Carver Federal Savings Bank was founded in 1948 by an Episcopal minister, Milton Weston, and he noticed at that time that there was a need for African-Americans in particular to be able to take out mortgages just to own homes. Today, 75 years later, Carver is one of the largest publicly traded and African-American managed banks in the United States. Carver Bank's original mission statement is timeless and still applicable today.

The bank was founded to serve local residents to help them build businesses block by block, generation to generation.

It means teaching financial literacy to those who have not been a bank customer before. It means understanding those who are bank customers and who have dreams that there is a path forward with a bank, an institution they can trust. And we can measure that because we know $0.82 of every dollar in deposits we get will go back into the communities we serve.

We've also come up with innovative grant programs specifically for minority women owned businesses. The brownstone, led by Princess Jenkins, she's a leader in the Harlem community, and we were able to help her during the pandemic get her PPP loan completed and also most recently, she was one of the winners of our Women in Business Pitch competition, where she actually used the proceeds to create digital catalog, helping to save over 200 trees.

Simply beautiful, headed up by Diane de Costa. She runs a beauty salon, and through that beauty salon, she also was one of the recipients of our microloan program. And she also was a recipient of our business pitch competition. And through that, she was able to invest in some energy efficient appliances, as well as some biodegradable paper for her products.

To be supported by. JPMorgan's Empowering Change program means in a very overt, intentional way that this large institution recognizes that the best way to impact underbanked and underserved communities is through partnership and support with institutions like Carver Federal Savings Bank.

It's important for those we serve to know that Carver will be there. That Carver is an institution that is not lost in the past of 75 years, but is here today to adapt to the changes and requirements that those changes have brought.

The Carver State Bank was founded in 1927 here in Savannah, Georgia by a Black man named Louis B Toomer. Mr. Toomer was an entrepreneur. He built and developed homes for working-class African-Americans here in the city.

The bank is unique in the fact that for 95 years, we've had only three presidents. And it's been my good fortune to have served as president of Carver State Bank since 1971.

It is a great, great honor to follow in my dad's footsteps. But it's also an incredible honor to work with my dad every day and to agree on a vision of financial freedom for all. The mission of Carver State Bank is to provide the building blocks to financial freedom. We express our mission in our business plan and in the way that we engage with the community through our four building blocks of financial freedom: Build money, build homes, build community, and build businesses.

We've had a tremendous impact on the Savannah community over the years. One of the frequent slogans the bank uses is that we are key to the economic development of the Black community in Savannah.

Over 30% of our customers didn't have a bank account before they opened up an account at Carver. We have many customers who had bank accounts previously and we brought them back into the system through our second-chance checking accounts.

Our impact has been significant over the years in terms of allowing upward mobility for African-Americans, the idea of home ownership, the idea of starting new businesses. Today, we are heavily involved in financial literacy. We are heavily involved in first-time homeowner programs.

When you're investing at Carver State Bank, what you're investing in is a mission. You're investing in a family that is committed to serving the community in every way. And you're investing in a team of people at the bank that is committed to serving the community and committed to the mission. JP Morgan support means access to new resources that we can redeploy into a community of need. It means access to revenue that we can reinvest in our mission to provide the building blocks to financial freedom.

Empowering change means bringing individuals who are outside of the financial structure into the financial structure. They cannot grow unless they are part of the American free enterprise system.

Carver is deeply, deeply bound to the struggle of Black people in America. But it's also, I think, one of the key instruments that will allow Black people to thrive and to truly become a part of the American dream.

Our history goes back to 1947 in Los Angeles, where Broadway was formed with three African-American entrepreneurs. Specifically, what they were focused on was the returning veterans coming back from World War Two who were not able to buy homes. City First Bank of D.C. was founded by a diverse group of entrepreneurs and civic leaders to provide access to credit to underserved communities here in Washington.

