Biden Campaign Press Release - Small Business for Biden and Business Leaders for Biden United Entering Final GOTV Push with Broad, Inclusive Coalition

Joe Biden Will Be the Jobs President and Build an Economy That Works for Everyone. When Main Street Shows Up, We Win

From the earliest days of the campaign, Biden for President has worked to build a strong, inclusive and broad coalition of America's business owners and leaders who would lift and carry the vision of Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris of positive, sustainable growth and building back better, together. The result was the creation of two vibrant coalitions: Small Business for Biden-Harris and Business Leaders for Biden-Harris. Over the course of this campaign, these coalitions have come together in support of the Biden-Harris plan to rescue and revitalize Main Street, USA.

These coalitions have each grown to include hundreds of America's leading voices in entrepreneurship, small business creation, access to capital and most importantly, people who are small business owners themselves, working to weather the storm of President Trump's mishandling of the COVID pandemic.

For months, these leaders have been organizing and speaking out to spread the word that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have an economic plan that will bring us out of the COVID-19 pandemic faster and more sustainably, create millions more jobs and put us back on a path of growing opportunity and prosperity for all Americans. In the leadup to National Small Business Week, members of each group joined together to form the Biden-Harris Small Business and Entrepreneurs Advisory Council, working directly with the campaign to mobilize and engage the business and entrepreneur community.

As these two groups entered the final days of the campaign, they have joined phone banks, emailed customers and fellow business leaders, helped counter Trump campaign misinformation and helped share a positive economic vision on television, online, and at business roundtables in battleground states across the country.

Now these two groups are spending the final days of the campaign getting out the vote together, uniting behind a common message: When Main Street Shows Up, We Win

Join them by signing up at joebiden.com/smallbusiness.

Small business owners and entrepreneurs, especially women and people of color, are at the center of this campaign and the Small Business for Biden-Harris and Business Leaders for Biden-Harris coalitions. As we work to get out the vote in the final days of this election, their work will be essential to winning this fight.

Highlights from our Business Coalitions for Biden

When the pandemic hit early in the year and the Biden for President campaign went virtual, Small Business for Biden and Business Leaders for Biden began holding roundtables, virtual trainings and listening sessions to hear directly from business owners about how the pandemic was affecting them, their businesses, their employees, their customers and their families.

Since then, both business coalitions have launched numerous successful event series including Shop Talk, Make it Happen Mondays, Mobilize Main Street, Battleground Business Leader Briefings, Still I Rise, Young American BEST (Business & Entrepreneur Speaker Talks), as well as a series of national and battleground business roundtables featuring some of America's leading voices in business and entrepreneurship.

The business coalitions have focused on key elements of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's Build Back Better agenda, supporting efforts and hosting events that have included:

Biden for President launched four powerful ads highlighting the voices of small business owners:

• Left Behind, featuring Dina, a small business owner in Arizona

• Anthony, featuring a small business owner in Pennsylvania

• Kimberly, featuring a small business owner in North Carolina

• Celeste, featuring a small business owner North Carolina

Maya Harris, Mark Cuban, Daniel Lubetzky, and Rufus Gifford Discussed the Future of Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship. Click here to watch.

Jill Biden hosted a virtual event with Congressman Ron Kind as Small Businesses Leaders Across Wisconsin Endorse Joe Biden. Watch here.

African Americans for Biden Harris, Black Women for Biden-Harris & Small Business for Biden-Harris co-host "Still I Rise: Back to the Battlegrounds--A Conversation with Black Women Small Business Owners." Watch the video here.

Ice Cream for Joe Biden Event Highlights How Biden-Harris Agenda will Help Small Businesses Build Back Better: VIDEO

Biden for President Hosted a "Mobilize Main Street" Discussion with Jill Biden and Tory Burch. Watch the full conversation HERE.

