June Recap: Strengthening Community Impact Through Partnerships

June was a month focused on expanding partnerships, sharing expertise, and strengthening the community development finance ecosystem. The Working Solutions team participated in conferences, hosted meaningful conversations, and connected with partners across California and beyond. Highlights include:

• Navigating Capital, Tariffs, and Trusted Lending Webinar - Working Solutions partnered with Small Business Majority, FACC Foundation, and the Coalition of Filipino American Chamber of Commerce for a virtual session addressing how tariffs impact small businesses and sharing resources on trusted lending and capital solutions;

• Passion to Profit Conference at Cow Palace - Working Solutions connected with aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners at the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center's conference, providing capital access resources and networking opportunities for business scaling and startup support;

• Antioch Small Business Support - Community Development team members Anita Russell and Lenesha Toney hosted financial management workshops and weekly office hours for Antioch small business owners through the Antioch Business Collaborative;

• OFN Small Business Finance Forum - CFO Gasper Magallanes and Chief Program Officer Titi Ikhile joined over 500 CDFI industry peers in Austin, Texas, sharing expertise on pre-capital technical assistance and CDFI financial management;

• Great Communities Collaborative Conference - CEO Sara Razavi and Chief Development Officer Laura Hoover led a workshop on CDFI-municipal partnerships, while Laura also participated in a CRA essentials panel with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco;

• Conversation with CDFI Leader Cliff Rosenthal - Working Solutions and Community Vision co-hosted an insightful discussion with industry leader Cliff Rosenthal about the evolution of CDFIs and his upcoming book "CDFIs Rising," featuring catering by Working Solutions client Vegan Mob at Community Vision client OakStop;

• Credit Builders Alliance Summit - In her role as a member of the Board of Directors for the Credit Builders Alliance and CBA Fund, Working Solutions’ Director of Lending Priscilla Woo attended the 2025 CBA Summit in Washington D.C.; and

• Golden State Valkyries Partnership Events - Chief Program Officer Titi Ikhile attended in the Chase "Violet Book of Business" pitch event for small business owners and Communications & Impact Officer Clara Pinsky attended a Valkyries game with PNC Bank partners.

Thank you to all of the event hosts, co-presenters, partners, and fellow practitioners who make this collaborative work possible - and to the entrepreneurs and small businesses that continue to drive innovation and strengthen communities across California!