sheCenterfold Rebecca Steele

Screen Shot 2017-12-21 at 11.18.06 AM

CEO and President of Sigma Associates, LLC

Rebecca Steele

screen-shot-2016-12-23-at-2-52-21-pm

Rebecca Steele, an incredible courageous woman and mother, reveals her valuable lessons as a senior

executive woman leader. From playing junior Olympics basketball to her excitement in advancing women’s

inclusion, Steele shares her unique journey and what the future holds for her life and career.

NAWRB: What have been the proudest moments in your life, professionally and personally?

Rebecca Steele: Well, I have a lot of proud moments. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my career, but mostly ups. My proudest moments are when I could build successful organizations and was given the opportunity to lead, motivate and execute. A perfect example was the challenge to build, grow and integrate Countrywide and Bank of America’s retail sales platforms. That was huge!

Continue reading

SBA Releases New Research Findings on Diversity Trends in Small Business Investing

screen-shot-2016-12-23-at-2-22-56-pm

In October 2016, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a report, Measuring the Representation of Women and Minorities in the SBIC Program, revealing diversity-related trends in small business investing. In order to address the diversity of SBICs and portfolio company program participants, the SBA approached the Library of Congress’s Federal Research Division with the following inquiries:

  1. How diverse are SBICs in terms of having women and/or ethnic or racial minorities in leadership positions?

     2. Are racially diverse SBICs more likely to invest in small businesses led or owned by women and/or ethnic or racial minorities?

     3. Are gender-diverse SBICs more likely to invest in small businesses led or owned by women and/or ethnic or racial minorities?

     4. How do SBICs led by women and/or ethnic or racial minorities compare in terms of investment performance to non-diverse SBICs?

     5. Are diverse SBICs more likely to invest in low and moderate income (LMI) communities?

Continue reading