Stories

Startup Business

River Dog Paddle Co.

Microlender:

Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs

Impact:

Funds were used for initial inventory, remodeling, and fixtures in the store.

Location:

Rome, GA

Loan Amount:

n/a

The River Dog Paddle Co. was started by Mike and Connie Sams. The business is an outpost rental shop that provides paddle boarding lessons and gear for the outdoors enthusiast. The name of their shop evolved from their passion for ...

Food & Beverage Manufacturing, Minority-owned business, Startup Business, Woman-owned business

Sweet Joy Ice Cream

Microlender:

Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs

Impact:

Financing a start-up business for a woman-owned MBE.

Location:

Canton, GA

Loan Amount:

n/a

Growing up, Talia Holmes spent summers in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother making homemade ice cream. As an adult, she worked for different companies, and when both passed away, she decided it was time to follow her vision ...

Food & Beverage Manufacturing, Startup Business

Duluth Coffee Company

Microlender:

Entrepreneur Fund

Impact:

Startup business equipment and facility build-out.

Location:

Duluth, MN

Loan Amount:

n/a

The Entrepreneur Fund assisted Duluth Coffee Company expand from an idea for a coffee business, to the business becoming the outstanding and thriving coffee shop and distributor that it is today. Entrepreneur Fund provided Duluth Coffee Company’s founder, Eric Faust ...

Minority-owned business, Startup Business, Woman-owned business

Cool J’s Apparel

Microlender:

Justine PETERSEN

Impact:

Served a retail need for women in an underserved, rural-adjacent area.

Location:

Springfield, IL

Loan Amount:

n/a

Cool J’s Apparel is a woman and minority-owned business that held its grand opening of its bricks and mortar store on May 28, 2020 and had gotten started a year previously through online sales. Owner Toni Hopkins created this business ...

Food & Beverage Manufacturing, Minority-owned business, Rural Businesses

Sweet V’s Restaurant & Ice Cream

Microlender:

Center For Rural Affairs

Impact:

Expansion of a start-up business into a bricks and mortar location.

Location:

Scottsbluff, NE

Loan Amount:

Less than $15,000

Sweet V’s in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, is more than just a local eatery. It’s one man’s dream come true, and it’s turned into a family-run success. Mark Villagrana always wanted to run his own business, and when the opportunity presented itself ...

Rural Businesses, Startup Business

Fired Up Fitness

Microlender:

Center For Rural Affairs

Impact:

Start-up capital assistance for a small-town business.

Location:

Fullerton, NE

Loan Amount:

n/a

Living in a larger community meant Megan Zoucha and her husband, Will, were used to having certain amenities nearby. While they appreciated the convenience, they opted to move to Fullerton, Nebraska (population 1,440) to enjoy the slow pace of rural ...

Food & Beverage Manufacturing, Rural Businesses, Startup Business

Buffalo Creek Coffee

Microlender:

Center For Rural Affairs

Impact:

Start-up business finance assistance that has resulted in a new small town business.

Location:

Chappell, NE

Loan Amount:

Less than $15,000

Even with full-time jobs and full lives, Brandon and Lisa Hixon wanted to contribute more to their hometown of Chappell, Nebraska (population: 871). “We wanted to give something to the town that we thought would make it special,” said Lisa ...

COVID-19, Minority-owned business, Startup Business

GSD Home Improvement

Microlender:

Coastal Enterprises

Impact:

Immigrant-owned business start-up assistance that has created local jobs, with three people on payroll and four subcontractors.

Location:

Portland, ME

Loan Amount:

n/a

In the midst of a global pandemic that has many small business owners focused on saving their existing businesses, there are still entrepreneurs looking to start or grow a new one. One such enterprising individual is Aury Souvenir, owner of ...

Manufacturing, Rural Businesses, Woman-owned business

Wandering Goat Soap

Microlender:

Coastal Enterprises

Impact:

Financing for business expansion and construction.

Location:

Union, ME

Loan Amount:

n/a

Since 2013, Tanya Rudy and her mother Cheryl have been making handcrafted soaps from their family farm in Midcoast Maine. This mother-daughter team located in Union makes their soaps in small batches and uses only the finest quality ingredients. They ...