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Investing In Black-owned Small Businesses To Close the Racial Wealth Gap
There is a staggering disparity between the wealth of Black communities and their white counterparts in the United States where wealth is the difference between financial and social mobility and terminal economic insecurity. In 2019, Black households, on average, had 14.5 percent of the wealth of the average white household. This disparity is reflected throughout…
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How Credit Unions Rose To The Challenges Presented By PPP Loan Issuance And Forgiveness
When Jim Barnhart pushed pause on his 34-year-long career in banking, he never could have imagined that a global pandemic was right around the corner. Instead, Jim was looking forward to some quality time at home with his family, particularly so he could help his son, a senior in high school, transition to college. As…
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Turning Dreams Into Reality: How Appalachian Community Capital’s Donna Gambrell Is Helping CDFIs To Thrive
Donna Gambrell’s journey into the world of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) was, as she puts it, “a crooked mile.” Donna studied journalism at Towson University, and upon graduation, she worked as a writer-editor. That eventually led her to the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation and Resolution Trust Corporation, where she worked for four…
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How Leslie Rosella Turned Her Passion For Four-Legged Friends Into A Growing Doggie Day Care
For as long as she can remember, Leslie Rosella has loved animals. Pursuing a bright career in the restaurant industry, it never occurred to her that she could turn her childhood love into a profession. That was the case, at least, until she got Brixx: a purebred Rottweiler that Leslie and her boyfriend, Chris Cooley,…
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Meet Harlem Entrepreneurial Fund, the CDFI Aiming to Become ‘Harlem’s CDFI’
Although Hamil Douglas self-identifies as a reformed banker, he’s appreciative of his extensive experience in the world of finance. Without it, he likely would never have become the president and CEO of Harlem Commonwealth Council (HCC), where he also serves as the managing director of Harlem Entrepreneurial Fund (HEF), HCC’s investment vehicle. Hamil got his…
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How Fern Street Circus is Bringing Social Change to the Streets of San Diego
When most people think about social justice, they don’t think about circus arts; however, for John Highkin, social change is at the center of his community arts nonprofit, Fern Street Circus. John grew up in Los Angeles and became a musician before moving to England to get a master’s degree in English. In 1987, while…
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How does CNote optimize for positive social impact within its portfolio of CDFIs?
A common question we get from investors is: How do you know investments on CNote’s platform are generating a positive impact in communities across America? The CDFI Certification Process For the majority of our offerings, we partner solely with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). CDFIs are federally certified by a program within the US Department…
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Change Makers Interview: Janine Firpo
Janine Firpo is an author and speaker who spent more than 20 years in executive roles at Hewlett-Packard, the World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and more. She is a values-aligned investor in companies that make the world a better place and is passionate about teaching women to learn how to invest their…
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5 Crucial Differences Between CDFIs and Traditional Banks
There are many American communities that are underserved by the traditional banking industry. Low-income and minority communities typically experience the most lack of access to quality financial products and services. According to a 2018 FDIC survey, 22 percent of households are underbanked or unbanked. This means that these individuals have no formal relationship with a…
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Change Makers Interview: Deborah Frieze
Deborah Frieze is an author, activist, and serial entrepreneur committed to the redistribution of wealth and reparations through finance. In 2001, Deborah left her job as a high-tech executive disillusioned by a corporate culture that cared more about short-term results than community. She became the co-president of The Berkana Institute, a nonprofit that strives to…
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