Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is forming a team that will focus on the interests and needs of small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout Los Angeles, the city announced. The initiative is being led by the mayor’s Office of Economic and Business Policy. The team will focus specifically on eliminating obstacles for small businesses and identifying resources that result in growth and job creation. “Los Angeles has more small businesses than any other city in the country and are the economic engine of our economy,” Villaraigosa said. “We expect this new initiative to help unlock the doors to much-needed resources for the small business community as well as provide them with an advocate solely dedicated to their specific needs.” The team will undertake three main roles. It will serve as the main point of contact for the broader small business community to enable businesses to interact more efficiently with the city. It will work directly with city departments to ensure that the needs of small businesses are being adequately addressed. And it will identify and mobilize resources available to small businesses from the city, state and federal governments. The effort will include Todd Wilson, who has more than 15 years experience as an investor, board member and advisor to small and mid-sized companies. He most recently served as a principal at American Capital. Others team members include Linda Smith, executive director of the Minority Business Opportunity Center; Marcella Ayala, director in the mayor’s Office of Economic and Business Policy; and Peter Vu, Los Angeles City Fellow. The mayor has also formed the Small Business Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from the small business, academic and financial communities in Los Angeles. The committee’s role will be to direct strategy and ensure that the small business community’s needs are being met. The team’s efforts have already led Goldman Sachs to choose Los Angeles as a pilot city for its 10,000 Small Businesses program, which will provide $20 million in loans to small businesses in underserved communities. Jessica Selva