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.

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Am I Eligible?

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

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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

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Register for VISION, the small business innovation symposium

This is the 5th Annual Vision Symposium. Vision is the region’s largest and ONLY inclusion innovation conference celebrating, educating, and supporting women, people of color, and immigrant emerging entrepreneurs and existing business owners.

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Announcing the WEPOWER Accelerator!

Apply to the region’s only accelerator for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs of early-stage companies!

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We celebrated our one-year anniversary last week!

Over these past twelve months, we have trained and supported 44 community members with developing new solutions and advocating for policy change for children in East St. Louis and St. Louis City.

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St. Louis Founder La’Crassia Wilderness Wins Business Support Grant

Congratulations to La’Crassia Wilderness, founder of Butter Love by L.C. and winner of WEPOWER’s Dream of Change Entrepreneurship Survey drawing for a $1,500 business support grant!

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WEPOWER Finalist for 2019 Camelback Ventures

We’re proud to be a finalist for the 2019 Camelback Ventures! We’re honored to be in company with wonderful thought leaders and creators.

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BOA President Debate: Questions from the People

The BOA President is the second most powerful position in the city and helps to determine when and how the city’s dollars are spent. For that reason, it is important to convene a space for candidates to respond to real questions from their potential constituents.

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WE Dare to Demand a Better St. Louis

This April 2018, 16 Black women from across North St. Louis City, of all ages and backgrounds convened to embark upon a journey of self-exploration and community change. None of them exactly​ knew what they were getting themselves into…

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Vision 2018

We co-hosted and sponsored this year’s Vision conference that brought together hundreds of St. Louis entrepreneurs interested in launching and scaling new ventures. We loved connecting with the participants at our booth!

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Grounded in Hope

We will have the opportunity to vote for many important positions like state and U.S. Senators. In St. Louis city, where our Power-Builders are running GOTV canvasses and phone banks, the ballot includes candidates for the district’s elected school board.

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Intro to Entrepreneurship

We are hosting three Intro to Entrepreneurship events with the Promise Zone to share resources and hear what community members in North city and county need most to launch and grow successful businesses. Space is still available!