Kiva St. Louis
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Zero Interest Loans For The People By The People
In partnership with Kiva, WEPOWER helps make capital more accessible to small business owners, particularly those who have been excluded by the mainstream financial system.
Entrepreneurs of color face direct discrimination and structural racism, resulting in less access to capital, compounding existing inequities and making it harder for communities of color to build generational wealth. Research has shown that Black entrepreneurs are rejected for loans at higher rates, on average approved for lower loan amounts, and charged higher average interest rates. It’s time to address these barriers.
Borrow Funds to Fuel Your Dreams
“Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real.” – Tupac
Zero interest. Zero fees. Grace period. Access a loan between $1,000-$15,000. Kiva acts as a first-rung on an otherwise inaccessible financial ladder, creating an important new path to the financial mainstream.

Am I Eligible?
In order to receive a loan from Kiva, you must meet the following minimum eligibility criteria:

The Process
Learn more about the process below and reach out to Edgar, our Capital Access Manager, to learn more or get started. You can email Edgar at [email protected] or sign up for a time to talk 1:1 with him using the link below.
Updates
Community Benefits Agreements emerge as top issue in Spring 2023 election cycle
February 20, 2023 Community Benefits Agreements emerge as top issue in Spring 2023 election cycle A new group of more than 100 residents, developers, business owners, philanthropists, and local organizations have announced the Community Wealth Action Group to advocate for community-owned wealth, quality jobs, and livable wages for Black and Latinx residents of St.…
BJC Makes Anchor Investment in WEPOWER Capital
January 24, 2023 BJC Makes Anchor Investment in WEPOWER Capital BJC’s anchor investment will go toward focused, revenue-based funding (RBF) investments in Black- and Latinx-owned businesses with strong growth trajectories. WEPOWER Capital works to ignite equitable economic growth and prosperity in St. Louis by building wealth in under-resourced communities. Today WEPOWER Capital announced…
We Dream, We Build, We Win
November 29, 2022 We Dream, We Build, We Win If Harriet Tubman didn’t dream, if Dr. King didn’t dream, if Dolores Huerta didn’t dream-where would we be? Dreams are sacred and necessary. They reveal possibilities, and affirm the necessity to create a different future. Dreams allow us to unleash ourselves and our families from…
Meet WEPOWER’s Fall Cohort of Biz Owners!
November 16, 2022 MEET WEPOWER’S FALL COHORT OF BIZ OWNERS! We are SO HAPPY to share that we have welcomed our fourth cohort of amazing Black and Latinx founders to the WEPOWER family! Take time to get to know each company and checkout their products, services, and venues! Jamila Boone | Scene Event Space…
St. Louis County Council Votes to Allocate $5.6 Million in ARPA Funds to Improve Local Early Childhood Education
October 25, 2022 St. Louis County Council Votes to Allocate $5.6 Million in ARPA Funds to Improve Local Early Childhood Education The vote follows months of public testimony and advocacy from The Early Childhood Power & Policy Action Group members and supporters. After months of negotiations and hearings, the St. Louis County Council…
Protecting STL Children
October 24, 2022 Protecting STL Children On Monday, St. Louis experienced one of the greatest fears of our time: a school shooting. The Central Visual and Performing Arts High School community faced an active shooter situation which led to multiple deaths and injuries of students and educators and immeasurable collective trauma. As we…
WEPOWER Announces First Investment in St. Louis Startup, Bold Xchange
September 22, 2022 WEPOWER Announces First Investment in St. Louis Startup, Bold Xchange Today WEPOWER announced Bold Xchange was selected as the inaugural capital recipient from the organization’s $1.5 million dollar investment fund. The pilot fund offers targeted investment in companies owned by Black and Latinx entrepreneurs with a strong growth trajectory to ignite…