Both banks were founded for the single purpose of really providing access to capital for those that typically were left out of the equation. We came together in 2021. Everybody has come from other banks and they come for one reason, and it's really so that they can make a difference in the communities that we serve today. There are certain industry segments that we feel are needed most, and so we spend a lot of time on affordable housing, equitable health care, working with small businesses and nonprofits that share the same values that we do.

And one of our partners in the creation and preservation of affordable housing is Banneker Ventures. They are a minority owned company, and they are committed to quality, affordable housing. One of the projects that they are creating is called the Clara, and that is the creation of about 81 affordable housing units. A community of Hope, Family Health and Birth Center is a long time client of the bank.

We really have a deep partnership with them to support their mission, which is to provide equitable health care surrounding the center and really throughout greater Washington. When it opened in its first year, they served over 5500 patients, which is more than what they anticipated. It's equal to the goal that they anticipated at the three year mark.

So our work as a community development financial institution and a minority depository institution is, quite frankly, through others. It's through our partnerships. And the most important of our partnerships are those with our customers. We drive change through the change that our customers are able to achieve. We're excited to be partners with JPMorgan. Empowering Change has allowed us to form institutional partnerships that drive the bank’s ability to lend more and be of greater impact to our customers.

How do we survive if we don't help those that are underserved? My feeling is that if we don't support the communities that we live in, then we'd never reach our full potential. The only way we are going to reach our full potential in this country is if we realize the support that's needed for those that are less fortunate, and then we can continue to grow and be better as a nation.

First Independence has a very unique history. First Independence was one of the positive outcomes of the 1967 Detroit riots. From that, roughly 22 individuals in the community were part of the formulation and the idea that we need to have a bank as our own economic engine to support us in our abilities to buy houses, to start businesses, et cetera.

And was an opportunity to provide financial independence for people of color, and as it progressed and evolved over time, it became a financial services institution for everybody. There's still an unapologetic focus on trying to help the community-- the underbanked, the unbanked, and for me, that represents an opportunity to allow folks to join a world where they can create generational wealth and build something for their families that they can sustain over periods of time.

Our mission statement is pretty simple. It is to really be an organization that becomes a beacon of hope and to run a well-financed institution.

We have helped so many individuals that have had small businesses launch those businesses. We've expanded our products, we are now providing the opportunity for people to open up bank accounts online and make decisions around their financial services at home.

Part of the core values inside of First Independence is ensuring that we can create opportunities for financial literacy, financial wellness across all of the communities that we care about. In many cases, I hear examples of, I got my first credit card or I got my first loan. And in some cases, I've heard individuals share they've gotten their first job. We're very proud of that rich history and the heritage that we have in impacting lives.

Empowering change together with J.P.Morgan allows First Independence the opportunity to truly service its customers and invest in our technology offering that will allow us to create products that always are targeted to meeting the customer's needs and seeing their expectations.

Empowering change, I mean, it gets to the fundamental words-- empowering and most importantly, change. There are less than 20 African-American-owned and controlled banks out of the over 4,800 banks in this country. We believe that there's an opportunity for us to be leaders, to inspire, and to motivate those to know that the banking community welcomes them. And so every day, when I get up, I'm thinking about how do we have a broader impact on the economy.

The harbor Bank of Maryland is a 40 year old commercial bank headquartered in Baltimore City, Maryland.

The fundamental principle in which it was founded was to provide financial resources to underserved markets.

A group of business owners, not only African-Americans, but from the Greek community, from the Jewish community, from all different areas of the city saw this need and pooled together and started a bank.

While now it doesn't seem like a large number, our original board of directors had two women on the board of directors. Our board was one of the most inclusive and diverse boards in the country. Some transformational activities and investments have been made by us which have shaped the physical and built environment of the city. But even more than that, our institution, again, has been a beacon.

We provided hope to people. We provided them with the confidence and knowledge that there was an institution here that would give them fair and equitable access to capital. Lexington Market is one of the oldest public markets with a long and storied history. Baltimore is obviously an old and colonial city. That development is important to us, not only because it provides healthy food and economic opportunity, but it is a real catalyst to West Baltimore.

