The Nonprofit Community Lender Hosted Open House on June 23
Financial professionals celebrate ACE’s new office in downtown Atlanta’s Flatiron building. (L to R) David Oliver, Sr. VP, Communications & Marketing, GA Bankers Association; Courtney Smith, ACE Board Chair, and VP, Community Development Market Manager at PNC; Grace Webster, ACE Board member and Financial Advisor, Associate VP - Investments at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC; Antonio Henson, VP, Community Development Banking at PNC; Grace Fricks, President and CEO, ACE; Tim Griffis, ACE Board Member and Sr. VP, Commercial Banking, Bank of North Georgia; and Joe Brannen, President and CEO, GA Bankers Association.
Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs Inc. (ACE) celebrated the opening of its third office location with friends, partners and supporters the morning of June 23, 2016. Leaders in the business, banking, nonprofit, and philanthropic community were on hand to welcome ACE to its new home in downtown Atlanta. The event was sponsored by PNC and hosted by ACE Board Chair, Courtney Smith, Vice President of Community Development at PNC.
ACE is a nonprofit and the only community development financial institution serving small businesses in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. With a mission to help grow sustainable small businesses in Georgia, ACE provides access to capital, business coaching, and community connections to underserved small business owners, particularly women, people of color, and those in low to moderate income communities. Since making its first loan 15 years ago, ACE has infused close to $35 million into the small business community through a range of loan products including small business loans of under $50,000 to larger commercial loans averaging $125,000. With the exponential growth in women and minority-owned small businesses in the Metro Atlanta region, ACE serves a critical role in providing capital and support to those typically overlooked by traditional banking institutions.
“This is ACE’s first central Atlanta office,” remarked Grace Fricks, President and CEO of ACE, of its third office now located at the newly remodeled Flatiron building, the city’s oldest standing skyscraper at 84 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30303. “We chose to locate in Flatiron City to provide support to the small businesses that call Flatiron home, including those from The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, and to be more closely connected to our clients, business partners, and philanthropic supporters in Atlanta.”
While ACE’s roots began serving the small town communities of North Georgia, today 87 percent of its work is with small businesses in Metro Atlanta. Core to the success of ACE’s business model is knowing its borrowers well and understanding the communities in which they operate. ACE’s presence in central Atlanta reinforces its commitment to serving the ever-growing small business community that is fueling Atlanta’s recognition as a leading city for entrepreneurs.
About Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs Inc. (ACE)
ACE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides loans and business consulting services to help borrowers throughout metro Atlanta and North Georgia create and grow stable, sustainable businesses that generate jobs. ACE specializes in working with underserved populations, particularly women, minorities and low-income business owners, to help drive economic mobility and build stronger communities. Founded in 1999, ACE has loaned nearly $35 million to entrepreneurs, which has created or saved more than 5,200 jobs in Georgia. As a nonprofit, ACE relies on operating and program grants and private contributions to support a portion of its budget. ACE has offices in downtown Atlanta and Cleveland, Ga., and an ACE Women’s Business Center in Norcross, Ga. For more information, visit www.aceloans.org.
