Month: May 2026

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., May 1, 2026 /3BL/ – U.S. entrepreneurs are facing a prolonged squeeze from high overhead costs and rising borrowing rates. DreamSpring, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lender, is responding with a new suite of loan products built around how small businesses actually operate, from flexible repayment structures to dedicated financing for the care economy.

Supported by a $500,000 grant from Wells Fargo, DreamSpring expanded its product suite to better meet growth-stage challenges and the needs of industries where demand is outpacing access to capital:

• DreamCare microloan and line of credit — dedicated financing for the care economy, supporting health professionals, childcare providers, eldercare facilities, and in-home assistance. Microloans are available up to $50,000 and lines of credit up to $100,000, with three months of interest-only repayment to give businesses time to establish revenue before full payments begin.
• Ready, Set, Grow! loan — built for startups and early-growth businesses, with a rate reduction for on-time repayment.
• Rate cap — DreamSpring has capped all loan interest rates at a maximum of 18.99%, with certain products starting as low as 7%.

By comparison, standard business credit cards often come with lower credit limits than small businesses need and can carry Annual Percentage Rates (APR) around 29%. Alternative online lenders charge even more and frequently impose prepayment penalties. This matters because rising costs remain the top financial challenge for small business owners, according to the Federal Reserve Banks’ 2026 Small Business Credit Survey.

“This investment enables DreamSpring the flexibility and resources to develop innovative products that help businesses grow,” says Kimelyn Harris, head of Business Growth Philanthropy at Wells Fargo. “Access to capital can be transformative for entrepreneurs, and today they need more options and more flexible forms of capital to meet their needs.”

This latest product suite is another chapter in a long-running partnership built on innovation. Wells Fargo and DreamSpring have developed a custom post-pandemic recovery loan for underserved entrepreneurs and joined forces on a national loan fund for veteran-owned businesses, putting capital in the hands of entrepreneurs who might otherwise go without. This time, the focus is on making that capital more affordable.

“Entrepreneurs are dealing with higher expenses everywhere they look, and when borrowing gets too expensive, it stifles their ability to operate and grow,” says Alice Rodriguez, Chair of the DreamSpring Board of Directors. “When CDFIs like DreamSpring cap rates and design loans that match the real-life cash flow of a small business, it lets entrepreneurs focus on their work rather than their debt.”

DreamSpring is one of the only CDFIs that offers revolving lines of credit, and unlike many online lenders, there’s never a prepayment penalty. DreamSpring also factors in professional licensure and credentials as part of its loan decisions, recognizing that a borrower’s expertise is itself an asset. For business owners like Aaron Gutierrez, that kind of flexibility makes a real difference.

“It gave me the freedom to focus on establishing and building the business, versus having to penny pinch or worry,” says Aaron Gutierrez, Owner of Albuquerque Construction & Concrete, about his DreamSpring line of credit. “It gave me the freedom to actually grow and move, and to remain afloat. Because if not, I probably wouldn’t have made it.”

For entrepreneurs navigating today’s economic pressures, getting the right capital at the right price can change the trajectory of a business. With the support of Wells Fargo, DreamSpring’s new products remove some of the most common obstacles standing between small business owners and growth. To explore DreamSpring’s full range of small business solutions, visit DreamSpring.org.

 

About DreamSpring

DreamSpring is a nonprofit Community Development organization and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lender dedicated to propelling individual and family economic mobility and community wealth-building by helping people start and grow small businesses. Founded in 1994, the organization provides rapid access to capital and customized wrap-around support to entrepreneurs and nonprofits in 27 states. To date, DreamSpring has issued more than 47,925 loans totaling over $582 million to small businesses that support an estimated 67,800 jobs. Learn more at DreamSpring.org.

For media inquiries, contact: 
Laura Marrich 
DreamSpring Senior Communications Specialist 
Lmarrich@dreamspring.org 
+1 505-456-0104

CLEVELAND, May 1, 2026 /3BL/ – Today, KeyBank announced the launch of Key4Entrepreneurs, a new complimentary program designed to support entrepreneurs and small business owners at every stage of growth. The program provides access to financial education, expert guidance and meaningful business connections, with a focus on supporting local entrepreneurs and strengthening the communities they serve.

Key4Entrepreneurs brings together certified advisors and unique national and local programming to deliver practical resources tailored to real‑world business challenges. Whether business owners are just getting started or preparing to scale, the program is designed to meet entrepreneurs where they are and help them move forward with confidence.

A Mission Built to Engage, Educate, and Empower Entrepreneurs

Key4Entrepreneurs was created to support the small businesses that form the backbone of local economies. The mission is rooted in three core pillars:

• Engage business owners through curated networking opportunities that foster collaboration and community.
• Educate entrepreneurs with expert-led programming that builds financial knowledge, leadership capability, and operational efficiency.
• Empower small businesses with practical tools and personalized guidance to help them grow and thrive.

By bringing together expert guidance and hands-on programming, Key4Entrepreneurs helps business owners navigate day-to-day challenges while building the skills and confidence needed for long-term success.

How Business Owners Benefit from Key4Entrepreneurs

Business owners who join Key4Entrepreneurs gain access to a complimentary support network designed around the realities of running a small business. Members can receive direct guidance from certified advisors and relationship managers who provide personalized financial wellness guidance and cash flow conversations aimed at improving efficiency and decision-making. Additionally, the program offers exclusive access to workshops, expert-led discussions and interactive networking opportunities.

