Our team has had the privilege of presenting at roughly 20 convenings this year on topics as varied as public-private investment, access to capital for small businesses, investing in Indigenous economic development, innovative legal structures to activate philanthropic capital, financing community climate infrastructure, and the future of the care economy. This is what co-creating an inclusive economy looks like!
small business
9th Annual Native CDFI Capital Access Convening
Co-founder Chief Community Officer Lauren Grattan and Senior Director of Indigenous Futures Ted Piccolo recently spoke at the 9th Annual Native CDFI Capital Access Convening.
Everytable franchise owner Susana Cabrera spotlighted
Susana Cabrera, a franchise owner of an Everytable location, is spotlighted in this article from The Association of Financial Development Corporations.
Elevance Health Foundation Announces $10 Million to Launch New Impact Investing Initiative
Elevance Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Elevance Health, is launching a new impact investing program to provide loans to small businesses, social enterprises, and entrepreneurs that support health equity in under-resourced communities.
RevHubOC: Women in Impact Investing
Chief Community Officer Lauren Grattan spoke at RevHubOC’s inaugural Women in Impact Investing event.
Milken Global: Exploring Alternative Funding Models for Small Business
Chief Community Officer Lauren Grattan spoke at Milken Global about creating access to capital for underestimated entrepreneurs.
Letters from Lauren: April 2024
Across recent projects, our goal remains the same: Getting capital into the hands of social impact-minded businesses, nonprofits, and initiatives that don’t usually qualify for conventional capital. In other words—flowing capital where it doesn’t, but should.
CDFI boosts small business lending with private partner
Community Reinvestment Fund, USA and Mission Driven Finance are leveraging their respective strengths to solve community finance challenges, including difficulties faced by small businesses in accessing conventional sources of capital.
Fire sign chat: Interview with Co-founders Lauren and David
Co-founders spend so much time problem-solving together that they are often described as being in a work marriage. Sometimes, co-founders may also be actual life partners.
Letters from Lauren: February 2024
We’re planning to reach ONE BILLION DOLLARS over the next few years, after having crossed $100 million in AIC at the end of 2023.
Letters from Lauren: December 2023
This fall, we reached a landmark moment, flowing over $100 million in assets into the community since our founding.
World Education Services inaugural investee partner gathering ahead of SOCAP23
Ahead of SOCAP23, World Education Services brought together partners to forge trust, nurture relationships, share expertise, and gather insights on how we can collectively influence the field.
Interview with Fibers Fund’s Sarah Kelley and Teju Adisa-Farrar
“The Fibers Fund is designed to be catalytic by taking a holistic approach that helps fiber entrepreneurs receive the right-size capital and targeted support that they need to grow their business.”
Impact(ed) podcast: Foundations with Essma Bengabsia
Essma Bengabsia (The Annie E. Casey Foundation) talks about the untapped power and potential of philanthropy’s approach to investing, as well as how her community and identities have led her to be an impact investor at a $3 billion foundation.
San Diego Habitat for Humanity Announces Expanded Investment from Mission Driven Finance
San Diego Habitat for Humanity received new investments through impact asset manager Mission Driven Finance, expanding on their prior collaboration.
Letters from Lauren: November 2023
We’re leaning into radical imagination: ideating how to help route the flood of once-in-a-generation federal resources so that Indigenous and overlooked communities can flourish for years to come.
Vice President Kamala Harris Announces New Investment Fund to Expand Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs of Color
At the Freedman’s Bank Forum, VP Harris and the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (IIE) announced new dedicated investment vehicles with a goal of raising $80 million in private and philanthropic capital to leverage federal funding for entrepreneurs of color.
Native Women Lead & The Future is Indigenous Women’s Inaugural Growth Capital Summit 2023
Lauren Grattan spoke at Native Women Lead & The Future is Indigenous Women’s Inaugural Growth Capital Summit, where over 120 Native women entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors gathered for three days of connection.