WASHINGTON - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chairman Kimberly A. Reed yesterday addressed more than 50 participants at a Women + Trade virtual panel, hosted by the Atlanta Mayor's Office of International Affairs.

Chairman Reed highlighted how EXIM provides support to minority- and women-owned businesses (MWOBs) through a dedicated group of specialists that work exclusively with MWOBs. She also discussed EXIM's temporary relief measures available to U.S. exporters during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nicole Woods, EXIM business development specialist, also participated as a panelist. 

"As the first woman chairman in EXIM's 86-year history, one of my key priorities is helping U.S. businesses owned and led by women bring their great 'Made-In-The-USA' products and services to the world," said Chairman Reed. "It was an honor to join the Atlanta Mayor's Office and hear from the great women business leaders about their impact on the global economy and how they are managing success in a time of COVID-19. In Fiscal Year 2019, EXIM approved $440.6 million in support of women- and minority-owned businesses and, at times like this when commercial markets are volatile, EXIM stands ready to help."

"Now is a time for women- and minority-owned businesses to seize the unparalleled opportunities in the global marketplace, including those businesses working in the services industry," said Woods. "EXIM's MWOB team appreciates each opportunity to work with groups like the Mayor's International Affairs Office, who are dedicated to empowering women-owned exporters, and we look forward to continuing our work to help MWOBs grow internationally."

Additional panelists included:

• Doll Avant, Founder and CEO, Aquagenuity
• Amy Barbieri, Co-Founder, Chief Revenue Officer, and Vice President of Marketing, VITAL4
• Andal Balu, Founder, Inno Concepts, Inc. and Founder, CocoaTown.com
• Annie Eaton, CEO, Futurus
• Darrel Hulsey, Small Business Development Center UGA
• Nathan Regan, Invest Atlanta
• Michael Theisen-Jones, Metro Atlanta Chamber

In Fiscal Year 2019, MWOB authorizations constituted nearly 18 percent of EXIM's total direct small business support. Over the last decade, EXIM has helped MWOBs throughout the United States, including in the State of Georgia, export to 166 countries around the world.

ABOUT EXIM:

EXIM is an independent federal agency that promotes and supports American jobs by providing competitive and necessary export credit to support sales of U.S. goods and services to international buyers. A robust EXIM can level the global playing field for U.S. exporters when they compete against foreign companies that receive support from their governments. EXIM also contributes to U.S. economic growth by helping to create and sustain hundreds of thousands of jobs in exporting businesses and their supply chains across the United States. In recent years, approximately 90 percent of the total number of the agency's authorizations has directly supported small businesses. Since 1992, EXIM has generated more than $9 billion for the U.S. Treasury for repayment of U.S. debt.

For more information about EXIM, please visit www.exim.gov.