Announcing Catalyze Lawrence / Anunciando Cataliza Lawrence
This is a bilingual message. / Este es un mensaje bilingüe (ver más abajo para español).
We are excited to announce that Mill Cities Community Investments (MCCI) in alliance with three partner organizations, EparaTodos Lawrence, TLE Center for Urban Entrepreneurship, and Family Services of the Merrimack Valley—was awarded a Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant from the Baker-Polito Administration’s Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development!
Catalyze Lawrence is focused on small business development in Lawrence and supports a wide range of business owners, including BIPOC, low-income, historically disadvantaged or underrepresented, and/or formerly incarcerated individuals, with business stages ranging from aspiring entrepreneurs to established businesses. Through this partnership, entrepreneurs in Lawrence seeking to start or sustain a business have access to the highest quality support, no matter their starting point.
Cataliza Lawrence se enfoca en el desarrollo de pequeñas empresas en Lawrence y apoya una gran variedad de dueños de negocio incluyendo: negros, indígenas, personas de color (BIPOC por sus siglas en ingles), personas de bajos ingresos, históricamente en desventaja y subrepresentados, y/o individuos previamente encarcelados que se encuentran en varias etapas del desarrollo de sus emprendimientos. A través de esta alianza, los emprendedores en Lawrence que estén buscando empezar o sostener un negocio tienen acceso al apoyo de la más alta calidad, sin importar en que etapa están.
Nectar Community Investments has welcomed Boston Ujima Project Executive Director Nia K. Evans as a new board member to be part of their organization. Evans’ role at the Boston Ujima Project focuses on bringing together neighbors, workers, business owners and investors in Greater Boston to build a community-controlled economy. According to Evans, the Boston Ujima Project has “made history as the nation’s first democratically governed investment fund.”
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Our Executive Director Glynn Lloyd joined more than 400 housing, business, and public-sector leaders at the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association’s annual Housing Summit, where he moderated a panel about Massachusetts’ economic development potential as a hub for modular construction.
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Nectar Community Investments small business client New England Counseling and Wellness PLLC recently closed on its second financing with us, which helped owner Johelly Chalas hire two new therapists and one administrator for her growing business. The first loan supported Johelly as she launched this much-needed bilingual mental health care facility for the Lawrence community. We chatted with Johelly and Small Business Loan Officer Saul Peña about Nectar’s approach to the loan process and its benefits for Johelly and her team.
Saul, can you walk us through Nectar’s loan process?
Saul Peña: After Johelly applied, we had an initial consultation to get a feel for her business and what her current needs were. That’s how we start all our loans. We also do a quick assessment and review documents, such as a balance sheet and a personal financial statement, so we can let the potential client know within a week whether we’re moving forward with the application. If we don’t, we’ll refer the business owner to an ecosystem partner for technical assistance.
If we do move forward with the loan, I like to dig into the details with our client, understand their plans for the financing and how it will help their business. …
