As the 5th Director of the California Office of Small Business Advocate, Tara Lynn Gray served as a voice for California's 4.2 million small businesses in the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. Under Director Gray's leadership, the California Office of Small Business Advocate helped to bring about Governor Newsom's vision of a California for All through further development of the state’s small business ecosystem and by ensuring that questions about equity and inclusion are the starting point for all the state’s small business programs. Gray administered fourteen different programs at CalOSBA and directed nearly $5.3 billion in state resources.
Immediately prior to her appointment by Governor Gavin Newson, Director Gray led the Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce (FMBCC) and chamber foundation (FMBCF) as CEO. Closing opportunity gaps, the role of women and BIPOC business leaders, and small business procurement are recurrent themes in her advocacy work. She led several regional initiatives including Fresno DRIVE’s Betting Big on Small Businesses, the Clean Shared Mobility Network, and employment and training programs to advance economic mobility. Gray holds a bachelor’s degree in business management, a master’s in Christian studies, and a doctorate in Healthcare Administration.