Vice Presidential Pool Reports of May 16, 2023

VP Supplemental Pool #1 - Small Business Roundtable

Good afternoon - I am your pooler for Vice President Harris' small business roundtable with young men of color entrepreneurs.

The VP will provide remarks for pool spray inside the Indian Treaty Room. The event will be live-streamed here.

Roundtable is scheduled to start at 1:20 p.m.

VP Supplemental Pool #2 - Correction on Live Stream

Correction - The event will not be live streamed. I will provide quotes and transcript.

VP Supplemental Pool #3 - Background

Please see background from the Vice President's office:

On Background from a White House Official:
Today, Vice President Harris will convene more than 35 young men of color who are entrepreneurs and business owners. The Vice President will speak to participants about the Administration's work to support small businesses owners and entrepreneurs in the midst of historic small business growth.

Participants come from more than 15 states and will represent a variety of industries, including health care, space, and fashion. This engagement will be the latest in a series of convenings the Vice President has held with young men of color at the White House and on the road to discuss opportunities and resources within the Administration's agenda—from increasing access to capital and federal contracting opportunities to addressing the stigma of seeking mental health services.

In 2021 and 2022, a record 10.5 million applications for new small businesses were filed, the strongest two years on record, and since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, small businesses have created 3.1 million jobs. Recognizing the important role small businesses play in the economy, the Vice President has convened nearly 100 small businesses owners as part of her ongoing leadership to ensure small businesses have the tools and conditions they need to thrive.

The Vice President's Leadership Lifting up Small Businesses

• Throughout her career, Vice President Harris has led efforts support small businesses and entrepreneurs, including by increasing their access to capital.
  • The Vice President has helped ensure that the U.S. economic recovery is the most equitable on record by making sure investments and resources reach communities that have been historically underserved and left behind.
  • After securing more than $12 billion in investments to community lenders and other mission capital providers during her time in the U.S. Senate, she has worked to implement this funding during her Vice Presidency, allowing lenders to expand their efforts to drive inclusive entrepreneurship and create high-opportunity communities.
    • In April, the Vice President announced that Treasury's CDFI Fund has awarded over $1.73 billion in grants to 603 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) across the country through the CDFI Equitable Recovery Program. These funds will strengthen the ability of CDFIs to help low- and moderate-income communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and invest in long-term prosperity.
    • During the summer of 2022, the Vice President announced a first-of-its-kind public-private sector initiative—the Economic Opportunity Coalition (EOC)— a historic public-private partnership of more than 20 private sector organizations that will invest tens of billions of dollars to create opportunity and grow wealth in historically underserved communities.

Additional Background

• The Administration launched a whole-of-government effort to increase by 50% the share of federal contracts for minority-owned small businesses in 5 years, which amounts to a $100 billion investment in minority-owned businesses.

Participants:
- The Vice President
- Deputy Secretary Don Graves, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Under Secretary Donald R. Cravins Jr., Minority Business Development, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Kumar Arora, CEO of Trust Foods
- Brandon Blackwood, Founder & CEO, Brandon Blackwood New York
- David Boone, Co-Founder & CEO, BlendED
- Donald Boone, CEO, BoxedUp
- Antonio Brown Jr., Co-Founder, It Takes One, Inc.
- Cheick Camara, Co-Founder, BlackGen Capital
- Chris Cater, Teach Me Tech
- Deschzunell "DJ" Catlin, Co-Found & COO Equity Space Alliance
- Kemet Coleman, Founder/Director of Marketing & Experiences, Vine Street Brewing
- Demetrius Curry, CEO and Founder, College Cash Inc
- Tim Doe, Owner, No Grease
- Chisa Egbelu, Co-Founder & CEO, PeDul
- Carlton "CJ" Faison, Founder, Face Forward Productions and Emmy Award Winning Producer
- Kier Gaines, Therapist & Mental Health Advocate - Stevens Germain, Co-Founder, Juneteenth NJ
- Mbiyimoh Ghogomu, Co-Founder & CEO Tradebloc
- Demetrius Gray, CEO, Captain
- Tyler Greene, Student, Morehouse College & Climate Leader
- Ernest Holmes, President & Co-Founder, CODEHOUSE
- Ryan Johnson, Cxmmunity
- Tony Johnson, Founder, Krio Skincare
- Jeffrey Kyei-Asare, Product Manager, Streetlovedmv
- Chandler Malone, Founder, BootUp
- Justis Pitt-Goodson, CEO and Creative Director of Brownmill Company
- Alexander Perez, CEO, AMP Pediatric Therapy
- Johnathan Rabb, Founder & CEO, Watch the Yard
- Samo Frais, SAMO Cooks
- Anthony Roberts, Executive Director, Owner, Phase 3 Training
- Tomas Santos Alejandro, CEO & Founder, Advent Services
- Sebastien Siclait, Co-Founder & CTO, Clay 3D Design Software
- Ermias Tadesse, Co-Founder, BlackGen Capital
- Travis Terry, Founder, IEMBE
- Isaiah Thomas, CEO, Stay Humble Stay Hungry
- Anthony Watters Jr., Founder, More Watter Co.
- Norris Williford Jr, CEO, MBM Kicks
- Ryan Wilson, CEO, The Gathering Spot

VP Supplemental Pool #4

Vice President Harris welcomed the large room of business leaders at 1:33.

