SBA Administrator Chooses Lendistry for a Small Business Customer Visit with Special Guests in Los Angeles 

Oct 29, 2024

Oscar Lopez and his team with Administrator Guzman, Mayor Bass, Supervisor Solis, and Everett K. Sands

At the special request of Isabel Guzman, the administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration and a member of the President’s Cabinet, Lendistry arranged an on-site visit to one of the company’s SBA loan customers in Los Angeles for a few special guests.  

Lendistry’s CEO, Everett K. Sands, Administrator Guzman, Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, and Hilda Solis, a member of the Board of Supervisors in LA County’s 1st District, visited Barbershop Lopez in East Hollywood to celebrate the impact of local businesses in the city. 

The meeting occurred just as the Biden-Harris administration announced that over 100,000 small business financings were supported by the SBA this year — the most in the last 15 years. 

“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the SBA has scaled its capital impact, financing a record number of businesses across America in the last fiscal year with help from our growing network of lenders,” said SBA Administrator Guzman. “In Los Angeles, entrepreneurship is surging among Black, Latino, and women entrepreneurs who are accessing SBA loans at historic rates. The SBA is fortunate to collaborate with a broad network of lenders, including Lendistry which helped finance Barbershop Lopez, as we pursue our shared goal of funding the diverse entrepreneurs who define Main Streets across America.” 

Oscar Lopez, owner of Barbershop Lopez, is a recent SBA 7(a) customer of Lendistry. Everett, SBA Administrator Guzman, Mayor Bass, and Supervisor Solis chatted with Lopez about local happenings in LA, the history of his business, and how Lendistry has helped him.  

Speaking about his experience with Lendistry, Lopez said: 

“Lendistry made the whole process so easy. They really simplified things, and without Diego, my accountant, and their support, I wouldn’t have been able to get through all the steps as smoothly.” 

Lopez’s accountant, Diego Ortiz, is also a Lendistry customer himself. Ortiz worked with Lendistry through both Lopez’s and his own funding process.  

After visiting Barbershop Lopez, SBA Administrator Guzman stopped by Lendistry’s headquarters in LA to see firsthand how the company operates to uplift its communities.  

The Lendistry team was proud to see its impact demonstrated through Barbershop Lopez’s journey and to show SBA Administrator Guzman, Mayor Bass, and Supervisor Solis up close how it makes a difference for the small businesses that help their communities thrive.