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SBA Announces New Head of International Trade: Meet Gabriel Esparza Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. SBA Office of International Trade Export Newsletter - February 2, 2022 Meet Gabriel Esparza, SBA’s New Associate Administrator of International Trade Please join us in welcoming Gabriel J. Esparza, the new Associate Administrator for the Office of International Trade (OIT). In this role, Mr. Esparza leads SBA’s efforts to expand U.S. exports by providing expertise and technical assistance to small business exporters, advancing favorable trade policy that ensures access to foreign markets, and offering grants and other trade financing solutions. “Small businesses have always served as the driver of job growth in our economy and that is particularly relevant as we emerge from two years in a pandemic. We hope to be at the forefront of that recovery by supporting small business exporters – those in traditional export sectors like manufacturing, wholesale, and agriculture, as well as the emerging digital economy,” Mr. Esparza said. Not all 32 million U.S. small businesses will become exporters, and as such, Mr. Esparza expressed a desire to focus OIT’s outreach efforts on creating relevant awareness in the marketplace through targeted marketing initiatives, and with an added focus on underserved communities and those ‘accidental’ exporters who might be new to exporting using e-commerce tools. When asked what key differentiators he’s found at the Office of International Trade, Mr. Esparza commented, “OIT is uniquely positioned to provide both stimulus grants as well as specific trade finance solutions through an expanding network of lenders. At the same time, we provide education and technical assistance to small business exporters, both directly and through a network of sister organizations that creates an important multiplier effect to the work that we do.” He went on to say, “it’s critical we maintain a customer-centric focus and constantly ask ourselves how we can make our products and services as relevant, efficient, and impactful to exporters.” Mr. Esparza is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience leading businesses, spanning both large corporations and nimble start-ups. Prior to joining the SBA, he was an investor, advisor, and operator in a variety of entrepreneurial ventures. Earlier in his career, Gabe spent 13 years at American Express, including as Vice President of Global Business Development for the Commercial Payments business. He is a frequent guest lecturer at various business schools and currently serves on several non-profit boards, including as a Trustee of Central Piedmont Community College in North Carolina. From 2009 to 2018, Gabe also served on the Board of Civil Service Commissioners for the City of Los Angeles. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in International Relations from Stanford University. “I am so honored to join the team at the SBA Office of International Trade and look forward to getting out to visit with small business exporters, our lending partners, and all the important organizations supporting export promotion across the country.” Please see SBA's Press Release. Join SBA's Next Learn to Trade Virtual Roundtable: "Accessing the Canadian Market" Tuesday, February 8, 2022 2:00pm EDT REGISTER Want to learn about exporting to Canada? Join SBA’s Office of International Trade for the next installment in our new Learn to Trade Roundtable Series on Accessing the Canadian Market. We will be joined by an expert from the U.S. Commercial Service Office in Ottawa, Canada. This session will cover: Overview of the Canadian market and its requirements Learn how to take advantage of USMCA Resources to help you access the Canadian market Are You Concerned About Cybersecurity? Resources to Help The cost of cybercrimes reached $2.7 billion in 2020 alone Even the most prepared and sophisticated business can find itself victim to a cyber attack. In that unfortunate event, a small business should know about avenues to report the cyber attack and getting help at the Federal level. SBA’s International Trade Hotline is increasingly hearing from small businesses on issues related to cybersecurity and a recent a recent SBA survey found that 88% of small business owners felt their business was vulnerable to a cyber-attack. SBA makes small businesses aware that they should report cyber attacks: to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): https://www.cisa.gov/reporting-cyber-incidents; and, to law enforcement, including the FBI https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber. SBA has published resources to help small businesses learn about cybersecurity and protect themselves cyberthreats. Small businesses can review the information on SBA’s cybersecurity website: Stay safe from cybersecurity threats (sba.gov). It includes links to planning and assessment tools and information on best practices. SBA also recently published a blog on Protect Your Small Business from Cybersecurity Attacks (sba.gov). E-commerce and digital trade make it easier for small businesses to access international markets, expanding their customer base, which is a good thing. But as small businesses are conducting more and more business online one aspect that they have to increasingly be prepared for and deal with is cybersecurity. Even brick and mortar businesses need to take steps to protect themselves. But many small businesses do not know where to start or what steps to take. Therefore, we wanted to make sure that our network is aware of U.S. government resources available to help small businesses prepare and deal with cybersecurity. Registration is Open for Trade Winds Middle East & Africa March 6-8, 2022 Join the U.S. Commercial Service in Dubai, UAE for the largest U.S. government-led trade mission and business development forum. Trade Winds will feature meetings with U.S. commercial diplomats from over 20 countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as conference programming and networking. The registration fee is $750 per attendee. Register Now South America Trade Mission and Business Conference May 15-20, 2022 The 2022 Trade Americas, South America Trade Mission and Business Conference program offers U.S. companies the opportunity to explore eleven markets in South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Uruguay. Hosted in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Trade Americas – Business Opportunities in the South America Conference will focus on region-specific sessions, market entry strategies, export compliance, legal, logistics, disaster resilience and recovery and trade financing resources. You will also be able to have prearranged one-on-one consultations with U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service (US & FCS) commercial officers and/or Department of State economic/commercial officers with expertise in commercial markets throughout the region. 2022 South American Trade Mission & Business Conference
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SBA Office of International Trade
Export Newsletter - February 2, 2022
Please join us in welcoming Gabriel J. Esparza, the new Associate Administrator for the Office of International Trade (OIT). In this role, Mr. Esparza leads SBA’s efforts to expand U.S. exports by providing expertise and technical assistance to small business exporters, advancing favorable trade policy that ensures access to foreign markets, and offering grants and other trade financing solutions.
