Winter 2026 Event Recap: Connection, Community, and Collective Voice
The first months of 2026 have been full of activity for the Working Solutions team — from national summits and policy roundtables to pitch competitions and workshops for entrepreneurs. Here's a look at some of the highlights.
U.S. Bank Impact Finance Summit: Chief Program Officer Titi Ikhile, Community Development Manager Anita Russell, and Director of Portfolio Management Christian Knight connected with peers and industry partners for discussion about racial equity in lending at the annual U.S. Bank Impact Finance Summit in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Amalgamated Bank CDFI Salon: Sara Razavi attended a ‘CDFI Salon’ dinner with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Amalgamated Bank President & CEO Priscilla Sims Brown to discuss opportunities for CDFIs in Oakland and across the greater Bay Area.
CAMEO Network Roundtable: CEO Sara Razavi took part in a roundtable hosted by CAMEO Network that brought together CAMEO members and key state leaders in small business lending to discuss the evolving federal policy landscape and what it means for California entrepreneurs and the organizations who serve them.
State of Latino Entrepreneurship Summit: Chief Lending Officer Karla De Leon and Business Development Manager Cecy Toro participated in the 2026 State of Latino Entrepreneurship Summit, hosted by the Latino Business Action Network at Stanford University; and Cecy attended Latino Prosperity’s Latina Wealth forum in Oakland in honor of Latina Equal Pay Day.
Oakland Pitch Competition: Titi Ikhile and Anita Russell teamed up with partners from RECED, OIA, JPMorgan Chase, the Alliance for Community Development, and Main Street Launch to host a pitch competition for Oakland entrepreneurs.
Capital Access Workshops in San Luis Obispo: Cecy Toro and Business Development Officer Ivan Camacho partnered with the MCSC Women’s Business Center in San Luis Obispo to present financial education workshops for women and Latino/a entrepreneurs.
Volunteer Day: The Working Solutions Lending Team supported the Alameda County Food Bank through their annual volunteer day, and were joined by members of the Main Street Launch staff. They rounded out the day with a visit to Working Solutions client Tarts de Feybesse in Oakland.
As we head into spring, we look forward to even more opportunities to strengthen community connections and expand capital access to increase economic opportunity in California.