Stories

Deonne Luacaw
By Gabriella Chiarenza
Losing public assistance benefits when their income goes up incentivizes some workers to stay in low-paying jobs. It discourages others who are willing to work from joining the workforce. Explore the issue and what's being done.
Pete Upton speaking on a panel
By Kierra Karemani
“Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) know the needs of the communities they serve. Placing the funds in the hands of those CDFIs produces better results,” says Pete Upton, Executive Director for the Native360 Loan Fund and interim CEO for the Native CDFI Network (NCN).
Marycruz hiking in Monte Alban, Oaxaca, Mexico
By Kierra Karemani
Get to know Marycruz De León and her work at the Dallas Fed to support community partnerships that aim to improve the region’s education and workforce outcomes and promote digital inclusion.
Alaina Barca
By Jennie Blizzard
Alaina Barca, a community development research analyst at the Philadelphia Fed, aims to make the economy more easily accessible to everyone.
Charly at the grand opening of the Enterprising Latina’s Wimauma Opportunity Center
By Jessica King
Get to know the Atlanta Fed's Charly van Dijk and her work on the Southern Cities Economic Inclusion Initiative.
Maria Thompson
By Fed Communities Staff
Maria Thompson knows small business, both personally and professionally. As the national outreach manager for the Federal Reserve Small Business Credit Survey (SBCS), Maria taps her expertise and personal experiences to advocate tirelessly for small firms.
Casey Lozar and Fawn Sharp
By Kierra Karemani
Get to know Casey Lozar and what inspires his work at the Center for Indian Country Development (CICD) at the Minneapolis Fed.
Neelu Panth
By Katherine Rondeau-Fiore
Get to know Neelu Panth, a community development advsior with the St. Louis Fed, and her path to a career of serving others through community development.
Grand Opening, Frogtown Square, 2011
By Jennifer Wilding
Experience Investment Connection—from pitch to impact—with small business owners, community organizers, and bankers, and the Federal Reserve community development experts bringing them together.
Paul Woodruff
By Jennifer Wilding
“Banks and nonprofits need mutually beneficial relationships,” says Paul Woodruff. Investment Connection encourages organizations to highlight what both the nonprofits and the banks have to gain.