“Small businesses have always served as the driver of job growth in our economy and that is particularly relevant as we emerge from two years in a pandemic. We hope to be at the forefront of that recovery by supporting small business exporters – those in traditional export sectors like manufacturing, wholesale, and agriculture, as well as the emerging digital economy,” Mr. Esparza said.
Not all 32 million U.S. small businesses will become exporters, and as such, Mr. Esparza expressed a desire to focus OIT’s outreach efforts on creating relevant awareness in the marketplace through targeted marketing initiatives, and with an added focus on underserved communities and those ‘accidental’ exporters who might be new to exporting using e-commerce tools.
When asked what key differentiators he’s found at the Office of International Trade, Mr. Esparza commented, “OIT is uniquely positioned to provide both stimulus grants as well as specific trade finance solutions through an expanding network of lenders. At the same time, we provide education and technical assistance to small business exporters, both directly and through a network of sister organizations that creates an important multiplier effect to the work that we do.” He went on to say, “it’s critical we maintain a customer-centric focus and constantly ask ourselves how we can make our products and services as relevant, efficient, and impactful to exporters.”
Mr. Esparza is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience leading businesses, spanning both large corporations and nimble start-ups. Prior to joining the SBA, he was an investor, advisor, and operator in a variety of entrepreneurial ventures. Earlier in his career, Gabe spent 13 years at American Express, including as Vice President of Global Business Development for the Commercial Payments business. He is a frequent guest lecturer at various business schools and currently serves on several non-profit boards, including as a Trustee of Central Piedmont Community College in North Carolina. From 2009 to 2018, Gabe also served on the Board of Civil Service Commissioners for the City of Los Angeles. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in International Relations from Stanford University.
“I am so honored to join the team at the SBA Office of International Trade and look forward to getting out to visit with small business exporters, our lending partners, and all the important organizations supporting export promotion across the country.”
Please see SBA's Press Release.
Want to learn about exporting to Canada? Join SBA’s Office of International Trade for the next installment in our new Learn to Trade Roundtable Series on Accessing the Canadian Market. We will be joined by an expert from the U.S. Commercial Service Office in Ottawa, Canada.
This session will cover:
Even the most prepared and sophisticated business can find itself victim to a cyber attack. In that unfortunate event, a small business should know about avenues to report the cyber attack and getting help at the Federal level.
SBA’s International Trade Hotline is increasingly hearing from small businesses on issues related to cybersecurity and a recent a recent SBA survey found that 88% of small business owners felt their business was vulnerable to a cyber-attack. SBA makes small businesses aware that they should report cyber attacks:
SBA has published resources to help small businesses learn about cybersecurity and protect themselves cyberthreats. Small businesses can review the information on SBA’s cybersecurity website: Stay safe from cybersecurity threats (sba.gov). It includes links to planning and assessment tools and information on best practices. SBA also recently published a blog on Protect Your Small Business from Cybersecurity Attacks (sba.gov).
E-commerce and digital trade make it easier for small businesses to access international markets, expanding their customer base, which is a good thing. But as small businesses are conducting more and more business online one aspect that they have to increasingly be prepared for and deal with is cybersecurity. Even brick and mortar businesses need to take steps to protect themselves.
But many small businesses do not know where to start or what steps to take. Therefore, we wanted to make sure that our network is aware of U.S. government resources available to help small businesses prepare and deal with cybersecurity.
Join the U.S. Commercial Service in Dubai, UAE for the largest U.S. government-led trade mission and business development forum. Trade Winds will feature meetings with U.S. commercial diplomats from over 20 countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as conference programming and networking. The registration fee is $750 per attendee.
The 2022 Trade Americas, South America Trade Mission and Business Conference program offers U.S. companies the opportunity to explore eleven markets in South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Uruguay.
Hosted in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Trade Americas – Business Opportunities in the South America Conference will focus on region-specific sessions, market entry strategies, export compliance, legal, logistics, disaster resilience and recovery and trade financing resources. You will also be able to have prearranged one-on-one consultations with U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service (US & FCS) commercial officers and/or Department of State economic/commercial officers with expertise in commercial markets throughout the region. 2022 South American Trade Mission & Business Conference