Standing Strong Through the Shutdown: How AvantGarde LLC Is Supporting Employees During the Federal Government Shutdown
- AvantGarde, LLC
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Published: October 23, 2025
AvantGarde CEO Rebecca Contreras Featured on News Nation
AvantGarde LLC’s President and CEO, Rebecca Contreras, appeared on News Nation on October 22, 2025, to share how her company is responding with compassion and courage.
Contreras announced a zero-interest bridge-loan program, personally funded by AvantGarde’s owners, to help employees cover essential expenses during the shutdown.
“Our people are the heart of AvantGarde,” said Contreras. “While we can’t control when the government reopens, we can control how we show up for our team. This is our way of leading with compassion and maintaining stability for the people who make our mission possible.”
Leadership in Action: AvantGarde’s Response to the 2025 Government Shutdown
As the federal government shutdown of 2025 continues to disrupt small businesses across the country, more than one million contract employees have been left without pay — including nearly half of AvantGarde LLC’s workforce.
Instead of standing still, AvantGarde’s owners took decisive action to protect its people and uphold its values.
The Hidden Toll on Small Businesses and Federal Contractors
As a former White House official and SBA Small Business Legacy Award Winner, Contreras is using her platform to highlight the often-overlooked impact of the shutdown on small business owners and contract workers.
"The human, financial, and moral damage it’s causing to everyday Americans is shameful,” Contreras emphasized. “Small businesses like mine are the small engine driving the nation’s workforce and economy, so the impact of the shutdown is deeply felt and personal."
Since the start of the shutdown:
50% of AvantGarde’s active federal projects have been paused or delayed
49% of its workforce is on leave without pay or reduced hours
Employees are losing more than $200,000 per pay period
Over $1 million in completed contract work remains unpaid
These are not abstract numbers. They represent families, rent payments, medical bills, food on the table, and livelihoods.
Unlike federal employees, contractors will not receive back pay when the government reopens — making the losses permanent.
A Bridge of Compassion: AvantGarde’s Zero-Interest Loan Program
AvantGarde’s zero-interest bridge-loan program allows impacted employees to request short-term, interest-free loans to help with essentials such as rent, food, and utilities. Funded directly by AvantGarde’s leadership team, the program enables repayment through future payroll deductions once operations resume — a lifeline for workers hit hardest by the shutdown. As Contreras said on News Nation — "this isn’t about politics. It’s about the human impact to real people."
“This isn’t about taking sides,” said Contreras. “It’s about protecting the backbone of America’s workforce.”
People First, Always
At AvantGarde, compassion isn’t just a value — it’s a practice.
“True leadership means caring for people first — always.”
Even in the face of national uncertainty, AvantGarde LLC stands as a model for what people first, purpose-driven leadership looks like in action.
About AvantGarde LLC
AvantGarde LLC is a management consulting firm providing strategic human capital, IT, and organizational development solutions to public and private-sector clients nationwide.
About Rebecca Contreras
Rebecca Contreras is the President and CEO of AvantGarde LLC, a management consulting firm specializing in human capital, IT, and organizational solutions for government and private-sector clients. With over 25 years of leadership experience in both public service and business — including as Chief Human Capital Officer for the U.S. Department of the Treasury and a Commissioned Officer in the White House — Contreras leads with empathy, integrity, and results.
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