"This past March, a federal court in Texas decided that even though minority business enterprises “have far less access to capital and credit…due to racial discrimination in lending markets,” Congress violated the Constitution by requiring MBDA to presume that members of specified minority groups experienced discrimination or had impaired ability to compete due to fewer capital and credit...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 25, 2024) – The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) invites nominations for the 41st Annual National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Awards. These awards honor the exceptional achievements of entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations dedicated to advancing business enterprises within underrepresented communities. For more than fifty years, the U.S...

PEARLAND, TX (June 17, 2024) – On Monday, June 17, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development, Eric Morrissette, traveled to Pearland , Texas to meet with Congressman Al Green (TX-09) and Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), and talk with constituents about the local minority business enterprise (MBE) eco-system, the needs of the LGBTQ+ business community, and resources...

MIAMI (June 7, 2024) – On Wednesday, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development Eric Morrissette convened a panel in Miami, Florida for minority business enterprises, as an addition to the Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) National Training Conference (NTC). Entitled Investing in Our Communities: Minority Business Development Agency Panel , the Acting Under...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 3, 2024) – On Friday, May 31, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) held the first-ever meeting of the Minority Business Enterprise Advisory Council (MBEAC). The MBEAC held its inaugural meeting to provide an orientation for new committee members and an overview of future work products to fulfill the Council’s charter and statutory...

SEATTLE (May 21, 2024) – On Thursday, May 16th, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development Eric Morrissette traveled to Seattle to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the Port of Seattle. The MOU between MBDA and the Port of Seattle requires collaboration in building public awareness and educational outreach...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 13, 2024) — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month by hosting the National AANHPI Business Summit. The summit will take place on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, from 12:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. ET in Washington D.C. in collaboration with the National Asian...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 8, 2024) – MBDA hosted 43 Capital Readiness Program (CRP) awardees from across the nation for its first implementation meeting at the U.S. Department of Commerce. The two-day program convened awardee administrators and directors for an opportunity to meet Department of Commerce and MBDA staff, network within their cohort, and receive valuable program information. The CRP is a...

CHICAGO (May 3, 2024) – Eric Morrisette, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development, traveled to Chicago for the Department of Defense (DoD) Small Business Training Week 2024 (SBTW24), where he met with Mr. Farooq Mitha, Director of the DoD Office of Small Business Programs for a fireside chat at the Hilton Chicago. During the chat, the two leaders discussed MBDA’s unique...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 1, 2024) – Eric Morrisette, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), joined the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP) Legislative Summit 2024 at the White House, where he participated in a panel discussion with Cabinet Members and other leaders to highlight the Administration’s accomplishments for the Latino community...

ATLANTA (April 29, 2024) – Eric Morrissette, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development traveled to Atlanta to kick off the first stop of Vice President Kamala Harris’ nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour with a panel discussion at the Georgia International Convention Center.   The conversation was focused on programs and initiatives created to uplift economic...

WASHINGTON, DC, March 8, 2024 – Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) hosted the Divine Nine Sororities, The National Council of Negro Women, The Links Incorporated, The Black Women’s Agenda, and The National Coalition of 100 Black Women at the White House. During this event, MBDA memorialized Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with each...

Mr. Eric Morrissette and the Minority Business Development Agency have released a statement to the Nuziard v MBDA court decision. Read exactly what Mr. Morrissette and MBDA have to say in response here.

... "55 years ago, President Richard Nixon established the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). Now authorized by a bipartisan coalition in Congress and codified by President Biden, the MBDA has been committed to providing the programs, services, and initiatives needed for businesses to achieve economic success and prosperity. This week, a federal court in Texas said that while minority...

Mr. Eric Morrissette, performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Minority Business Development, and the Minority Business Development Agency wish everyone a Happy Black History Month!