April 5-9, 2021 is California CDFI Week
This week (April 5-9) is California CDFI Week! Working Solutions is glad to see our industry getting additional visibility, and we are excited to share the following updates:
On Monday, April 5, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke in Oakland at an event hosted by fellow CDFI Accion Opportunity Fund. Watch the video at the right to hear her powerful remarks about how CDFIs support small businesses, particularly the importance of capital paired with business consulting support. Working Solutions is very proud to provide both to Bay Area entrepreneurs!
Working Solutions is pleased to join our fellow members of the California Coalition for Community Investment (CCCI) in supporting Senate Bill 625, which would strengthen the state’s partnership with CDFIs to support communities in need. CDFIs have proven that we have the expertise and community connections to deploy emergency relief resources quickly, and Working Solutions CEO Sara Razavi has had several meetings with state legislators in an effort to raise awareness and support for this bill.
On April 1, Sara Razavi joined Conscious Capitalism's Bay Area Chapter to share what we do as a mission-minded CDFI and microlender. Sara spoke about her own background and leadership values, our social impact model, and how we empower diverse entrepreneurs to build assets and economic independence through small business ownership.
‘Segregated by Design’ by Silkwork Studio
The CDFI industry was created by advocates who wanted to fight racism and discrimination in the housing and economic development sectors. With that in mind, Working Solutions encourages our community to watch the short, 17-minute film ‘Segregated by Design’ about the history of housing segregation and its impact on communities and wealth-building. Informed by the research of economist Richard Rothstein, this video is a good primer on the painful history of segregation in American cities.