Unlocking Opportunity: A deep dive into Louisiana’s Capital Loan Programs

Expand your lending capacity with LED’s Opportunity Capital Programs. Join LED for an in-depth look at the Opportunity Capital Programs designed to expand access to financing for small businesses across the state. These three loan programs, Loan Guaranty, Collateral Support and Micro Lending, provide lenders with tools to mitigate risk while creating more opportunities for entrepreneurs to secure the capital they need to grow and succeed. This session will walk through how each program works, who can benefit and how lenders and business owners can leverage these resources to strengthen Louisiana’s small business community. Shamelda Pete is a Program Administrator with Louisiana Economic Development’s Opportunity Capital team. In her role, she helps develop and manage programs that expand access to capital for small businesses, including the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) programs. LED’s SSBCI programs are multi-million-dollar debt and equity initiatives designed to help companies and startups of all sizes secure financing. Through strong partnerships with community banks, venture capital funds, and other financial stakeholders, LED has helped facilitate over $88 million in capital access for Louisiana small businesses. Marissa Doin joined LED in 2017 following a 12-year career in the banking industry with J.P. Morgan Chase. In her role, she oversees the state’s Small Business Loan Guaranty, Collateral Support, and Angel Investor Programs. A Louisiana native, Marissa earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from Southeastern Louisiana University and holds the Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) certification from the National Development Council. Lauren Cullins rejoined Louisiana Economic Development (LED) in 2023 as Program Administrator for the Opportunity Capital Loan programs. In this role, she serves as the primary loan officer for LED’s Micro-Lending, Small Business Loan Guaranty and Collateral Support Programs. Lauren works closely with lending partners to provide risk-mitigation tools and collaborates with community organizations to deliver essential financing resources to small businesses throughout the state.

Speaker(s): Shamelda Pete, Marissa Doin, and Lauren Cullins Program Administrators Louisiana Economic Development

Co-Sponsor(s):

Fee: No Cost