These experiences are intentionally designed to help entrepreneurs sharpen critical skills, expand professional networks and accelerate sustainable growth. By combining education, expert insight and community connection, Key4Entrepreneurs equips business owners with the confidence and clarity needed to move their businesses forward.

Upcoming Virtual Event

As part of the program launch, Key4Entrepreneurs will host a live virtual event designed to help entrepreneurs sharpen one of their most critical skills: storytelling.

Event Details:

• Title: Small Business Excellence: The Science of Storytelling
• Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026
• Time: 12:00–1:30 PM ET
• Format: 90-minute interactive virtual workshop
• Registration Deadline: May 6, 2026

The session will be led by Nico Aguilar, CEO and Co‑Founder of Speeko, and Jen Litwin, Managing Director of Speeko. Together, they will guide participants through a dynamic, hands-on experience that combines narrative frameworks, real‑life examples, and live practice. Participants will leave with practical insights for communicating a powerful business value proposition.

Entrepreneurs interested in joining the program or attending upcoming events can learn more and enroll by visiting key.com/k4e. Questions and inquiries may be directed to k4e@keybank.com.

^{The content provided is intended solely for informational and educational purposes. It should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. We make no guarantees regarding its accuracy or relevance to your specific circumstances. Some examples are hypothetical and provided for illustrative purposes only. For guidance tailored to your personal financial situation, we strongly recommend consulting qualified professionals regarding all personal financial matters.}

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^{KeyBank is not responsible for any scheduling conflicts, cancellations, postponement, access or connectivity issues, or force majeure events whatsoever associated with webinars held by Key4Entrepreneurs. KeyBank is not responsible or liable for, and is hereby released from, any and all costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind, due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, to participation in Key4Entrepreneurs webinars.}

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ABOUT KEYCORP

KeyCorp’s roots trace back more than 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $189 billion at March 31, 2026.

Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 950 branches and approximately 1,100 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Meg Lower
Regional Communications Manager
740-294-7041
meg_lower@keybank.com

BALTIMORE, May 1, 2026 /3BL/ – The rise of volunteer kits in corporate volunteering has led to many conference rooms with volunteer experiences that lack any meaning or connection. The material is assembled and shipped out along with any memory of the event.

Give To Get and Realized Worth are announcing a partnership designed to deepen this experience. Starting today, Give To Get’s Purpose Packs — ready-to-run volunteer activity kits designed specifically with corporate clients in mind — are built with Transformative Volunteering elements developed by Realized Worth, the consulting firm behind some of North America’s most rigorous employee volunteering programs.

Purpose Packs include all the materials for projects tailored to a client’s chosen cause, with items and instructions pre-organized in an easy-to-spot, Give To Get–branded box. Project materials range from the supplies for assembling resource kits for at-risk populations; the components for putting together STEM activities for classrooms; or supplies for building bee pollinator houses, bird feeders, and hydroponic gardens. Each project can be customized to align with an organization’s mission and to meaningfully support a local nonprofit. Purpose Packs feature two-way shipping: from Give To Get to your event, and from your event to the NGO, ensuring a seamless experience from start to finish.

Each Purpose Pack also includes Meaning Moments: short, structured facilitation prompts that give volunteer leaders a simple way to connect participants to the people and purpose behind the activity. No special training required. Everything is included in the kit.

The methodology behind them comes from more than a decade of Realized Worth’s research and program design with organizations including Abbott, Ford, Airbnb, eBay, Tapestry and Medtronic — now accessible to any company running a volunteer event, regardless of program size or budget.

Most volunteer events are designed well for logistics, but not for people. We optimize the task—who brings supplies, how many items get built, how many photos get taken—but miss the opportunity to help people reflect on why volunteering is needed in the first place. What’s the root of the issue, and what’s my role in it? Purpose Packs are designed to create space for more meaningful engagement and deeper impact. We’re excited that Give To Get has found a way to make that accessible at scale.”
Angela Parker, Co-Founder and CEO, Realized Worth

We have been investing in volunteer experiences for more than 30 years. We always try to impact the volunteer as much as the partner non-profit. Making Realized Worth’s time-tested methodology standard in all our Purpose Packs elevates the volunteer’s connection to the experience and to each other. It feels like the right thing to do on every level.”
Grady Lee, Co-Founder and CEO, Give To Get

Free Webinar: May 21, 2026: The One Thing Missing From Your Corporate Volunteer Kits
In this free webinar at 1pm ET on May 21, Give To Get’s Grady Lee and Realized Worth’s Angela Parker share a practical framework for increasing connection and meaning with volunteer kit projects: simple facilitation prompts that connect employees to the purpose behind the work in under three minutes, with no special training required. You’ll leave with tools to apply this to the kits you’re already using and learn about a new Purpose Pack offering to streamline kits without sacrificing meaning.

The session is open to program managers, community engagement leads, and anyone responsible for planning or running volunteer events at their organization.

Register at: https://www.realizedworth.com/missing-corp-vol-kits/

About Realized Worth
Realized Worth is a consulting firm that helps companies design employee volunteering programs worth showing up for. Their Transformative Volunteering framework is applied by some of the largest volunteer programs in North America, grounded in more than a decade of research and program design. Learn more at realizedworth.com.

About Give To Get
Give To Get is a global volunteer and purpose activation partner that designs and delivers high-impact community experiences. They manage employee volunteering, conference and meeting activations and brand-led initiatives, handling NGO vetting, logistics, materials, facilitation, and reporting. Learn more at givetoget.com.