Alisa D. Sheard currently serves as Program Manager within the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Government Contracting. In this role she manages the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program which serves a portfolio of 5,000+ participating women-owned small businesses. She works to provide a level playing field for women business owners doing business in the Federal marketplace.

Prior to this role, Ms. Sheard began her SBA career by servicing thousands of firms participating in the 8(a) Business Development Program. She has helped numerous small business owners with 8(a) program compliance and evaluated firms for contracting opportunities. She especially enjoyed advising firms on expanding their business development efforts in federal government contracting. She often serves as a trainer and advisor for federal agencies on using the SBA’s small business certification programs to meet their acquisition needs. In December 2021, Ms. Sheard was awarded Agency Advocate of the Year by Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP).

Before joining SBA, Ms. Sheard explored entrepreneurship and endeavored in partnering and franchise ownership. Prior to that, she served on the Web team at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and an MBA from the University of Maryland.