Aída Álvarez

Chair, Latino Community Foundation; and former administrator, US Small Business Administration
aída álvarez

The Honorable Aída Álvarez has been an award-winning journalist, a successful investment banker, and the first Hispanic woman to serve on a President’s Cabinet as Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Ms. Álvarez tripled lending to women and doubled lending to minority owned small businesses. She currently serves on the boards of public companies Hewlett Packard, Inc., Fastly, Stride and Bill. Ms. Álvarez is Chair Emerita of the Latino Community Foundation. She is Commissioner Emerita of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. She is also currently on the boards of the San Francisco Symphony and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Ms. Álvarez was an investment banker at Bear Stearns and First Boston. While a journalist, she won a Front Page Award, an Emmy nomination, and an Associated Press Award for journalistic excellence. A Harvard graduate, Ms. Álvarez holds honorary doctorates from several colleges and universities. She was also on the boards of Pacificare Health Systems, Union Bank of California, Walmart, Zoosk and Oportun.

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