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.
We’re excited to grow our team and welcome a thoughtful, mission-driven leader into the role of Small Business Lending Director. This newly created position plays a key role in our next phase of growth, leading day-to-day lending operations, managing portfolio performance, and expanding access to capital for small businesses across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. If you’re passionate about supporting entrepreneurs, strengthening local economies, and advancing financial equity, we’d love to hear from you.
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The Nectar Community Investments residential team recently attended the 2025 MassEnergize Conference, which proved to be a thoughtful and impactful event full of advocacy, connection, and shared commitment to climate action at the community level. Residential Services Director Lissette Paukert spoke on a panel about funding residential decarbonization, joining representatives from Mass Save, the Community Climate Bank and Abode to talk about ways we can make energy efficiency upgrades more accessible and affordable for Massachusetts residents. Here are a few of her insights from the conversation.
What are the biggest challenges Nectar clients face in pursuing decarbonization projects?
These days, we see some fear of financial uncertainty and a lack of trust in the energy industry due to aggressive, predatory-like marketing behaviors. That’s also due to divisiveness and misinformation in our current environment, including whether climate change is real and if decarbonization efforts even matter. When you have limited cash flow, you invest carefully in products that are going to last and not cause issues. There needs to be clear and truthful messaging around the impact of decarbonization, from both an economic and environmental perspective. Not only do homeowners need education, but it’s just as important that the contractors and all professionals …
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for Nectar’s official launch in Rhode Island. We’re thrilled to be working in the Ocean State, and engaging with the entrepreneurs, ecosystem partners and other attendees at the event boosted our sense of excitement and community.
Since our founding in Massachusetts in 2008, we’ve made it our mission to invest in community and build generational wealth. We’re continuing that commitment in Rhode Island — today, tomorrow and well into the future. This launch event was only the beginning! We’re looking forward to working together, supporting dedicated small business owners, and collaborating with ecosystem partners to build on their successful efforts throughout the state.
