Our Team

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.

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 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. John is conversational in Spanish. 

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mayra Ordonez

Bilingual Communications Specialist

As Small Business Majority’s Bilingual Communications Specialist, 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.

Especialista de Comunicaciones Bilingüe​

Como Especialista 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.

Xiomara Peña

Vice President, Outreach & 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, Alcance Comunitario 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.

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.  

Awesta Sarkash

Public Policy Director

Awesta Sarkash directs Small Business Majority’s policy initiatives federally and in Virginia and New Mexico. She is charged with tracking legislative and regulatory developments and maintaining a knowledge of policies across multiple states. 

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. 

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.