Karen Mills
Karen Gordon Mills | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2009 | |
| 23rd Administrator of the Small Business Administration | |
| In office April 6, 2009 – September 1, 2013 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy | Marie Johns |
| Preceded by | Steve Preston Darryl Hairston (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Maria Contreras-Sweet Jeanne Hulit (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Karen Gordon September 14, 1953 Wellesley, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Barry Mills |
| Education | Harvard University (BA, MBA) |
Karen Gordon Mills (born September 14, 1953) is an American businessperson, author and former government official who served as the 23rd Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). She was nominated by President-elect Barack Obama on December 19, 2008, confirmed unanimously by the Senate on April 2, 2009, and sworn in on April 6, 2009. During her tenure, her office was elevated to the rank of Cabinet-level officer, expanding her power on policy decisions and granting her inclusion in the President's cabinet meetings. On February 11, 2013, she announced her resignation as Administrator and left the post on September 1, 2013.
After leaving the SBA, Mills served as a Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School and Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. She is the president of the investment firm MMP Group, Inc., and has been a regular contributor to Fortune and other publications. She is the author of Fintech, Small Business & the American Dream, released in 2018, and released a second edition of the book in 2024.