Since it was founded in 1969 by President Nixon, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) has been committed to its mission of promoting the growth of minority business enterprises through the mobilization and advancement of public and private sector programs, policy, and research. This mission is grounded in the knowledge that achieving the full potential of the U.S. economy requires that...

Last week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Deputy Secretary Don Graves provided opening remarks at the Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) second annual AANHPI Business Summit . They reaffirmed the Biden Administration’s commitment to an equitable and prosperous future for Asian American (AA), Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (NHPI) workers, entrepreneurs, and businesses...

Proposed Budget Supports Key Commerce Department Initiatives and Programs to Increase Access to Good Jobs, Strengthen Competitiveness in the 21st Century Today, the Biden-Harris Administration submitted to Congress the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2025. Following historic progress made since the President took office—with nearly 15 million jobs created and inflation down two-thirds—President...

Thank you, Manolo, for that introduction. Hello everyone! I’m thrilled to be here to speak with you all about the efforts being made across the Biden-Harris Administration, including over at the Department of Commerce, to support the economic growth and development of Puerto Rico. I’m so pleased to be joined here by Governor Pierluisi and Secretary Cidre, who you all just heard from. I’d like to...

The mission of the U.S. Department of Commerce is to create the conditions for inclusive economic growth and opportunity for all Americans. Last week, in conjunction with Black History Month, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Deputy Secretary Don Graves participated in several events that echo this mission and showcase the Department’s leading role in building an economy in which all can...

Today the U.S. Department of Commerce released the 2023 update to its Equity Action Plan , in coordination with the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government equity agenda. This Equity Action Plan is part of the Department’s efforts to implement the President’s Executive Order on “ Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government ,”...

Network Expected to Provide Access and Opportunity for Black Americans Coinciding with Black History Month, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo hosted the launch of the HBCU CHIPS Network yesterday, a collaboration between several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the Georgia Institute of Technology. This collaboration will help coordinate the resources of these colleges and...

Thank you for that introduction, Kylie. I am grateful for your leadership as the Chief Opportunity and Inclusion Officer at CHIPS. It’s my honor to welcome you to the Department of Commerce, especially as we observe Black History Month. It’s hard to overstate how transformative the CHIPS for America program is going to be for communities across the country. Semiconductors have become integral to...

Thank you for that introduction. Welcome, everyone, to the Commerce Department. And thank you all for your willingness to serve on this commission. America’s growing and vibrant Hispanic communities are a driving force in our economy. I saw it firsthand during my time as Governor of Rhode Island, where the Hispanic population grew by nearly 40 percent in the last decade. More than 375,000 of our...

Today, Donald R. Cravins, Jr., Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development, announced the formation of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) Minority Business Enterprise Advisory Council. As stated in The Minority Business Development Act of 2021, this council will advise and assist MBDA in their mission to promote the growth of minority...