Harbor has a special role with respect to providing financial literacy to members of the community in addition to being a source for capital provision.

So we're literally in the school systems having conversations with individuals about the importance of banking, the importance of banking relationships, the importance of credit.

In our incubation acceleration activities. What we endeavor to do is to bring the full power of our firm to help give these businesses a better chance of being successful.

There were a lot of social entrepreneurs that were out looking for a safe space. We are extremely proud of our incubator space because we can provide that technical assistance.

The empowering change program has been very impactful for The Harbor Bank of Maryland. It’s has allowed us to have a deep partnership with JPMorgan.

We were able to hire more staff. We were able to expand the reach of our programs, and we were also able to dispense more resources into the community through that growth.

It's like putting a battery pack in my bag and supercharging us to make us want to do more because it makes us feel that they notice. They notice the impact that we're making and they want to assist.

My aspiration for this place in the future is will continue to be everything that we've ever been. We'll have a fidelity to the values, to the founding, to the work that's been done in the past.

Industrial bank was founded by my grandfather, Jessie H. Mitchell, in 1934, along with a group of other black businessmen during the height of the Great Depression. Individuals like Duke Ellington were never far away. In fact, he actually rehearsed a block away from our 11th and U Street office.

At that time, blacks could deposit money in majority banks, but they could not borrow money.

When it came time for us to improve our standard of living by opening businesses, home ownership, or sending our children to college, we were met with denials just really kind of due to racism.

So the blacks of Washington, D.C. came together and said, Well, we've got to start a bank.

After the founding of the bank, we were focused on serving underrepresented communities. We were known for sending the first children in a family to college, starting a first business, financing a first car or financing someone's first home.

And here we are, 90 years later. I'm still an African American third generation family owned bank serving our community.

The mission of industrial bank is to make a difference in people's lives through financial services. It means a lot to us that JP Morgan would allow us and avail us to the Empowering Change program because it speaks to their commitment to community. They can invest and provide access to these services through banks like ours.

When I think about industrial bank in the community, I'm filled with pride. I'm filled with a sense of accountability. Every day is a new opportunity for us to connect with community members. For us to connect with families and businesses so that we can help to guide them through growth challenges in the economy. Challenges within the community so that together we can improve our standard of living.

Alden:

Liberty Bank opened up in 1972....The mission of the bank was to make financial services available to everyone. At that time, you had very, very few African Americans or black Americans that were able to get financing from majority banks. So it was a big deal back then.

Within two years, we began moving very fast. And our community focus was to make certain that we grew the community economically,that we made available financial services where people can improve their quality of life.

Todd:

So I'm 40 years old. I always joke and say that I've been working for the bank for 40 years, but only receiving a paycheck for the last 18 years.

When I came to the bank and officially joined in 2003, I saw first-hand on how the bank was impactful.

Liberty Bank is the largest African American owned bank in the United States.

We provide access to quality products and services to underserved communities.

For different charter schools, for restaurants, businesses…individuals that may not have access to fair lending products…

Liberty comes in, makes the partnership work for everyone involved.

Alden: 

The number of different things that we do in the community is far beyond banking.

We take a lot of additional risk with small business. We participate in the community to grow 

the community economically, educationally, health wise. 

We're very proud of having financial services available for the consumers who would ordinarily have loans at prices much higher than bank pricing.

Todd:

Working with JPMorgan has been a tremendous opportunity For Liberty Bank. Through Empowering Change, we're able to see direct impact to the businesses and communities that we serve.

Alden:

It helps us to develop the bank's business model going forward, to be stronger, to be more

effective, to be more profitable, and raise the bar to the things that we've done in the past.

Todd:

The potential of Empowering Change and the benefits that go along with it is going to be systemic. It's going to be systemic for the banks that are involved, it's going to be systemic for JPMorgan, it's going to be systemic to all of our clients in communities that we serve.

