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Announcing a New Partnership with Jennifer Lopez to Accelerate Financial Inclusion for Latina Entrepreneurs

June 9, 2022

“Being Latino in this country has always been a matter of pride for me. I am humbled and beyond grateful to partner with Grameen America. We’re building pathways to employment and leadership opportunities. There’s so much strength in this community and we’re harnessing that. This partnership will create equality, inclusivity and opportunity for Latina women in business.”

— Jennifer Lopez, Founder of Limitless Labs and National Ambassador for Grameen America

Jennifer Lopez and Grameen America, the nation’s fastest-growing microfinance organization, are partnering to advance financial empowerment for Latina businesswomen historically excluded from the financial mainstream.

Lopez joins as Grameen America’s National Ambassador to advocate for and mentor the organization’s network of over 150,000 small businesses run by women in predominantly low-income communities across the US.

The new partnership seeks to advance Lopez’s latest philanthropic project, Limitless Labs, which aims to uplift, educate and provide essential resources to Latina entrepreneurs in underserved communities.

View Press Release

Watch the Big Announcement on ABC

Jennifer Lopez talks New Initiative to Help Latina Entrepreneurs

https://youtube.com/watch?v=14lGY8-CiNc%3Fwmode%3Dopaque

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Despite gaps in opportunity, Latina entrepreneurs represent the fastest-growing, yet untapped, segment of U.S. small business owners.In the past 10 years, the number of Latino-owned small businesses has grown 44% compared to just 4% for non-Latinos. The same report notes Latino-owned businesses are significantly less likely than white-owned businesses to receive loans from national banks, despite demonstrating strong lending criteria. For women, financial exclusion is disproportionately higher as only 4% of all small business loans from mainstream financial institutions go to women.

“The road to business success is not always easy to navigate, but with hard work and access to financial services, education, and mentorship, it’s possible to achieve your vision.”

— Maria Lugo, Grameen America member and Owner of an Auto-Repair and Tire Shop in Queens

Grameen America’s Goal is to Break Down Economic Barriers for Women.Grameen America provides access to business capital, credit- and asset-building, financial education, and peer support to enable women living below the federal poverty level to boost their income and create jobs in their communities. Through our unique group-lending model, Grameen America offers women a hand up, not a handout. When women are given the opportunity to succeed, they have the power to achieve financial independence through their own entrepreneurial spirit. Since its founding in 2008, Grameen America has served over 150,000 women in 23 U.S. cities, distributed $2.6 billion in loans, and helped create and maintain 157,000 jobs.

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Your donation can change the course of a woman’s life forever.

Small businesses, especially those run by Latina women, can help bind entire communities together. With more Latina women starting and growing businesses than ever before, they are rebuilding and revitalizing their communities and local economies.