On November 14th, the Department of Commerce Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships hosted a Muslim American Leaders Convening. More than 150 influential Muslim American leaders from every corner of the U.S. attended, along with 30 Commerce and Interagency speakers and presenters and 15 White House Liaison participants.

Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves and the Small Business Administration (SBA) Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed led with keynote remarks and an armchair conversation, providing their lighthouse viewpoints on how the Department of Commerce and the Small Business Administration help Americans.

They also explained how President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and Equity Agenda impact the Department of Commerce and the SBA and how these efforts have helped Americans with specific regional challenges. Our White House Liaison to American Muslim Communities, Mazen Basrawi, provided greetings from the President, and the Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Tom Perez, shared a special moment with attendees during closing remarks.

The U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Transportation, and Treasury, SBA, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau engaged in meaningful conversations with attendees. They presented on banking, derisking, capital access, business development, entrepreneurship, data use, equity, Halal Food Economy, and Infrastructure issues.

The Department of Commerce panelists provided comprehensive coverage of critical resources and grant opportunities from the International Trade Administration, Minority Business Development Agency, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as requested by the community. The issues covered ranged from minority business development, high-speed Internet connectivity, and access to data and innovation (patents and trademarks) to getting businesses ready to export, ensuring that the audience was well-informed and aware.

Most importantly, our Muslim American community was at the heart of the event, engaging meaningfully and bringing truly important questions, concerns, and recommendations to the table. Their active participation was integral to the success of the event.