Small Businesses

MACED, a Community Development Corporation (CDC) in Kentucky and member of the Jobs and Communities initiative, was featured in the January 2019 issue of Fortune Magazine. Listen as Peter Hille, MACED’s president, describes his organization’s new energy interns program, which is revitalizing the Hazard community and providing hope to residents that there is life beyond coal. Through this innovative program, MACED is working with people…

Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) is a Maine-based CDC that has made loans and investments, and provided business advisory services to people and businesses in Maine and New England since 1977.[1] CEI is unique in its holistic approach to addressing the multifaceted challenges of poverty alleviation, rural development and environmental sustainability. Little River Flower Farm is a recent example of a project that meets CEI’s triple…

A family printing business in eastern Kentucky was struggling after coal’s decline. Then the CFO got sent to Babson.

In the Michigan UP, Northern Initiatives is making connections that others will not, investing in small businesses and providing the resources they need to start and grow, sparking local economies and creating much-needed jobs for local families.

On May 15,  The National Journal highlighted the work of National Development Center (NDC), a nonprofit  community development corporation headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota that works in low-income, minority and immigrant communities around the Twin Cities. Established in 1993, NDC ‘s work hinges on the belief that residents, small businesses and neighborhood groups in all communities have the talent, energy, and ideas to develop and revitalize their…

With assistance from CAP Services’ Business Development program, Nancy started her own business, Whimsical Walls by Nancy, in the fall of 2012.

The Payans moved to Minnesota from Chicago in 1993, and they soon noticed there were no fresh tortillas in Minneapolis. With a growing Latino community in the Twin Cities, they saw a need and decided to open up their own tortilla factory.

Beth Millner has been working with jewelry crafts for nearly her entire life. Living in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for the past several years, she finds herself constantly inspired by nature and the change of seasons. Specializing in sterling silver, copper, brass and gold jewelry with a nature theme, she’s designed more than 1000 pieces of jewelry, showing her work at art and craft fairs and…

Nestled on 60 acres of pristine forest land, with nearby access to spectacular Lake Superior and the beautiful Porcupine Mountains State Park, sits Sunshine Motel. This family-owned and operated business found its way into the hearts of Bruce and Kay Perkins in 2010.