Alden: 

It's significant in growing the community. It's significant in growing people. And it's significant in equality and trying to close the wealth gap.

Todd:

With JPMorgan's support, with Liberty's expertise, the continued partnership is able to be leveraged throughout the United States. That's what we're really excited about.

Disclaimer: 

The views contained herein are not to be taken as advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any investment in any jurisdiction, nor is it a commitment from J.P. Morgan Asset Management of any of its subsidiaries to participate in any transactions mentioned herein. Any forecasts, figures, opinions or investment techniques and strategies set out are for information purposes only, based on certain assumptions and current market conditions and are subject to change without prior notice. All information presented herein is considered to be accurate at the time of production. This material does not contain sufficient information to support investment decision and it should not be relied upon by you in evaluating the merits of investing in any securities or products. In addition, users should make an independent assessment of the legal, regulatory, tax, credit, and accounting implications and determine, together with their own financial professional, if any investment mentioned herein is believed to be appropriate to their personal goals. Investors should ensure that they obtain all available relevant information before making any investment. It should be noted that investment involves risks, the value of investments and the income from them may fluctuate in accordance with market conditions and taxation agreements and investors may not get back the full amount invested. Both past performance and yields are not reliable indicators of current and future results. 

J.P Morgan Asset Management is the brand for asset management business of the JP Morgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates worldwide. Telephone calls and electronic communications may be monitored and/or recorded. Personal data will be collected, stored and processed by J.P. Morgan Asset Management in accordance with our privacy policies at https://www.jpmorgan.com/privacy 

This communication is issued in the United States, by J.P Morgan Investment Management Inc. or J.P Morgan Alternative Asset Management, Inc., both regulated by yhr Securities and Exchange Commission. If you are a person with a disability and need additional support viewing the material, please call us at 1-800-343-1113 for assistance. 

Copyright 2021 JP Morgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved. 

James H. Sills:

M&F Bank has a tremendous history, it's been in business 114 years. 

The bank was founded on a principle to provide access to capital to all people in the community. 

The bank opened up on a street in Downtown Durham, called Black Wall Street. 

People from all over the country would come here to see the ecosystem of commerce that was happening within the African American community.

Today we're a true community bank, we serve everyone. We want to help the communities that we serve grow and prosper, and we do that in the form of loans. 

Our primary customers are small and medium sized businesses, nonprofits, and churches. And that's been our primary customer base for over 114 years.

Soberina Traywick:

M&F Bank views the small to medium businesses as the heartbeat of our country. 

We focus in trying to find financing, financial literacy for small businesses. 

We are often educating small businesses on doing business lending within the market. We are often being a financial resources to our customers in the market.

So it's kind of like creating that cycle where the small businesses is the heartbeat and we continue to allow that heartbeat to continue going.

James H. Sills:

I've been in the banking business for over 30 years and people of color are still intimidated by interacting with a financial institution. 

And so it's my mission and the mission of all of our associates to assist people with whatever it is that they're trying to do to accomplish their goals, by providing them technical assistance, being there to support them when they're in trouble but also when they're in prosperous times.

And it's our philosophy by providing that access we can actually help reduce the wealth gap. 

Travis Rouse: 

Empowering Change has had a very positive impact on M&F Bank. It has allowed us to expand our capital base. It allows us to expand the size of the loans that we do. So we're not only able to provide more loans but we're able to provide larger loans to all the markets that we serve.

Soberina Traywick:

When I think of Empowering Change I think of empowering the change of our small businesses in the community. It’s giving them the resources that they need to make the necessary change. It's educating them. That's empowering them, that's giving them the knowledge so that they can look at things differently and be able to grow their business.

Travis Rouse: 

To me Empowering Change speaks to enabling transformation. 

Growth through transformation, expansion through transformation. New ideas through transformation, and new possibilities through transformation. 

James H. Sills:

We are honored to be a participant in Empowering Change. 

