This conversation took place between Elias Crim of Ownership Mattars—a biweekly newsletter for the founders and funders of the emerging solidarity economy—and Mission Driven Finance’s co-founder and CEO, David Lynn, and Lauren Grattan, co-founder and Chief Community Officer.
Project Equity and Mission Driven Finance announced on Labor Day the launch of the Employee Ownership Catalyst Fund, an evergreen debt fund that will offer flexible financing to businesses preparing for—or executing—an employee ownership transition. The fund targets businesses across the U.S. with 25 to 100-plus employees, particularly those employing frontline, low-wage workers and workers of color.
How can investors and local business and nonprofit leaders address housing — and in particular attainable homeownership — through public-private partnerships? Our Chief Investment Officer Louie Nguyen looks at various approaches.
Mission Driven Finance is a founding partner of Elevate/Elevar Capital and will continue to support with fund administration.
Tynesia Boyea-Robinson of CapEQ writes about Mission Driven Finance and portfolio company Carter Transportation Group in ImpactAlpha as part of its Impact Voices.
Mission Driven Finance is delighted to support our client-partners at Apis & Heritage on their first fund to build wealth for workers of color through employee ownership.
We are proud to announce that the first cohort of the Community Finance Fellowship—Louise Jordan, Benson Ochira, Andrew Moncada, Essence Rodriguez, and Crystal Sevilla—is graduating.
We need more individuals thinking and acting in ways that take into account the dynamics of intersectionality—a framework that civil rights activist and lawyer Kimberlé Crenshaw coined—to provide a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects.
Marking two major milestones, we are celebrating our fifth anniversary this month as well as having disbursed $11 million in assets to the small businesses and nonprofits dedicated to social change in the region.
Living Cities’ Blended Catalyst Fund (BCF) announces a $2 million commitment to Advance, a regional, inclusive place-based fund managed by impact investment firm Mission Driven Finance.
We were honored to speak with Shereen Daniels of HR rewired about our journey to being an anti-racist company.
As a financial services firm, we must address long-held racist beliefs in the world of finance and commit to doing better. Here’s how we are working on it.
The best anti-racism advice I’ve gotten so far is from my teammate Louise Jordan: Whatever we do, we have to stop recreating the same narrative. Unfortunately, many of the actions we White people take end up reinforcing existing power dynamics and telling the same, false story—that Black people and people of color have inherent risk and problems and that White people must “save” them from themselves.
The inaugural cohort of Community Finance Fellows—Louise Jordan, Andrew Moncada, Benson Ochira, Essence Rodriguez, Crystal Sevilla— impress and inspire us every day and it’s not fair to keep their wisdom to ourselves. So we invited them to share their thoughts on how finance can invoke true racial and economic justice. The fellows’ perspectives and lived experiences give us invaluable insight into how we can use finance as a tool for real impact.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the effects of centuries of racist policies. If we don’t act fast, this crisis will rob our communities of vibrancy, diversity, and strength for many generations to come. The current global recognition of the deep roots of racism reinforces how critical it is to use all the tools in one’s toolbox to advance racial justice. As such, finance can and should be used as a tool for change in advancing economic and health equity in our communities. Together, we can turn the tide.
During times of crisis, it’s even more critical to uphold our values and stand up for those who are denied the right to stand up for themselves. Join our fight for immigrant rights by joining the Freedom100 Circle, a one-year commitment where members engage with Freedom for Immigrants and Mission Driven Finance to launch and grow our Freedom100 Bond Fund, while educating the public about the U.S. immigration detention system and community-based alternatives to detention.
The best way to celebrate Black History Month this year? Shop at local Black-owned small businesses.
Impact investing can unlock urgently needed finance quickly by using a catalytic model. The Freedom100 Fund combines the power of impact investing with Freedom for Immigrants’ proven national bond model to give immigrants a fighting chance at freedom by paying their bond and reconnecting them with loved ones and legal services, at no cost to the family.
