We are excited to share some updates regarding our impact in helping entrepreneurs access training, coaching and capital, as well as an announcement of our a new book by Centro’s Founder and CEO, Arturo Noriega. You can now see our latest impact statistics on our Overview page.
ENTREPRENEURS SERVED
In the first quarter of 2023, we served 287 entrepreneurs, 46 of whom attended our training programs.
Through our programs, the Capital Hub and our app, we are on track to help more than 1,105 entrepreneurs by the end of this year.
As we are continuously searching for new ways to support entrepreneurs, we are soon introducing the new Online Self-Paced Bootcamp, an innovative and flexible learning opportunity designed for entrepreneurs who are unable to attend a scheduled online course or prefer to learn at their own pace. With self-paced learning modules that include video and written lessons, independent study is made easy for those who learn best through this approach.
ACCESS TO CAPITAL
Our Capital Hub has been helping entrepreneurs access interest-free loans through Kiva, and we are proud to announce that over the last three months, we helped seven entrepreneurs receive a total of $63,000 in Kiva loans.
Kiva US announced they are now introducing the ability for entrepreneurs to build their credit as they pay back their Kiva loans.
If you are an entrepreneur with crowdfunding on Kiva.org, your loan profile will indicate that you will be building business credit with the help of this Kiva loan.
Commercial reporting has no restrictions on any type of business, but it is greatly important that you provide Kiva with your accurate business information, as this information is used to generate the credit report.
Decisions related to finances are affected by the information present in your business credit report, including:
The extent of business credit a supplier will offer
What repayment terms you can expect from other lenders
What interest rates you’ll be charged from other lenders
The credit or funding you may receive from a bank or lender
How your business is perceived by your customers
ONE-ON-ONE ASSISTANCE
Our team of coaches has been working to provide one-on-one assistance to entrepreneurs to support them in specific challenges with their businesses.
We have provided a total of 13,300 hours of coaching since we started, and in 2023, we have already provided 85 hours of coaching to entrepreneurs in many locations, with most of them located in Oakland, San Jose, Santa Clara, Stockton and other Bay Area counties. By the end of the year, we anticipate providing a total of 254 hours of coaching.
IN PURSUIT OF A NOBLE CAUSE: A NEW BOOK BY ARTURO NORIEGA
We're excited to announce that Arturo Noriega, the founder and CEO of Centro Community Partners, has written a new book called "In Pursuit of a Noble Cause." This book shares Arturo's experiences and lessons learned while starting and leading Centro. Through his work, he discovered how to create more racial and gender equity in our society through entrepreneurship.
"In Pursuit of a Noble Cause" is a practical guide to help readers start and grow a mission-driven, community-focused social enterprise or nonprofit . The book is divided into three parts. In the first part, Arturo shares his personal journey and the lessons he learned from starting and leading Centro. In the second part, he explores the theory of change framework and how to apply it to social entrepreneurship. In the third part, he provides practical insights into social leadership and innovation.
The book is currently available for pre-order here until May 11. By pre-ordering the book, you'll be among the first to receive it when it's released in September.