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
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…
WEPOWER & Kiva Join Forces to Address Racial Disparities In Access to Capital, Offer Zero Interest Loans to STL Small Business Owners
DECEMBER 10, 2020 WEPOWER & Kiva Join Forces to Address Racial Disparities In Access to Capital, Offer Zero Interest Loans to STL Small Business Owners St. Louis, MO (December 2, 2020) – WEPOWER, a burgeoning STL-based social startup, and Kiva, an internationally renowned nonprofit lending platform, are thrilled to announce their partnership through which WEPOWER…
What’s Next SLPS Calls to Action on Permanent School Closures
As parents, educators, aunts, uncles, SLPS alumni, and disruptors of the status quo, we are clear about the kind of future all of our children deserve. Because of that clarity, because of our fierce and unwavering love for our children and our communities, we are also clear when we see behaviors, power dynamics, and practices…
Choose the Change that Transforms St. Louis this November and Beyond
Choose the Change that Transforms St. Louis this November and Beyond As autumn greets us with brisk winds, falling leaves, and porches with pumpkins, there is one thing we are reminded of, especially in a year like 2020, that change is inevitable. It is the only constant. Yet, how change manifests itself and the outcomes…
The Most Important Vote You Cast This November Might Not Be for President, but for Our Children. (Brought to You by the Letter ‘R’)
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 The Most Important Vote You Cast This November Might Not Be for President, but for Our Children. (Brought to You by the Letter ‘R’) In many ways, the fight ahead seems impossible; and yet, so many of us have achieved things deemed impossible that we aren’t even flinching at the thought of…