She said they were asked to join because they are leaders and said the administration would listen more than they talk.

The goal, she said, is to grow businesses.

Small businesses represent half of America's workforce.

She commended the business owners for hiring in local communities and inspiring.

She emphasized there were leaders in space and technology, and the need to build a strong clean energy economy.

"The leaders at this table have shown grit and creativity in terms of building their resources and grow ideas to benefit society."

Harris recalled being a senator and when senator received $12 million to invest in community businesses.

"What can we do to strengthen the work we've been doing with community banks"

She said the roundtable will focus on Small businesses owned by people of color and their challenges, and getting them access so that they can compete.

"Access to resources shouldn't be the obstacle .. what is necessary to compete"

VP Harris despite criticism from some, the administration is proud to lift up equity.

"Equity takes into account" that everyone doesn't start at the same level.

"Most importantly we are here today to recognize your excellence and hold it up as models of who we are as a nation."

She turned over the discussion to Deputy Secretary Graves at 1:40pm.

VP Supplemental Pool #5

Assistant Secretary Graves said he comes from a family of business owners and mentioned that he is the descendant of the first graduates of Harris' alma mater Howard University — to which the vice president said, "You know" (a popular slogan of Howard graduates)

From Graves:

"The Minority Business Development Agency the only agency in the federal government created specifically to foster the establishment and the growth of minority owned businesses in this country."

For color, the Vice President appeared very relaxed and smiled a lot throughout his remarks.

Under Secretary of Minority Business Development Donald R. Cravins Jr. began remarks at 1:44 pm.

"For the first time in our nation's history .. [there is a] permanent seat at the table … we no longer [have to] fit a folding chair at the kitchen table on the side."

Cravins said "help is on the way" and it's "here to stay."

Opening remarks from participants began at 1:50pm.

VP Supplemental Pool #7 - Title correction for Graves
[APP Note: See reporter's comment about report numbering in Report #8a.]

Correction: Don Graves is the deputy secretary of Commerce, not assistant secretary.

VP Supplemental Pool #8

VP Harris provided feedback throughout remarks from participants, first beginning at 1:53pm.

She said she wants to make sure that the growing industries in clean energy, such as electric vehicles and solar power, are "applying equitable principles to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to fly."

Harris noted that a college degree isn't necessary to do certain jobs, but skills.

"I don't like the term unskilled labor — all work requires skill."

One participant said he was nervous before speaking, to which VP Harris smiled and encouraged him, saying, "We need to hear what you have to say."

The participant discussed the challenges of growth and knowledge. "I don't know where else to go," he said.

"You hit on such a critical point," said Harris. The VP said helping minority small businesses grow beyond startup capital and "get to the next plateau" is what the administration wants to uplift.

"This is not just about surviving but to thrive and compete," said the VP.

The pool was ushered out after her remarks at 2:04pm.

VP Supplemental Pool #8a - Correction on pool number

Apologies, it appears I skipped pool report #6.

The last two pool reports should've been pool reports 6 and 7.

VP Supplemental pool report #8

VP arrived at the 2023 We Are Emily National Gala at about 6:25 p.m. Pooler was not with the motorcade when it arrived, but can pass on that she will be introduced around 6:45 by Laphonza Butler, president of EMILYs List.

Tonight's gala is in the Anthem on DC southwest waterfront. The event is pretty packed, and guests are currently sipping champagne, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) took the stage as the first speaker at 6:40.

VP supplemental pool report #9

After a short speech from EMILYs List president Laphonza Butler which itself began at 7:22 p.m., the vice president took the state at 7:25 p.m.

Butler praised Harris's work in California, where she said the two had worked together before.

"I can't think of a more a exciting way to start We Are EMILY 2023," said Butler.

Ms Harris took the stage thanking her "dear, dear friend" Laphonza Butler. A rough transcript based on Otter will follow.

VP supplemental pool report #10

A few choice quotes from Harris's remarks:

"These extremists have a plan to take their agenda national."

"These extremist so-called leaders are coming after our health care system as a whole."

"How dare they attack the freedom of American women to make decisions about their own bodies?"

"How dare they make a mockery of these issues? We're not falling for it." (speaking of maternal health, pay equity).

Her remarks ended at 7:46 p.m. Contact me if you need the full Otter transcript; wranglers say a full transcript will be available from the WH tonight.

As we exited, a handful of protesters chanted across the street, 'abortion hurts women, women deserve better.'

VP supplemental pool report #11

Your pooler returned to the White House shortly after 8:00 p.m.; the vice president had already beaten us here, her motorcade having left slightly before us.

That's all, folks.