OFN’s 10th annual event for small business mission-driven lenders returns to Chicago this June for the first time since 2019
Entrepreneurship surged during the pandemic, increasing demand for small business financing that continues today. At the same time, troubling signs in the economy, from inflation to rising interest rates to bank failures, are constricting access to finance, putting small businesses — and the American economy — at risk.
We know that when traditional banks pull back, CDFIs lean in – and today’s economic climate is no different.
At the 2023 Small Business Finance Forum, we’ll explore how CDFIs can continue delivering capital and other critical services to our nation’s smallest and most under-resourced businesses so they can build sustainable futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Event Summary
Now in its tenth year, OFN’s Small Business Finance Forum is returning in person to downtown Chicago’s magnificent mile for the first time in four years. This June 20-21, join hundreds of mission-driven small business lenders, funders, investors, and other partners from around the country to learn, connect, and be inspired.
Harold Pettigrew, OFN’s new President and CEO
The forum will feature more than 20 interactive breakout sessions spread across five distinct tracks: Data, Impact Measurement, and Technology; Innovations in Underwriting and Product Design; Partnerships & Collaborations; Policy; and Portfolio Management.
The event offers an excellent opportunity for attendees to learn from their peers and build valuable connections, along with a Small Business Partner Showcase, new OFN training programs, remarks from the newly appointed OFN President and CEO Harold Pettigrew, and much more.
Confirmed Breakout Sessions
- The CFPB’s Small Business Lending Rule (Section 1071)
- Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship
- Practitioner Perspectives on the State Small Business Credit Initiative
- An Ecosystems Approach to Supporting Rural Entrepreneurs
- Unlocking Growth Capital for Latino Immigrant-Owned Small Businesses
- CDFI-Legal Partnerships: Providing Clients Access to Small Business & Other Legal Services
- Lending Alongside the Community: CDFIs and Loan Crowdfunding
- Investing in Equitable Media as a Small Business Development Strategy
- Over-Mentored and Under-Funded: Women Entrepreneurs of Color
- Innovate for Impact: Using Revenue-Based Financing to Drive Equitable Small Business Growth
- Working Towards an Inclusive Future: Expanding Capital Access to Employee-Owned Businesses
- Cash-Flow Data for Underwriting Minority Business Enterprises and Small Businesses
- Shifting to Outcomes: Measuring Long-Term Impact for Small Businesses
- Unlocking the Power of Data: Use Cases for Tableau to Improve Efficiency in Impact and Compliance Reporting
- Leveling-Up Portfolio Management: Using Secondary Markets to Add Liquidity, Reduce Risk, and Lend More
- Collecting with Compassion: Effective Strategies for the Loan Collections Process
Stay tuned for more breakout session and plenary speaker announcements!
Training
The forum will introduce three new training opportunities:
- CDFI 101: Orientation to the Industry
- CDFI 201: CAMEL Framework Fundamentals
- Green Lending 101
These half-day, workshop-style courses will provide more comprehensive, interactive learning than our standard breakout sessions.
Learn more about each training on the forum registration site. Please note training availability is limited and there is a separate registration fee.
We expect the forum to sell out. Register and book your roombefore it’s too late!
New to the Small Business Finance Forum? Visit OFN’s website to learn more, including highlights and sessions from previous years.
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