Business Leaders for Biden-Harris hosted regional Battleground Business Leader Briefings featuring former Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker & Columbia, South Carolina Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin. Click to watch briefings for Midwest, South, Northeast & West Coast.

76 U.S. Mayors Urged Support for Biden-Harris and Call for Federal COVID Rescue for America's Small Businesses in an open letter.

Small Business for Biden-Harris and Business Leaders for Biden-Harris have secured dozens of major national endorsements including from The US Women's Chamber of Commerce, National Gay & Lebisan Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., and lifted the voices of business leaders and small business owners sharing why they support the Biden-Harris ticket:

Rhonda Abrams, USA Today columnist and renowned U.S. small business advocate
"When I see so many small businesses shuttered—and more than 200,000 Americans dead—I am not only heartbroken, I'm angry. If Donald Trump had developed and implemented a national plan to combat Covid-19, many fewer businesses and many fewer Americans would have died…. I am confident that a Biden/Harris Administration will have the competence and character to take on the very difficult work needed in 2021 and beyond to help our country, our economy, and our Main Streets recover."

Mark Cuban, Owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theatres, Magnolia Pictures, and Chairman of cable network AXS
"With Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the White House, we can stop demonizing people and start lifting people up instead. That means building their purchasing power and boosting their ability to invest in themselves and their communities. And that will generate prosperity, enhance our economy and improve conditions for businesses and everyone else."

José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen and ThinkFoodGroup
"We need a President who will manage our country with dignity and grace, take responsibility and lead in the face of crisis, and promote a positive vision of America as a land of opportunity for all. Joe Biden is that President."

Andrew Yang, Entrepreneur
"Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and 2020 has been a nightmare year for them. We need leadership that will prioritize the recovery of shops on Main Street, not the nation's wealthiest corporations. A Biden presidency will help our auto body shops, bakeries, and hometown restaurants keep their doors open and bring back workers — which would be vital to our nation's comeback."

Daniel Lubetzky, Executive Chairman for KIND Snacks
"America has long offered small businesses the reliability of rule of law, fairness, and a strong reputation on the global stage. But diminished respect from foreign governments due to the mismanagement of coronavirus, Twitter edicts that generate industry-wide disruptions, and rising polarization among citizens create volatility that hurts small businesses most. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will bring back a climate of fairness, stability, and global leadership, helping to restore America's role as the best cradle for entrepreneurs and enterprises."

Maria Contreras-Sweet, former Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration
"During my time as SBA Administrator, I saw how small business can be a force for prosperity and good in our country. Unfortunately, small businesses, especially those run by women and people of color, have disproportionately suffered the impact of COVID-19. More than 1 in 5 small businesses now risk permanent closure. I am supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris because they have a plan to help revitalize Main Streets around the country. I know Joe, I've worked with Joe. He and Kamala will fight to provide the resources necessary to help businesses Build Back Better."

Karen Mills, former Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration
"When small businesses were being pummeled by the Great Recession in 2009, they had a champion in Vice President Biden when President Obama called on him to lead the nation's economic recovery efforts. What I know from working with him then is that Joe Biden knows America's small businesses, and I know that he and Senator Harris are ready to take bold steps now to ensure small businesses and their workers get the assistance they need to survive the economic and public health crush of the COVID-19 pandemic."

Marie Johns, former Deputy Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
"The power, the importance, the dynamism, the worth, and the very fabric of our country, of our small businesses, particularly Black-owned businesses in our communities, cannot be overstated. We need a Biden-Harris administration that is going to honor those businesses and get them the support they need to continue to grow or start again in our communities across the country."

David Clunie, Executive Director of the Black Economic Alliance (BEA)
"I want people representing me like Kamala Harris and Joe Biden who want to be as inclusive as possible, to figure out ways to use their limited resources and make sure that they are meeting the needs of different people."

Ron Busby, President & CEO of U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.
"This election is pivotal for Black business owners. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the clear choice for Black businesses in this election. We look forward to working with the Vice President and the Senator to recover, grow, and sustain Black-owned businesses."

