Category: News

Kinfe Argaw Named 2021 Notable BIPOC Executive by Twin Cities Business Magazine

Congratulations to Kinfe Argaw, credit manager at Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF), for being named a 2021 Notable BIPOC Executive by Twin Cities Business Magazine!  Kinfe has been an instrumental part of CRF’s lending activities since he joined the team in 2018. His efforts have increased CRF’s ability to deploy capital to more small businesses across […]

Celebrate Juneteenth by Supporting Black-Owned Businesses

Juneteenth honors the end of slavery in the United States and is a celebration of culture, history and pride for Black communities across the country. At CRF, we are celebrating Juneteenth by highlighting the tremendous contributions that Black-owned businesses have made on our country.   As of the 2020 census, there are approximately 124,551 Black-owned businesses in the United States making an economic […]

It’s Pride Month: Let’s Stand with Trans!

June is Pride Month in the US. It’s the perfect time to embrace our LGBTQIA friends and communities. We were delighted to speak with Roz Keith, the founder of Stand with Trans an organization dedicated to developing programs educational events, and support groups to serve transgender youth. Their mission is to provide the tools transgender youth need to […]

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month: How Asian-Owned Businesses are Transforming Communities

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, a month to celebrate the history, culture, and traditions of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month started between 1978 and 1979, when Congress designated the first ten days of May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The celebration was expanded to a month in 1990.  Today, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated across […]

MinnPost Community Voices Features CRF’s Anisha Murphy

CRF’s Director of Community Advancement, Anisha Murphy, Esq., wrote a compelling opinion piece for MinnPost in the wake of the Derek Chauvin murder conviction. The article pinpoints the role economic racism plays in driving social and institutional racism. We need a financial system that priorities equity and access to capital for BIPOC-owned businesses. We can do this by […]

This Mother’s Day Celebrate Mom-Owned Businesses and the Women Behind Them

Mother’s Day is a great time to remember and celebrate moms—both our own mothers, and others around the world. Moms who run their own businesses bring a compassionate, caring, and practical approach to what they do—balancing the needs of theirs and other children with running a successful organization that helps their customers and communities. Mom-owned […]

U.S. SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund Information

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is awarding funding through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to restaurants, bars, and other eligible businesses. The purpose of this funding is to provide support to eligible entities that suffered revenue losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 11, 2021 the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) became public […]

Environmental Poverty is a Real Problem: Here’s an Organization Trying to Change it

The health of our environment and the welfare of our people are inextricably linked—something that we’re becoming increasingly aware of through events like Earth Day. Environmental justice is key to providing underinvested communities with access to clean air, clean water, and open, natural spaces. A lack of funding and income, particularly in communities of color, has a […]

Technology Drives Opportunity as Connect2Capital Hits $100 Million

By: Patrick Davis When Connect2Capital launched in 2018, we envisioned a collaborative community of banks and mission-driven small business lenders that would improve access to capital for entrepreneurs across the country. In a landscape full of payday and predatory lenders, Connect2Capital provides a trusted network of more than 70 lending partners, responsible loan products and an easy-to-access […]