From Idea to Funding: What It Actually Takes to Access Capital

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Boston, MA · April 28, 2026 

Access to capital is not just a funding question. It is a readiness question. Most small business owners who struggle to get a loan aren’t getting funded because no one has walked them through what a lender actually needs to see.  

On April 28, Ascendus partnered with Boston Business Mentors (BBM) to host From Idea to Funding: Preparing Your Business for Capital, a free one-hour virtual webinar led by our Lending Manager, Dayanne Bohorquez. The session brought Ascendus’s capital access and lending expertise directly to entrepreneurs across the region who are thinking about starting or growing a business and want to understand how funding actually works. 

The conversation was practical by design. Attendees walked through the importance of having a business plan, choosing the right business structure, understanding how those decisions affect financing options, and preparing a loan application that moves forward. Not theory. The actual steps. 

For Ascendus, getting capital to small business owners means finding partners who are already doing the preparation work. BBM does exactly that. When mentors and lenders speak the same language, entrepreneurs arrive at the lending table ready. 

This event marks the beginning of our partnership with Boston Business Mentors, combining curated mentorship with mission-driven lending in a region where both are needed. More sessions are ahead. The goal stays the same: more small business owners ready to take the next step toward Financial Ascension.

About Ascendus
Ascendus is a mission-driven nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with more than 30 years of experience providing capital and coaching to underserved entrepreneurs. To date, Ascendus has delivered over $435 million in small business loans and served more than 62,000 entrepreneurs across the United States. Learn more at ascendus.org. 

About Boston Business Mentors
Boston Business Mentors is a donor-funded organization founded in 2025 by experienced business leaders dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and small business owners succeed. Every mentor match is personally curated, with specialists across finance, marketing, operations, legal, and technology. BBM offers free business consulting, education, and resources made possible through the generous contributions of its donors and benefactors. Learn more at bbmentors.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 

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