Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Maria Contreras-Sweet's story is the quintessential American dream. After her parents' divorce, Contreras-Sweet immigrated to Los Angeles with her single mother and five siblings, where her mother cleaned houses and worked in a meat-processing plant to provide for all six children.
Contreras-Sweet became interested in politics during high school while working as a secretary for California State Assembly Speaker Leo McCarthy and volunteering for Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign. After high school, Contreras-Sweet attended a community college before transferring to Cal State Los Angeles, where she earned a degree in political science.
Contreras-Sweet's countless successes include starting ProAmerica Bank — the first bank in Los Angeles in over 30 years aimed at serving small- and medium-size businesses in the Latino community — in addition to cofounding the California Endowment. Most recently, Contreras-Sweet was nominated by President Obama to join his cabinet as the head of the Small Business Administration, where she served until Obama's departure from office on Jan. 20, 2017.
