Ruth Chavez is the Community Navigator for the SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program a division of National Disability Institute (NDI). She previously worked as a bilingual business consultant and training coordinator for the Maryland Small Business Development Center at the University of Maryland, College Park. In her previous role, she provided technical assistance and relevant business training and events for small businesses throughout the state of Maryland who were impacted by COVID-19. Ruth has over 10 years of experience in working with small businesses with a focus on underserved communities of color and low-income. She also has six years of experience in tax preparation. She worked as a volunteer to provide financial literacy at IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites to provide free tax preparation to low-income and senior communities. Ruth is an entrepreneur herself, always seeking new opportunities with purpose and creativity.