By partnering with J.P. Morgan…we can serve more communities and more individuals and more consumers.

And it's going to make our community better and the communities that we serve a whole lot more economically viable.

I'm proud to work here, it has a fantastic foundation. And I'm here to transform the bank to be even more successful going into another 50 to 100 years of existence.

Disclaimer: 

The views contained herein are not to be taken as advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any investment in any jurisdiction, nor is it a commitment from J.P. Morgan Asset Management of any of its subsidiaries to participate in any transactions mentioned herein. Any forecasts, figures, opinions or investment techniques and strategies set out are for information purposes only, based on certain assumptions and current market conditions and are subject to change without prior notice. All information presented herein is considered to be accurate at the time of production. This material does not contain sufficient information to support investment decision and it should not be relied upon by you in evaluating the merits of investing in any securities or products. In addition, users should make an independent assessment of the legal, regulatory, tax, credit, and accounting implications and determine, together with their own financial professional, if any investment mentioned herein is believed to be appropriate to their personal goals. Investors should ensure that they obtain all available relevant information before making any investment. It should be noted that investment involves risks, the value of investments and the income from them may fluctuate in accordance with market conditions and taxation agreements and investors may not get back the full amount invested. Both past performance and yields are not reliable indicators of current and future results. 

J.P Morgan Asset Management is the brand for asset management business of the JP Morgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates worldwide. Telephone calls and electronic communications may be monitored and/or recorded. Personal data will be collected, stored and processed by J.P. Morgan Asset Management in accordance with our privacy policies at https://www.jpmorgan.com/privacy 

This communication is issued in the United States, by J.P Morgan Investment Management Inc. or J.P Morgan Alternative Asset Management, Inc., both regulated by yhr Securities and Exchange Commission. If you are a person with a disability and need additional support viewing the material, please call us at 1-800-343-1113 for assistance. 

Copyright 2021 JP Morgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved. 

OneUnited Bank was created out of the need for Black America to have a national bank. It was that simple. It's actually the dream and manifestation of Black people to have a bank owned by Black Americans that has the resources to affect change.

So the mission of the United bank is to close the racial wealth gap. And our goal is to do that in our lifetime. And our focusing in doing that is both serving low to moderate income communities, but also making financial literacy a core value in the Black community.

That's the role where the United Bank plays, whether it's in teaching people to be more financially literate or literally providing them with access to the services needed to be part of the financial system. That's what's so important about the bank. It is Black America's financial mentor.

85% of our customers are Black. The services that we offer are services that our customers tell us they need. We have a second chance checking account. We have a secured card to help people rebuild their credit. And we have first time homebuyers programs. And we do a lot of lending to support affordable housing.

Technology is changing the very nature of everything we do. For the last 10 years, what United Bank has been setting out information on financial technology and the importance of financial technology, and introducing Black Americans to financial technology on a nationwide basis.

We are changing our community. And through that, we are changing America. So when you think about this program, you have to think about it, not as just a financial investment. You have to think about it as empowering change in America.

As OneUnited Bank at JPMorgan moved to expand and grow the product to make it an even bigger opportunity, it will continue to have a broader and broader impact.

What's great about the Empowering Change program is that your dollars benefit our community.

OneUnited Know bank is going to change the country. This was never even about money for us. This was about social change. This is about perfecting America's democracy to create a place where we could live in harmony and prosperity, and to have the opportunity for our families and our children to grow and prosper.

Optus Bank has over a 100 plus year history and legacy in South Carolina. Started in 1921 as Victory Savings Bank, and has grown ever since then to this day. Being the first Black-owned and now the only Black-owned bank in South Carolina is a huge part of our legacy, and very important to us as Optus Bank. It's important to us because we want to make sure that our community knows that we still honor that legacy and also that there are people that look like us that are ready to help put money and capital into our community.

