What Working Solutions does

Working Solutions CDFI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution founded in 1999 and headquartered at 870 Market Street in San Francisco, with an approximate team of 30 staff across senior leadership (CEO, CDO, CFO, CLO, CPO), lending, consulting, portfolio management, and community development functions. The organization specializes in small-dollar financing for startup and early-stage businesses in California, offering microloans of $5,000 to $100,000 at an 11% fixed interest rate with 3-year or 5-year terms, no minimum revenue or credit score requirement, and no collateral required. Fee structure includes a $50 non-refundable application fee, $5 UCC filing fee, and 5% closing fee.

The core business model combines loan interest and fee revenue with philanthropic grants and concessionary capital. Cumulative deployment exceeds $65 million to 3,000+ California small businesses since inception, with FY25 marking the biggest year on record at nearly $10 million closed across 200+ loans, 99% of which reached low-income, BIPOC, women, and/or early-stage entrepreneurs. Free one-on-one business consulting is bundled throughout the loan lifecycle as a structural differentiator versus conventional lenders. The portfolio extends through municipal partnerships (City of Berkeley Revolving Loan Fund and Resiliency Loan Program; City of Antioch Business Collaborative), the statewide SCALE program under CalOSBA, and a 2025 Family Child Care Capital Access Initiative with LIIF, Ascendus, and Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth deploying $5.5 million in catalytic capital.

Capital is sourced from institutional grants and CDFI Fund awards ($1.25 million Financial Assistance Award in September 2024), corporate philanthropic partners (Citi Foundation, Comerica Bank, U.S. Bank, Beneficial State Foundation), state programs (Cal IIP), and bank referrals. Distribution combines direct online application, bank and community organization referrals, and place-based partnerships across California, with bilingual English/Spanish outreach. The organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors; in March 2026, Working Solutions entered a shared executive leadership agreement with Main Street Launch (with Sara Razavi as CEO of both), while entities remain legally separate.

Name

Working Solutions

Legal name

Working Solutions CDFI

Website

https://workingsolutions.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Working Solutions CDFI is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution providing $5,000–$100,000 microloans and free business consulting to startup and early-stage California businesses, with 99% of financing reaching low-income, BIPOC, and women entrepreneurs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Financial Services

NAICS

Sales Financing (52222), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

Microenterprise Group Lending (Joint Liability) (FSAKAGAH)

Keywords

• Small business loans
• Community development lending
• Microfinance for entrepreneurs
• Business consulting services
• CDFI financial services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Loan Interest Revenue: Interest income from small-dollar loans ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 with 11% fixed rate
2. Philanthropic Contributions & Grants: Donations from individual and institutional supporters, foundation grants (Citi Foundation, Comerica Bank, Beneficial State Foundation), and government awards (CDFI Fund, Cal IIP)
3. Loan Fees: Non-refundable $50 application fee, $5 UCC filing fee at loan signing, and 5% closing fee

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Working Solutions CDFI provides small-dollar loans of $5,000 to $100,000 at an 11% fixed interest rate to startup and early-stage small businesses in California, with no minimum revenue, credit score, or collateral required. The organization pairs every loan with free one-on-one business consulting from application through repayment, with a mission focus on low-income, BIPOC, and women entrepreneurs who lack access to traditional financing.

Product overview

Working Solutions CDFI is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution offering a unified portfolio of small-dollar financing and business support services. The core offering consists of Small Business Loans ($5,000-$100,000 at 11% fixed rate) paired with free One-on-One Business Consulting. The portfolio extends through geographic-specific programs including the Berkeley Revolving Loan Fund and Resiliency Loan Program (City of Berkeley partnership), the Antioch Business Collaborative, and the Family Child Care Capital Access Initiative (partnership with LIIF and Ascendus). Working Solutions participates in the statewide SCALE program as a resource partner. All products are designed for start-up and early-stage businesses, with focus on low-income, BIPOC, and women entrepreneurs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Business Loans Affordable microloans of $5,000 to $100,000 with 3-year or 5-year terms and 11% fixed interest rate. No minimum revenue or credit score required; no collateral needed. Targets startup and early-stage California businesses, including pre-revenue businesses and those with less than 1 year in operation.
• One-on-One Business Consulting Free business consulting services provided throughout the loan application process and loan repayment period. Helps entrepreneurs get loan-ready and connects them with resources to help their businesses thrive.
• Berkeley Revolving Loan Fund Berkeley-specific loan program offering small business loans of $5,000-$100,000 with interest rates at Federal Prime Rate + 2%. Must be located in Berkeley; 5-year terms with $50 application fee and 5% closing fee plus $5 UCC filing fee.
• Berkeley Resiliency Loan Program Low-interest loans up to 7% for Berkeley businesses that can demonstrate disruption by the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the City of Berkeley partnership; includes personalized application support and free business consulting.
• Family Child Care Capital Access Initiative Partnership with Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) and Ascendus providing 3- to 5-year fixed-rate loans up to $100,000 for licensed in-home child care providers in California. Includes culturally-responsive technical assistance, application support, and guidance on optimizing loans.
• Antioch Business Collaborative Partnership with City of Antioch delivering financial and technical assistance to Antioch entrepreneurs. Offers 11% fixed interest rate loans with 3-year or 5-year terms, in-person application support office hours, and financial management workshops.
• SCALE Program Resource Partnership Working Solutions participates as a resource partner in California's SCALE (Success, Capital Access and Leadership for Entrepreneurs) program, helping diverse small businesses access capital through coaching, loan application preparation, and connecting entrepreneurs to financing products.

