small business and other issues.
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Awesta Sarkash
Public Policy Director
Awesta Sarkash directs Small Business Majority’s policy initiatives federally and in New Mexico. She is charged with tracking legislative and regulatory developments and maintaining a knowledge of policies across multiple states. Additionally, Awesta serves as the Vice Chair of the Responsible Business Lending Coalition.
Prior to joining Small Business Majority, Awesta served as the Director of Advocacy and Communications at the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED), a nonprofit membership association that supports the community development sector in DC. She was responsible for facilitating the development and execution of CNHED’s budget and policy advocacy strategies across a broad range of community development issues, including workforce development, small business entrepreneurship and neighborhood-based commercial corridors. Prior to joining CNHED, Awesta served as the grassroots and advocacy manager for the American Land Title Association. She also served as assistant director for the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies’ Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute at American University and in Brussels for the European Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute.
Originally from Afghanistan, Awesta grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico and received her Master’s in Political Science from American University in Washington, D.C. with a focus on American politics and advocacy. In 2022, Awesta was awarded the Top 20 in 2022 Advocacy Professional Award by the Advocacy Association.
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Rachel Shanklin
Georgia Director / National Women's Entrepreneurship Director
Rachel Shanklin directs Small Business Majority’s outreach, education and policy efforts in the state of Georgia by building and maintaining strategic partnerships, educating businesses throughout the state on key issues, and working on statewide policy efforts. She also manages Small Business Majority’s national outreach to women entrepreneurs and women's business organizations. Rachel is passionate about advancing policy to enable small business owners to create quality jobs in Georgia and to increase access to financial services and equity for entrepreneurs.
Prior to joining Small Business Majority, Rachel worked as the Government Affairs Manager for the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, where she advocated for the enactment of sound health and hospital laws, rules and regulations to improve Georgia’s healthcare system. She previously interned as a policy and research analyst for the Georgia State Senate, the Georgia Department of Public Health and the Office of the Georgia Lieutenant Governor. Rachel also has professional experience in grassroots advocacy and political campaigns. While working towards her Master of Public Health at Georgia State University, Rachel conducted research for a statewide policy tank that focused on analyzing tax policies and proposed budgets in Georgia.
Rachel serves as a member of Small Business Majority’s DEI Council.
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Eszter Szocska
Digital Communications & IT Director
Eszter Szocska manages Small Business Majority's websites, databases, online communications and other IT functions. Prior to joining Small Business Majority more than 10 years ago, she worked as the website administrator at Green-Wifi, a small business specializing in the development of solar-powered Wi-Fi grid networks for schools in the developing world. Previously, she spent nine years in Tokyo where she cofounded FCC International, a small web services company. A native of Hungary, Eszter is fluent in both Hungarian and Japanese.
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Sara Thibodeau
Grant Writer
Sara Thibodeau writes and reports on grants for Small Business Majority. In addition to previously working as a grant writer and project manager for a series of Boston-based workforce development initiatives, she has held management positions at two tech startups. Sara is passionate about entrepreneurship and has often volunteered her time to advise small businesses, both in the U.S. and while traveling and living abroad. Sara earned her bachelor's degree in International Relations and her master's degree in International Business from the University of Denver. She is fluent in French and conversational in Portuguese and Spanish.
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Lindsey Vigoda
Colorado Director & National Quality Jobs Policy Director
Lindsey Vigoda directs Small Business Majority’s outreach, policy and fundraising efforts in Colorado. Using her social work skills, Lindsey builds and maintains strong relationships with small business communities throughout the state, focusing on key policy issues. Previously, she served as Colorado Outreach Manager, coordinating the organization's education and small business outreach across the state. In addition to her Colorado Director role, Lindsey serves as Small Business Majority’s National Quality Jobs Policy Director to promote policies such as paid family leave and child care to support access to quality jobs.
Prior to joining Small Business Majority, Lindsey worked on Colorado’s successful Proposition 111 campaign, which capped the interest rates of predatory payday loans in the state. While working towards her Master of Social Work at the University of Denver, Lindsey conducted policy research for a statewide policy tank that focused on economic justice. She recently joined Denver Mayor-elect Mike Johnston's transition team as a volunteer to inform policies related to social equity and innovation.
Lindsey serves as a member of Small Business Majority’s DEI Council.
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