If you look around Columbia today, you see thriving Black businesses. You see thriving Black communities that would not be here. You see subdivisions that were built by visionary African American developers that wanted to create a place where their families and their children could play in the safe space and house that they own. That's the legacy of a bank that we're living today. It is also a legacy that we try to honor every day by not just celebrating it, but actually truly expanding.

In the last five years, we have brought over $300 million of capital into the community. We have, both physically and virtually, impacted even the skyline. And the beautiful city, you can see Optus Bank, our logo, the logo of a small Black-owned bank right in the heart of downtown.

We provide credit, capital, and economic opportunities for our communities. But sometimes what's really missing is not financial capital, sometimes what's missing a social capital, is connections, or it's human capital. It's understanding how to build that wealth.

We are really proud of the fact that we are a financial mentor to our community. We do that by ensuring that our customers are small business owners or those customers who are trying to create wealth through home ownership, that they understand the process.

The biggest problem people face is just not knowing what they need to do to come to us for lending or to any bank. So as a lender, we help them connect those dots, get their information together. Because once you give people some direction on what they would need to receive lending for their business, a lot of times, they'll put those action plans into play and come back six months later, a year later, and they're ready to go. And now we're seeing their dreams blossom.

To dismantle the 400-year legacy of systemic racism, we're going to do something innovative. We need allies that will help us create a movement, not a moment.

Empowering Change has helped our bank by giving us some fuel to our fire. We can now pull our customers forward, give more opportunities, give more programs to our team, to our people. Empowering Change makes me feel like it's not just two or three people in this fight, that there's a whole community that believe in closing the wealth gap. That we're not alone in this journey to make sure that all people have access to capital, have access to wealth-building opportunities.

A new group of allies of all backgrounds, all industries, all walks of life have joined with the expectation and hope to create a movement out of this moment.

Omar Rodriguez :

When Rio Bank started in 1985, we were really just one banking center location.

Now we span 15 banking center locations, from Brownsville, all the way to Roma, which extends the length of the Rio Grande Valley.

Daniel Vela :

The mission has always been to help McAllen grow. And I think we have.

We have worked with startups, we've worked with new business, we've worked with all levels of the market. We've helped businesses expand. We have contributed back to the community, as well.

Tatiana Bravo :

Here in McAllen, we're between two of the best, which is Mexico and the United States.

What makes us unique is that we understand both cultures.

We understand how we do business here in Texas and in United States. But we also understand how the banking system works and how an entrepreneur is thinking on the other side of the country.

Omar Rodriguez :

We have a large under, or non-banked population, and we've got a lot of folks that are being lent money for the first time as entrepreneurs...

...And so, through financial literacy nights, through service, on service through local partnerships, we work to make sure that we're getting the information that they need.

Omar Rodriguez :

The Empowering Change program through JP Morgan is going to allow us to continue to fulfill the mission statement that we have already...

...To continue our outreach in our community, invest in technology, to provide better financial services to our customers, and expand our reach.

Daniel Vela :

They're an excellent partner for us at Rio. Sometimes people don't understand that banks need banks. We need funding sources. We need corresponding banks. We need banks that help us grow.

Omar Rodriguez :

Empowering Change will help our bank open new doors, and make new connections with our customers, that previously we may not have had before. It'll allow us to improve our services….

...with partnerships that we didn't think were possible before.

Lloyd DeVaux :

Sunstate Bank was founded in 1999 in Palmetto bay, Miami. It was founded as a community bank with one location. The founders had a sister bank in Brazil and wanted to come into Miami and serve the local community.

Yvonne Debesa :

It's always been a community bank. And I love it. That's why I was so excited when I was able to join Sunstate Bank. The bank, with the original executive team, helped incorporate Palmetto Bay and a lot of the business associations. So, since the inception of the bank, the bank's been giving back and being a strong partner in the community…

Fabricio Macastropa :

Being local, it does help.

It means speaking the same language, being be able to relate to their struggles or to their challenges they have in their businesses, or even, you know, the community they live in.