Lester Johnson, Owner of Mama J's Restaurant in Richmond, Virginia
"With the heartache of what we're dealing with, from a business standpoint, from a loss of life standpoint, I think Governor Northam has done a really good job, and that's, again, the type of leadership, the steady look at certain situations based on the science and making good decisions that Joe Biden will bring to the national scene."

Esther Lee, Entrepreneur and former Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade
"As a former entrepreneur and government leader, I am excited about the bold new policies proposed by Vice President Biden to support small businesses and entrepreneurs, especially women and minority entrepreneurs, who have been hardest hit during the pandemic."

Senator Ben Cardin, Ranking Member, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee
"Joe Biden and Kamala Harris recognize that our nation's small businesses, including those in underserved and emerging markets, need a level playing field to thrive in today's economy, especially during these unprecedented times."

Sukari Pinnock, MSOD, PCC, Leadership & Management Expert, Washington, D.C.
"There is a role for government to play in helping our businesses grow, be sustainable, and to help create wealth in our communities. What gives me hope is that a Biden-Harris ticket is going to be committed to having the government be accountable for helping our businesses thrive."

Jillian Manus, Managing Partner of Structure Capital
"As a lifelong Republican, an entrepreneur, and investor in new businesses, there is only one option. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will empower the next generation of innovators to solve our common challenges, building the companies which will become the future engines of job creation in this country. Let's invest into them so that they can invest into America."

Christina Sass, Co-founder of Andela
"The America that I know and love was built on entrepreneurship and innovation. Without it, we cease to be unique or competitive. We owe it to the next generation of entrepreneurs to elect a leader that embodies these values and that sets policies that allow them to thrive."

Ben Waxman, Owner of American Roots Clothing Co. in Westbrook, Maine
"The Vice President has outlined a comprehensive Buy American component that is real. When he talks about that, we know he is going to enforce it. Right now, there is an unfair playing field and politicians need to step up and do something about it. I'm very excited to see Vice President Biden be the president who finally enforces that and fights for Maine workers."

Stephen K. Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina
"We need Joe Biden and his clear-eyed, thoughtful and compassionate approach to building America with a focus on our small businesses, and one that recognizes our interdependence with the rest of the world. We can build an equitable, inclusive society in which we all can do well together, and we can do this under the leadership of Joe Biden."

Greg Celestan, Chairman & CEO of Celestar Corp. in Tampa, Florida
"I am an Independent and am a Veteran. I started my business in 2004 after retiring from the Army. I support Joe Biden not because I feel that his economic policies would directly benefit me, I am willing to pay my share of taxes to build infrastructure and create conditions for small businesses to thrive and prosper. I support Joe Biden because I am tired of the current level of divisiveness and I want a President who will be willing to work with either party to develop solutions."

Pilar Guzman Zavala, Owner & CEO of Half Moon Empanadas in Miami, Florida
"I am an immigrant to this country and a small-business owner. On my way to success I almost went bankrupt, my family almost got evicted from our home; yet I persisted. That is what entrepreneurs do. That is what women & minorities do. We have to. I'm supporting Joe Biden & Kamala Harris because they know small businesses are the real engines of this country: jobs, production & growth. The U.S. economy & American prosperity are not measured in how high the stock market is [but] in the health and growth of small businesses."

Jane Castor, Mayor of Tampa, Florida
"America is at a crossroads and we need bold leadership to repair the damage done to main street by this pandemic. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have what it takes to pull American back from the brink. Their grit and determination to mobilize main street will be the fuel so many of these businesses so desperately need."

Carolyn Pitt, Founder & CEO of Film Connx, Atlanta, Georgia
"Joe Biden & Kamala Harris are planning to build America back the way it needs to be, making sure that there's access to capital for innovators including black women, making sure that we have access to networks and partnerships that we need to grow our businesses, making sure that we have influence so that we are a part of a dialogue and a part of the change."

