From Classroom to Community: Partnering with Business Schools to Strengthen CDFI Impact

DNEP staff Siobhan Barrett and Christie Baer, along with ProsperUs Detroit loan officer Marco Andrade, Jr. will be speaking at the Opportunity Finance Network 41st annual conference in Washington, DC, a gathering of 2,100+ CDFI practitioners, investors and partners. If you lead a CDFI and would like to learn how to partner with your local business school, you will want to stop by our session!

Session Title: From Classroom to Community: Partnering with Business Schools to Strengthen CDFI Impact

Description: What if the added capacity that your CDFI needs is available today—but is sitting in a classroom down the street? Learn about an innovative partnership between a CDFI and a business school that is expanding access to technical assistance for local entrepreneurs, while exposing talented, mission-driven students to the opportunities and impact of the CDFI industry. Representatives from ProsperUs Detroit and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business will share how initiatives like “Free Accounting Fridays” are leveraging the talent of business school students to connect entrepreneurs with financial readiness assistance, while at the same time helping the CDFI build a new talent pipeline. Walk away with inspiration for exploring potential academic collaborations in your own community.

Speakers:

• Christie Baer, Managing Director & Co-Founder, DNEP, University of Michigan
• Marco Andrade, Jr., Loan Officer, ProsperUs Detroit
• Siobhan Barrett, Program & Business Development Manager, DNEP, University of Michigan