Six Ascendus small business owners across four New York City boroughs share firsthand experiences with credit, family, and access to capital at the centerpiece convening on multigenerational credit building.
NEW YORK, April 30, 2026 — Ascendus, a national Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) headquartered in New York City, today joined the Credit Builders Alliance (CBA) Financial Empowerment Conversations, an invitation-only convening of CDFIs, credit-building nonprofits, banks, foundations, and consumer advocates focused on multigenerational credit building. Ascendus Chief Executive Officer Paul Quintero moderated the day’s centerpiece Consumer Listening Session at the Harlem Commonwealth Council, where seven Ascendus small business owners discussed how credit-challenged and underbanked consumers navigate the financial system across generations.
The Consumer Listening Session, held from 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST, brought together entrepreneurs from four New York City boroughs — Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx — representing 10 loans and $313,750 in capital and credit deployed by Ascendus. Panelists span new owners with three years in business to a 21-year veteran, and represent industries from sign manufacturing and coffee roasting to educational technology, beauty services, CPR training, creative services, and laundromat operations. Most panelists are first-generation entrepreneurs or immigrants whose financial journeys span continents — a group whose lived experience anchors the day’s theme.
Credit, for the entrepreneurs in the room, is not a number on a screen. It is a story that begins at home, gets passed across generations, and shapes what is possible for entire families. Ascendus has built its work around that reality, recognizing that capital deployment alone cannot close generational financial gaps without the trust, education, and personalized coaching that turn a loan into a building block.
The Financial Empowerment Conversations event opened with welcome remarks from CBA Chief Executive Officer Dara Duguay and a keynote on Reimagining Multigenerational Credit Building delivered by Mary Jo Halder, Director of CBA’s Training Institute. Afternoon programming included a Dialogue with Nonprofit Practitioners — moderated by Duguay and featuring Ascendus New York Director of Lending José V. Made alongside representatives from Accompany Capital, Ariva, New York Legal Assistance Group, and REDC — and a Fireside Chat on Programs that Bridge Generations with LIFT New York. The day closes with reflections from Duguay.
Through proprietary tools including the Ascendus Borrowing Indexan the Financial Health Network FinHealth Score® and programs such as Get Ready Program and the Childcare Provider Initiative, Ascendus equips small business owners not only with financing but with the knowledge and confidence to grow, thrive, and build legacies across generations.
The Financial Empowerment Conversations event continues through 4:00 p.m. EST today at the Harlem Commonwealth Council, 361 W 125th Street, New York, NY.
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About Ascendus
Ascendus is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) committed to financial ascension for all. Since 1991, Ascendus has provided more than $433 million in capital and financial education to over 57,000 underserved small business owners — 78% of whom identify as women, immigrants, or entrepreneurs of color. Through proprietary tools like the FinHealth Score® and the Ascendus Borrowing Index, and programs including Get Ready and the Childcare Provider Initiative, Ascendus equips entrepreneurs not just with loans, but with the knowledge and confidence to grow, thrive, and strengthen their communities. This Way Up. Learn more at ascendus.org.
About Credit Builders Alliance
Credit Builders Alliance (CBA) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low- and moderate-income consumers and underserved communities access the mainstream credit and capital they need to build assets and achieve financial security. Through training, technical assistance, and credit-reporting infrastructure, CBA supports a national network of nonprofit organizations working to move people from financial exclusion to financial inclusion. Learn more at creditbuildersalliance.org.
Media Contact
Gustavo Banchero
Director of Communications, Ascendus
[email protected] · 646.506.4790
ascendus.org · 260 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016
