National

Awesta Sarkash directs Small Business Majority's policy and education work in Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. She also helps coordinate Small Business Majority's state policy and advocacy strategy to ensure policy alignment across all state offices. Additionally, Awesta leads the organization's policy work on access to capital, criminal justice reform and auto-IRA retirement savings programs by tracking legislative and regulatory developments, and serving as a subject-matter expert on these issues.

A visionary who started her now award-winning, multi-million-dollar business with a personal investment of $500, Ms. LaJuanna Russell has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of business operations and government contracting. She is particularly practiced in the areas of human resource management and process improvement and is a sought-after speaker on topics such as Future of Work, leadership, diversity and inclusion, entrepreneurship, and women in government contracting.

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.

Harland Henry is the founder and owner of SunBiz Showcase Alliance, LLC., an economic and community development advocacy company focused on the development of small enterprises based in Tampa, Florida. Harland has a history of working with and promoting the development and building of relationships for small businesses. Before relocating to Florida, he created a state-wide program in Connecticut to develop, sustain and grow small businesses under the banner of the Office of the Secretary of the State.