Community Loan Fund – News & Events
Community Loan Fund News
Exciting Changes Coming to the EDUpreneur Online Entrepreneur Learning Platform
The Community Loan Fund is excited to announce a major redesign of its EDUpreneur Online Entrepreneur Learning Platform, creating an even better experience for entrepreneurs and small business owners seeking to grow their knowledge and strengthen their businesses. The platform has had 69 new users over the last year who spent an average of 80 minutes viewing content on the site. [Read More]
AR Mental Health Counseling Expands Impact with Culturally Responsive Care
For Andrea Rodriguez LMHC, building AR Mental Health Counseling was never just about starting a business, it was about creating a safe, culturally responsive space where people could truly begin to heal. In communities across the Capital Region and beyond, access to culturally relevant, trauma-informed mental health care is not just a service, it’s a lifeline. That belief is the foundation [Read More]
From Vacancy to Vitality: How Albany County Rural Housing Alliance is Building Pathways to Homeownership
In rural communities across Albany County, there are homes that once stood empty, silent, deteriorating and forgotten. Today, many of those same spaces are being transformed into places of stability, opportunity, and pride. At the heart of that transformation is Albany County Rural Housing Alliance (ACRHA), a nonprofit that has spent more than 40 years helping individuals and families access safe, affordable [Read More]
From Craft to Runway: Kema Maxwell’s Entrepreneurial Journey
In a fashion world dominated by mass production, Karen “Kema” Maxwell chose a different path, built on craftsmanship, bold materials and individuality. As the founder of Kema’s Kreations LLC, Kema designs handbags that blur the line between accessory and art, combining wood, leather, and fabric into statement pieces meant to command attention. What began as a lifelong passion for sewing has [Read More]
Turning Vision Into Space: Grand Street Community Arts Expands Its Impact
When Ta-Sean Murdock stepped into the leadership position of Grand Street Community Arts, Inc., a local 501C3, in 2017, the organization was at a crossroads. Founded in the early 2000s to connect youth and families with arts programming in Albany’s South End, the organization had deep roots in the community—but years of limited resources had left it with minimal programming, an [Read More]
Operation Tooth Fairy: Turning Oral Health Into Community Advocacy
When Octavia Windom-Wiggins first connected with the Community Loan Fund, she wasn’t just looking to start a business — she was looking for direction. Octavia had the passion and the lived experience, but she didn’t yet have the structure. Like many aspiring entrepreneurs, Octavia had a lot of ideas and ventures that she wanted to pursue but wasn’t quite sure where [Read More]
Events Calendar
April 2026
9-Week Business Planning Course Sale has ended
June 2026
6-Week Childcare Business Development Course
The Strategy Behind Brand Photography
