Breaking Barriers in Access to Capital for Black Business Owners

4202 East Fowler Avenue,Tampa FL 33620

11 April, 2023

Description

Access to capital is the lifeblood of any business but especially small businesses. Without adequate financing, through microloans, commercial lending, or investment capital, most entrepreneurs cannot start new businesses or grow their existing companies. Because access to capital is so critical for small business success, USF has teamed up with the Black Business Investment Fund (BBIF) to inform entrepreneurs on how to break barriers in securing the financing they need. BBIF was established through the Florida Small and Minority Business Act of 1985 and was created in 1987. They are headquartered in Orlando, Florida, and is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), a private non-profit loan fund that specializes in providing loans and financial technical assistance services to Black, minority & underserved small businesses throughout Florida. BBIF was developed to promote Black Business Enterprises through education, training, loans, investments, and other activities and to aggressively promote an atmosphere conducive to their development. Duane Lewis is the Chief Operating Officer for BBIF. He has a passion for business and finance, and over his 17-year tenure in the CDFI Industry, he’s used his expertise to positively impact his community. Duane has held the position of Chief Financial Officer for a private contracting company, where he oversaw all financial operations and developed strategies for managing the organization’s finances and minimizing financial risk. He has extensive experience in credit analysis, working with a wide variety of loan products, and structuring B&I and Commercial Real Estate lending transactions, including New Markets Tax Credits Financing. Tarneisha Peters serves as BBIF’s Regional Director, West Florida. In her role, Tarneisha is responsible for developing and supporting the West Florida market (Tampa and surrounding MSAs) with loans and technical assistance targeting BIPOC and underserved small businesses, as well as developing new partner relationships with banks, foundations, and other non-profit organizations. Tarneisha has served in a number of business development, customer services and other business roles for over 20 years. PARKING Parking permits are required to park on campus 24/7. You can purchase a Visitor/Daily permit by going to https://www.usf.edu/administrative-services/parking/ and navigating to the Permits menu and following the instructions under Visitor/Daily Permits.  The parking for this event is located in Lot 23T (unpaved) or in the Yuengling Center as shown on the map below. Directions Enter USF Campus from the main entrance on Fletcher Ave.Make a right on USF Alumni Ave.Make a right at the 1st light on USF Genshaft Drive.Parking LOT 23T (unpaved area) or at YuenglingCenter.