Kiva St. Louis

Powered by WEPOWER

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.

Apply Here

Am I Eligible?

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

KIVA'S ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

You must be at least 18 years of age.
You must not currently be in foreclosure, bankruptcy, or under any liens.
You must not have a violent or financial criminal conviction in the last 5 years.
You must reside and operate your business in the United States.
Your business cannot be registered in the states of Nevada, North Dakota, or Vermont.
You must be seeking a loan for business purposes other than refinancing debt and purchasing stock or equity.
Your business must not be of a type deemed ineligible for a Kiva loan. Some examples are:
federally illegal activities (e.g. gambling, hemp-related products) businesses related to tobacco, pawn-shops, weapons, multi-level marketing, direct selling, cryptocurrencies, drones, or adult entertainment
You must have a PayPal account (that’s how you will receive and pay back your Kiva loan!)
You must be willing to demonstrate your social capital by having a small number of your friends, family, clients, and/or business partners make a loan as small as $25 to you

KIVA MAY BE RIGHT FOR YOU IF...

A loan of $1,000 to $15,000 will make a real impact by helping increase your business’ revenue or decrease expenses.
Willing to work with the Kiva Team: Borrowers who work closely with the Capital Access Manager (i.e business story, personal story, leveraging your own network for crowdfunding purposes, etc) are more likely to have success on the platform.
You’re willing to share your business story and personal story (2-3 paragraphs for each) to generate support.
You’re open to using technology (including email, Kiva’s online platform, and PayPal) with support from our team to get and repay an investment.
You have a strong profile picture: Easily identifiable borrower and business depiction. No need for a professional headshot, just one that is clear and eye-catching. See resource here. (link profile picture resource).
You have a network of people who will support you: Depending on the size of the loan, approved borrowers must recruit 5-40 people (often 5-15 people) from the community to lend $25 each to their profile in order for your campaign to go public.
You are open to starting smaller and building: based on their age of business or financials, some businesses start with small loans and then grow with Kiva.

Apply Here

Capital Access Manager, Edgar Payano, smiling

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.

SUBMIT A LOAN APPLICATION (30-60 MIN.)

KIVA REVIEW (5-7 DAYS)

FUNDRAISING (1-45 DAYS)

Private: Borrowers / you invite your friends and family (5-25 people) to support your loan campaign by lending you as little as $25 in a 15 day Private Fundraising Period. This is NOT a donation.
Public: Borrowers / you have an additional 30 days to fundraise for the rest of their loan – from Kiva’s global community of 1.6 million lenders and an opportunity to leverage your current online presence. This is NOT a donation.
Kiva US borrowers have over a 95% chance of being fully funded

REPAYMENT (12-36 MONTHS)

Schedule Time with Edgar

Updates

WEPOWER Launches $1.5 Million Fund to Invest in Black and Latinx Entrepreneurs in North St. Louis

August 5, 2021 WEPOWER Launches $1.5 Million Fund to Invest in Black and Latinx Entrepreneurs in North St. Louis WEPOWER Capital Will Accelerate Community Owned Wealth and Create Economic Growth in Historically Divested Communities St. Louis, MO – Today, WEPOWER, a community of Black and Latinx change-makers and entrepreneurs building political and economic power…

The Worlds We Invest In: Building Economy and Community in St. Louis and Honduras

July 9, 2021 The Worlds We Invest In: Building Economy and Community in St. Louis and Honduras By Patrick Clapp Different people are exposed to different worlds, and at times there is overlap. There’s a world where people have everything they need in their house and more, and they will always have it and won’t…

Support Black Owned Businesses Today and Every Day

June 18, 2021 Support Black Owned Businesses Today and Every Day One excellent way to celebrate Juneteenth today and everyday is to support local Black-owned businesses such as these. Each was chosen as a member of the WEPOWER Accelerator, and they’d greatly appreciate your support! A&C’s Wine Boutique Chantelle Nickson-Clark Apiary at the Park…

2021 WEPOWER Accelerator Cohort

MARCH 30, 2021 2021 WEPOWER Accelerator Cohort Become a Guest Expert Become a Mentor Welcome Our Second Cohort of WEPOWER Accelerator Entrepreneurs! We are thrilled to announce the members of our newest WEPOWER Accelerator Cohort! After receiving 100+ applications, interviewing nearly 40 semi-finalists and inviting 21 finalists to be considered by 1,600+ St. Louisans who…

A Whole Different Vibration

MARCH 15, 2021 A Whole Different Vibration by Fatimah Muhammad with Joey Saunders Entrepreneurialism is in my blood, passed down by my parents and grandparents. My fascination with bees, on the other hand, came about suddenly, almost like I’ve heard poets describe the moment inspiration strikes only, instead of scribbling down rhymes, I found…

Justice Is My Favorite Word

FEBRUARY 26, 2021 Justice Is My Favorite Word by Councilwoman and Inaugural Chisholm’s Chair Fellow Nicole Greer with Joey Saunders Justice is my favorite word, but I want it to be more. I want to see it leap from the pages of books, protest signs and my dreams for the future until justice is…

Help Select Our Next Cohort of Black and Latinx Founders

FEBRUARY 22, 2021 Help Select Our Next Cohort of Black and Latinx Founders WEPOWER friends, Happy Black History Month! This month is as much about our history as it is about staying awake together, reimagining a safer and more dignified future for all Black people. WEPOWER imagines a future where Black and Latinx…

Our Dreams Hold Hands

JANUARY 29, 2021 Our Dreams Hold Hands by Tiffany Wesley with Joey Saunders I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the interconnectedness of dreams. How our ancestors’ dreams reach out and hold onto, a grandmother’s, a father’s, his daughter’s. I feel so grateful as my dream – starting my business, Pure Vibes, and seeing…

2020 Reflections | The Audacity to Confront Audacious Injustice

JANUARY 1, 2021 2020 Reflections | The Audacity to Confront Audacious Injustice This December, I have especially appreciated both the small and big things in my life: the taste of my favorite dessert, the smell of Christmas trees, the never-ending laughter of a single meme, my health, the health of those around me, and…

Reflecting on 2020: One Good Thing

JANUARY 1, 2021 Reflecting on 2020: One Good Thing As 2020 comes to a close, we asked members of the WEPOWER team to reflect on their year and describe one good thing that came out of the incredibly challenging year we all just experienced. We chose to end the year reflecting on what we…