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Happy Leap Day Birthday, Cafe Rica

Our favorite Battle Creek coffee (and so much more) shop opened on Feb. 29, 2020, so they celebrated their First Birthday this year, with some…

Olvera Enterprises to expand

Crain's Grand Rapids Business has a nice article on the expansion of Supermercado Mexico. With the new CEO in place, co-owner Javier Olvera hopes to…

Where Banks Fear to Tread: CDFIs rush in to finance startups and small businesses

Rick Haglund writes in the Traverse City Business News (subscription): Most Michigan CDFIs, which must be certified by the Treasury Department, are located in the southern…

How some Southwest Michigan entrepreneurs stack the odds in their favor

Wonderful story about our Entrepreneur Education programs in Battle Creek: In the Battle Creek area, there’s an education program for would-be entrepreneurs to help them…

Industry Founders Challenge CDFIs to Embrace a More Expansive Vision

Nonprofit Quarterly writer Steve Dubb covered the OFN Conference, including the Gramlich Award given to two of our board members, Mary Houghton and Ron Gryzwinski.…

Northern Initiatives Reaches $100 Million in Loans to Small Businesses

Milestone arrives as the nonprofit lender is celebrating 30 years of supporting Michigan small businesses Northern Initiatives, a nonprofit lender supporting small businesses in Michigan,…

Municipal Finance in Michigan Municipal League

An article in Review, a monthly publication from the Michigan Municipal League, highlights the new Michigan CDFI Coalition. (Article starts on Page 31 or download…