Lloyd DeVaux :

At Sunstate Bank, we really support all businesses.

We do not have a set type of customer that we serve or don't serve. We look at everybody on their own merits. We support plumbing businesses, painting businesses, air conditioning businesses, food, many of our customers in many diverse areas.

We have customers that have been with the bank for the whole 23 years that we’ve been open. And when they come in they usually see a familiar face because we have employees that have been here over 20 years.

Yvonne Debesa :

All of the account officers at Sunstate Bank, they really enjoy taking the time to educate the customer. And that's educating the customer, whether they're going to apply for a loan or open an account.

We don't have them just fill out an application and submit it. We like to sit with the customer, review with them what's going to be needed.

Lloyd DeVaux :

Our focus has always been on education. We support a lot of schools.

We're out and about in this community. We're in all the business associations around the communities that we bank. It feels a lot like family.

Yvonne Debesa :

We were so excited when we heard about the opportunity that JP Morgan was offering Sunstate Bank with Empowering Change.

Sunstate Bank was now going to be stronger than ever. And that we would be able to help more organizations. We'd be able to help more customers. We'd be able to be the vehicle to address so many of the financial gaps that many in our community have.

Fabricio Macastropa :

It really expands and turbocharge all the initiatives that the bank is taking towards the community, towards small business lending.

And when you change someone's life, you can change the family's life. You can change the community life, the community that this person is in.

Yvonne Debesa :

A strong community will let our small businesses grow, bring in new businesses, hire more employees, stay strong and stay in business.

Laurie Vignaud:

Unity National Ban has been in this community for nearly 58 years now. It has been a staple in this community since 1963, and there were lines around the block with individuals coming to make their deposit and to open up their accounts here. And we continue to be the staple in this community.

Unity Bank is in a historical African-American community that is surrounded by small and medium-sized businesses. Many of them are generational. Being able to serve our small businesses and to be able to connect our small businesses to resources is so important to Unity.

They're the anchor of our communities, they're the driver of our economy, and often our small businesses in black and brown communities often struggle with access to capital, so Unity has always been so focused on making sure that our small businesses are able to come to us for loans.

Our bankers provide one-on-one coaching and mentoring, which is really, really important. We do financial education, because we want to make sure that we're preparing our businesses for the future and not just looking at what may be their immediate need, but how can we help them grow.

Kwame Cain:

The bank serves the local community today in many capacities. One is lending to the local community. Lending helps to gain access to capital, help businesses survive, pay their employees, expand.

And then one of the most important aspects is the financial literacy, understanding the change in technology in banking, and helping the businesses understand the changing environment in terms of money and borrowing and cost. 

What Empowering Change is allowing us to do is to remain here as a pillar. It's helping us to survive as a MDI so that we can continue to provide lending services to the communities here.

Laurie Vignaud:

When you have a small bank like Unity, we have limited resources, so we have limited access that we can provide. The more opportunities we have, as with this partnership with JPMorgan and Empowering Change, it creates the catalyst that we needed in order to be able to up our game and to be able to provide more into the community, deploy more assets, be able to drive more conversations and to help our existing small businesses and families really move to the next level.

T. Pobelo:

With Empowering Change, Unity National Bank of Houston will be able to expand into communities that we have been unable to serve until now, and ensure that the bank will continue to be present in the community, to continue to service our low and moderate income clients. 

Kwame Cain:

Long-term benefits of the program is us, Unity, being a mentee of JPMorgan, learning more about products that we could bring into the community in order to empower the community. 

I think that's the long-term effect. All that's going to make us a better bank and be more tuned-in to the community to bring about these changes, empowering them.

Laurie Vignaud:

This has been a remarkable year working with JPMorgan and being a part of Empowering Change. I can't believe how far we've come. I can't believe the wonderful people that we have been able to work with. I'm looking forward to what next year is going to look like and building upon this relationship and doing even more with JPMorgan.

Disclaimer: 

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