Rochester’s Genesee Coop Joins Inclusiv Business Forward
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York, NY (July 2026) – Inclusiv is pleased to welcome Genesee Coop Federal Credit Union to Inclusiv Business Forward, as the fourth credit union in New York to join as a participating lender. Inclusiv Business Forward is a small business initiative launched by Inclusiv in 2025 to increase access to capital for New York entrepreneurs through credit unions.
Founded in 1982, Genesee Coop is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with a long track record of providing affordable financial services to Rochester area residents and specializes in helping new small businesses to launch and grow. It currently serves 4,000 members; an overwhelming majority are lower income people.
Focusing on small businesses in low-income areas is precisely the mission of Inclusiv Business Forward. The goal is to provide all eligible small businesses with the opportunity to grow, including small business owners who have been turned down by larger financial institutions.
"Rochester's small businesses are essential to a strong local economy, yet many entrepreneurs continue to face barriers to accessing affordable capital,” said Dan Apfel, CEO of Genesse Federal Credit Union. “Through our partnership with Business Forward, we're proud to help connect small business owners with the financing, resources, and community support they need to grow their businesses and build wealth."
Genesee Coop joins Brooklyn Coop, Cooperative Federal and Lower East Side People’s Credit Unions on the list of credit unions in the state ready to deploy flexible loans ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 to New York entrepreneurs.
About Inclusiv Business Forward
Inclusiv Business Forward launched in 2025 as a small business lending initiative thanks to a $5 million investment from New York State Empire State Development (ESD) through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). It serves as a blueprint for other states to deploy SSBCI funding to provide capital and technical assistance to promote small business stability, growth, and success. Long-term, Inclusiv Business Forward aims to expand both community impact and lending growth of CDFI and mission-driven credit unions.
About Inclusiv
Founded in 1974, Inclusiv empowers its member credit unions to advance financial inclusion through advocacy, education, technology, and impact investment. Inclusiv is a certified CDFI intermediary instrumental in driving private and public investment in credit unions to build wealth for individuals, households, businesses, and communities formerly excluded from the financial mainstream.
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For more information about Inclusiv Business Forward, visit Inclusiv.org/bizforward.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Communications@inclusiv.org