We are delighted to share that Linda Toyota, our Market Executive at LiftFund, has been appointed to the City of Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity (OBO) Advisory Board. This appointment is not just a personal achievement for Linda, but a significant milestone for LiftFund and a testament to our commitment to supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs. Linda’s role on the OBO Advisory Board marks a pivotal moment in our efforts to deepen our commitment to elevate and empower small business owners in Houston. Her expertise and leadership are invaluable assets in advancing the Board’s m ..read more

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (May 23, 2023) – LiftFund, a nonprofit small business lender, has appointed Laurie Vignaud as its new President and CEO, heralding a new era of growth, innovation, and transformative leadership for the organization. This appointment follows the exceptional nearly 30-year tenure of LiftFund’s founder Janie Barrera, leaving a profound legacy within the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) industry. Expressing deep gratitude for Janie Barrera’s leadership and dedication, LiftFund’s board chair Jeff Brouillard remarked, “We are immensely grateful to Janie for ..read more

LiftFund is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a gift from the Texas Women’s Foundation to strengthen our support for women entrepreneurs in south Dallas. This partnership marks an exciting milestone in our ongoing mission to empower women entrepreneurs and support their journey towards success. With this grant, we are poised to strengthen our business education and lending offerings to aspiring and established women entrepreneurs in the Dallas-Fort Worth community.  Texas Women’s Foundation is dedicated to transforming Texas for women and girls, enabling them to build st ..read more

LiftFund is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a gift from the Texas Women’s Foundation to strengthen our support for women entrepreneurs in south Dallas. This partnership marks an exciting milestone in our ongoing mission to empower women entrepreneurs and support their journey towards success. With this grant, we are poised to strengthen our business education and lending offerings to aspiring and established women entrepreneurs in the Dallas-Fort Worth community.  Texas Women’s Foundation is dedicated to transforming Texas for women and girls, enabling them to build st ..read more

The PepsiCo Foundation has opened applications for the 2023 Impacto Hispanic Business Accelerator program. In partnership with Accion Opportunity Fund, Allies for Community Business, LiftFund, and Prospera, the Impacto program aims to empower Hispanic-owned businesses — specifically food and beverage businesses that are beloved community staples — to grow by providing learning and networking opportunities, as well as grant funds. View the official press release here.  Selected participants will get exclusive access to a full suite of FREE program offerings, including:  one-on-one an ..read more

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (May 23, 2023) – LiftFund, a nonprofit small business lender, has appointed Laurie Vignaud as its new President and CEO, heralding a new era of growth, innovation, and transformative leadership for the organization. This appointment follows the exceptional nearly 30-year tenure of LiftFund’s founder Janie Barrera, leaving a profound legacy within the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) industry. Expressing deep gratitude for Janie Barrera’s leadership and dedication, LiftFund’s board chair Jeff Brouillard remarked, “We are immensely grateful to Janie for ..read more

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (May 23, 2023) – LiftFund, a nonprofit small business lender, has appointed Laurie Vignaud as its new President and CEO, heralding a new era of growth, innovation, and transformative leadership for the organization. This appointment follows the exceptional nearly 30-year tenure of LiftFund’s founder Janie Barrera, leaving a profound legacy within the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) industry. Expressing deep gratitude for Janie Barrera’s leadership and dedication, LiftFund’s board chair Jeff Brouillard remarked, “We are immensely grateful to Janie for ..read more

We are excited to announce that we are in the process of revamping our application portal to enhance your experience with us. Our goal is to provide you with a more user-friendly application process that is efficient and streamlined. As we prepare for the transition, we understand that you may have some questions. We would like to address some of the frequently asked questions to make the process as smooth as possible for you. Will my current application status be affected by the transition to the new portal?  No, your application will not be affected by the transition. You can continue w ..read more

Taylor Tucker was inspired to start her own business since she was a little girl. She says, “Both of my parents are entrepreneurs, so at a very early age I knew and understood that I was meant to make myself rich and not other people rich.” Always determined and hardworking, she began her career working as an independent esthetician while also balancing work in the mortgage field. It was at this time that she met Saliymah Dacosta, “we kind of had like the same vision,” says Taylor. Taylor and Saliymah put their experiences together to grow a business from the ground up. Initially having a hard ..read more

25 Louisiana small business the first to enter accelerator and receive entrepreneurial support NEW ORLEANS, April 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Shell USA, Inc., in collaboration with LiftFund, identified Louisiana as the perfect home for its global flagship enterprise development program, Shell LiveWIRE. The Louisiana edition of this program, launched at the beginning of March, equips entrepreneurs, micro and small business owners with the technical, business, and soft skills necessary to succeed in the marketplace. The 25 businesses selected to particip ..read more