Rep. Eddie Lucio III, Texas House District 38, Texas small business owner
"It's time to restore small business as a priority in the White House. The Biden-Harris ticket is poised to rebuild consumer confidence that is crucial to rebuilding our economy. What happens in this election can be the foundation for America's resilient return to prosperity."

Francesca Hong, Owner of Morris Ramen in Madison, Wisconsin
"We've got to vote and we've got to vote Biden-Harris in November. There is hope and opportunity that always comes from turmoil. History has shown us that. For those who are thinking about starting your own business, know that we need folks more than ever right now to think outside of the box. Vote Biden-Harris."

Jerry Bechard, Owner of The Norske Nook in Osseo, Wisconsin
"It's time we got back to being civil in our dealings with each other and other countries! I support Joe Biden as many of my employees including me have pre existing conditions and am very concerned for them with the upcoming court."

Tom Vilsack, former Governor of Iowa & U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
"Joe Biden and Kamala Harris understand that small business remains the backbone of America's economy especially along the Main Streets in rural and small town America. A Biden-Harris Administration will build back better the American economy by strengthening and expanding access to credit and equity financing to small businesses and entrepreneurs located in rural communities across America."

Anne Zimmerman, President & CPA at Zimmerman & Co. CPAs, Cincinnati, Ohio
"As a small business owner, advisor, and advocate, my support for Joe Biden comes down to one basic tenet — this country will not survive another four years without a leader. We need a leader who cares about everyone in this country, a leader with empathy, and a leader who cares more about small business than about his billionaire cronies and his own pocketbook. Small business led us out of the Great Recession and they can lead us out of this one too; but first, they must survive. For that, we need JOE!"

Jeni Britton Bauer, Founder & Owner of Jeni's Ice Creams, Ohio
"As the female founder of a business based in middle-America, I know the importance of connecting with all my customers and suppliers, regardless of their viewpoints. I started Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams in a local farmers market and I want the next generation of entrepreneurs to have the same opportunities to start small and build in America. I know Joe personally and I believe that the Biden-Harris ticket will continue to provide these opportunities for everyone who has the passion and perseverance to start a new business."

Michael Solomonov, Chef, Owner of Zahav Restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
"I believe that Joe Biden will be a champion for small businesses and their employees and will make sure they have access to the support they need to rebuild. This year's election is truly about the values we hold dear as a nation and I am proud to support Joe Biden for President."

Kareem Afzal, Vice President of PDC Machines in Warminster, Pennsylvania
"As a small business owner doing business in the United States and around the world, I support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris because I believe they will work to restore America's leadership in climate policy at home and supporting efforts abroad. This work will help create tens of thousands of high paying, high tech jobs to put American workers to work boosting our economy, our exports and helping the economy recover."

Tiara Flynn, Owner & CEO of Sumnu Marketing in Henderson, Nevada
"The Biden-Harris ticket is the right choice for America because we need leaders who respect and honor the men and women who fought for and continue to fight for this country, both in & out of uniform. We need leaders who support growth & opportunities for small businesses. As an Air Force veteran and now small business owner, my life is all about service to others & selflessness. I served this country for 9.5 years in the Air Force and I continue to serve this country as a small business owner who helps other small businesses and entrepreneurs to not only grow, but maintain consistency in this game. It's important for us all!"

Marta Loachamin, a realtor from Longmont, Colorado
"We've seen historically in our community how we're going to our comunidad or los primos or nuestros tios to get our financing. We can look at data all day long about the way that functions [and] look at how important liquidity is for small business owners in this country. That's one of the pieces connecting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' platforms and their plans."

Shonda Scott, Founder & CEO of 360 Total Concept
"We are all women in business, we all know about building our own table not waiting for a seat. And we're ready for Biden and Harris to help us move to a brighter and a better history and future for our country."