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Op-Eds
June 4, 2025
The intro to Ria Deshmuk's interview published in Ms. magazine:
Electing women is vital to a healthy democracy. When women are in office, they bring diverse perspectives, champion inclusive policies and often prioritize collaboration over partisanship. The same principle holds true when appointing more women to leadership roles in the private sector. Unfortunately, women face unique challenges and undue burdens that often prevent full and equal participation in our government and economic systems.
Isabel Guzman previously served as the 27th administrator of the Small Business Administration under President Biden and was the fifth Latina woman to serve in the Cabinet. She cites serving in Biden’s Cabinet, which was majority-women and the most diverse Cabinet in U.S. history, as “humbling” and an “honor.”
In April, Guzman was named chair of the Global Risk Advisory Council. In the new role, she leads over 100 of the world’s top business leaders, entrepreneurs and heads of state to discuss top threats to businesses. The Council just produced its first-quarter Reputational Risk Advisory Index, which identifies key factors that could impact public sentiment and economic and political trends. In 2025, those threats include: AI misuse, defunding of DEI programs and proximity to Elon Musk.
In addition to serving as chair of the Global Risk Advisory Council, Guzman is the founder of Avenida Advisors, a business and nonprofit consulting firm specializing in empowering community leaders with practical solutions.
Guzman recently sat down with RepresentWomen’s digital media manager Ria Deshmukh to speak about her transformative journey through the public and private sectors. This is her first in-depth interview since finishing her tenure as the SBA administrator, providing a multifaceted perspective of life as a woman leader in public service and business development.
Read the full interview here.
