Removing Barriers for Financial Inclusion: ITIN Lending for Small Businesses
Thursday, September 19, 2024 at 1PM ET
Inclusiv invites you to join us for our 2024 Juntos Avanzamos Hispanic Heritage Month opening webinar, Removing Barriers for Financial Inclusion: ITIN Lending and Small Businesses. This webinar is free and open to all credit unions.
ITIN lending is a proven tool for financial inclusion, opening the doors of affordable financial services for everyone, regardless of who they are and where they come from. This is core to our mission as community-owned financial institutions who offer lending for ITIN holders is crucial for small businesses, as it empowers entrepreneurs of all nationalities who are excluded from the financial mainstream.
By providing access to necessary capital, ITIN lending helps foster economic growth, encourages innovation, and supports the development of diverse and vibrant local economies. This webinar will delve into the strategies and benefits of ITIN lending for small business owners, highlighting success stories and practical approaches to integrating these loans into your credit union's financial products and services.
We extend an invitation to managers, compliance officers, loan officers, member service representatives, branch support representatives, and everyone who is associated with lending at a credit union.
Featured Speakers:
Rosa Franco, Vice President of Lending, Inclusiv
Rosa brings extensive experience in alternative lending, financial education, technical assistance, and capacity building. Before joining Inclusiv, Rosa worked at Neighborhood Trust FCU for fifteen, first as Director of Credit Union Education and then Director of Lending and Development. At NTFCU, Rosa expanded the personal financial counseling program, adding technical assistance and training services to small business owners, offered directly or thanks to the strategic partnerships she built with Federal and Local agencies, and Non-Profit organizations. As a lender, Rosa developed in-house processing of small businesses and mortgage loans, increasing the financing to up to 97% thanks to the credit union’s membership at the Federal Home Loan Bank of NY; and managed risks with the use of guarantee programs for small business loans. As a financial inclusion’s advocate, she incorporated ITIN and Advise-Based Lending model to the credit union offering.
Rosa is from Lima, Peru, and moved to the US in 2007. Her experience in microfinance and small business sector promotion includes the work with local communities in urban and rural areas of Peru and some Latin American countries. Rosa has been a member of the Selection Committee of Inclusiv -Juntos Avanzamos since 2020 and recently joined the Board of Directors at NTFCU.
Rosa holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering - Science Agriculture; a master’s degree in Agri-Business Administration, both studied in Peru, and a Master`s degree in Public Affairs (MPA) at the Bernard M. Baruch College - CUNY in 2011. Rosa loves to enjoy time with her family and friends, supports animal rescue groups, gardening when it’s possible, and learning about different cultures.
Jeff Ivey, CEO, River City Credit Union
Jeff Ivey is President and CEO of River City Federal Credit Union, a CDFI, MDI and Juntos Avanzamos credit union located in San Antonio, Texas. Founded in 1935, the credit union serves members and businesses in Bexar County.
Ivey has over 38 years in the financial industry, working at large regional and small community banks, as well as a large credit union prior to joining River City in 2018. He is a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace University and received his MBA from the University of Washington.
Under Ivey’s leadership, River City has increased membership by 22% and has been successful with CDFI grants, totaling over $3 million between FA and RRP grants. In January 2023, River City closed on a $14 million ECIP transaction, furthering the commitment the credit union has made to reducing the number of financially underserved households and small businesses in San Antonio.
He and wife Janice are court appointed child advocates with CASA of Central Texas in New Braunfels, working with children that are under Child Protective Services custody due to abuse and neglect. Jeff serves on the Board of Directors for Inclusiv as well as their Government Affairs, Audit, and Small Business Committees, and recently completed his term on the CFPB Credit Union Advisory Council. He is also serves on the United Way’s Partners for Community Change, the Asset Funder’s Network in San Antonio and the San Antonio YWCA’s Wage Equity panel.