Alejandra-Castillo

In 2014, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker appointed Alejandra Y. Castillo to serve as the National Director of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). Castillo is the first Hispanic-American woman to lead the Agency since its creation. In this capacity, Castillo directs the Agency’s strategic efforts to enhance the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises (MBEs). Under her leadership, the Agency has expanded its effort to help MBEs grow and succeed through access to capital, access to contracts, and access to business opportunities, both domestically and abroad. Prior to assuming this role, she served as National Deputy Director, managing the Agency’s day-to-day operations and its national network of business centers.

Under the Obama Administration, MBDA has assisted minority-owned firms in obtaining nearly $15 billion in contracts and capital, and creating and saving over 33,000 new jobs. Castillo has forged important strategic stakeholder relations and key public-private partnerships. She is active in a number of civic and professional organizations, including the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Hispanic Bar Association of DC, the American Bar Association, and the American Jewish Committee.