Quantifiable outcome

• $65 million deployed to 3,000+ small businesses since inception; 200+ loans totaling nearly $10 million in FY25 alone
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Main Street LaunchflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026Shared executive leadership agreement effective March 2, 2026. Sara Razavi serves as CEO for both organizations. Rohan Kalbag transitions to Special Advisor. Goal to deepen strategic partnership, enhance operational capacity, extend collective reach in California, and offer model for amplified CDFI impact. Organizations remain separate legal entities retaining brands, headcount, offices, and separate Boards.
• Responsible Business Lending Coalition (RBLC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025Official membership advancing fair and transparent lending practices. Builds on longstanding commitment as Small Business Borrowers' Bill of Rights signatory. Coalition creates standards protecting small business borrowers.
• Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2025Family Child Care Capital Access Initiative partnership with LIIF and Ascendus. LIIF leads with early care and education expertise; Working Solutions provides microlending expertise. Anticipated $5.5 million in catalytic capital to be deployed through 3-5 year fixed-rate loans up to $100,000 for licensed in-home child care providers.
• AscendusflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2025Family Child Care Capital Access Initiative partnership. Ascendus brings 30+ years experience and $420 million+ deployed to 57,000+ entrepreneurs. Provides capital and financial coaching alongside Working Solutions' California microlending expertise.
• Community VisioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Deepened partnership with colocation at Flood Building in downtown San Francisco. Co-hosted events including 'The Social Justice Investor' West Coast Book Launch and discussion with CDFI leader Cliff Rosenthal about 'CDFIs Rising'.
• City of Berkeley Office of Economic DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking Solutions administers City of Berkeley's Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) and Resiliency Loan Program (RLP) providing low-interest loans to Berkeley small businesses with personalized application support plus free business consulting for loan life.
• City of AntiochcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Antioch Business Collaborative delivering financial and technical assistance to Antioch entrepreneurs including funding opportunities, workshops, and one-on-one pre-loan support with in-person office hours.
• California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCALE: Success, Capital Access and Leadership for Entrepreneurs program created by CalOSBA. Working Solutions serves as resource partner helping California small businesses access capital through $25.3 million program funded by SSBCI.
• Opportunity Finance Network (OFN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDFI industry network. CEO Sara Razavi serves on OFN Board of Directors. Selected for inaugural Nascent Climate Lender Training Program. Participated in OFN Small Business Finance Forum and annual conferences.
• Credit Builders AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector of Lending Priscilla Woo serves on Board of Directors and CBA Fund. Attended 2025 CBA Summit in Washington D.C.
• CAMEO NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in inaugural cohort of CAMEO's CDFI Shared Services Center. CFO presented about shared services at 30th Anniversary Celebration. Attended regional gatherings and statewide summit.
• California Coalition for Community Investment (CCCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted celebration of California Investment & Innovation Program (Cal IIP) with State Treasurer Fiona Ma. Over $30 million disbursed to 75 CDFIs in 2025 grant cycle.
• Small Business MajorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for virtual webinar on tariffs impact and trusted lending resources for small businesses.
• Renaissance Entrepreneurship CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Development Manager Anita Russell served as MC for Passion to Profit conference. Working Solutions provided capital access resources and networking opportunities.
• Indigenous Futures FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in inaugural 'Trading at the Bay' event for Native entrepreneurs hosted by Indigenous Futures Fund at Mission Driven Finance.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Main Street Launch: Oakland-based nonprofit CDFI providing small business loans and consulting in California. Now shares executive leadership (CEO Sara Razavi) with Working Solutions as of March 2026, with both organizations serving overlapping California entrepreneur segments.
• Accion Opportunity Fund: National nonprofit CDFI providing microloans and small business capital to underserved entrepreneurs, with strong California presence. Directly comparable in offering microloans paired with coaching to BIPOC, women, and immigrant entrepreneurs.
• LiftFund: Texas-based nonprofit CDFI offering small business microloans ($500-$100K) and bilingual consulting to underserved entrepreneurs, including Hispanic/Latino communities. Highly comparable operating model with geographic focus on the Southwest.
• Grameen America: National nonprofit microfinance organization providing small loans to low-income women entrepreneurs in the U.S. Closely comparable in serving women and BIPOC borrowers with nontraditional underwriting and wraparound support.
• Kiva: International nonprofit crowdfunding-based microlender enabling $0-interest loans to underserved small businesses globally, including the U.S. Comparable in mission focus on financial inclusion for entrepreneurs who lack traditional credit access.
• CDC Small Business Finance: California-based nonprofit CDFI providing SBA loans and small business financing to underserved entrepreneurs. Directly comparable geographic focus, CDFI certification, and small business borrower segment.
• Pacific Community Ventures: California-based nonprofit providing capital, coaching, and connections to small businesses in underserved communities. Comparable mission and geographic footprint to Working Solutions' Bay Area and statewide programs.

Others

• Opportunity Finance Network (OFN): National CDFI industry network and trade association where Working Solutions' CEO serves on the Board of Directors. Not a direct competitor but a peer CDFI ecosystem participant and capacity-building partner.
• National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB): National CDFI and small business development network serving Latino communities. Several Working Solutions staff are NALCAB Pete Garcia Fellowship alumni, making it a peer ecosystem organization with mission alignment.

Regional players

• California Community Reinvestment Corporation (CCRC): California CDFI consortium focused on financing affordable housing and community development. Adjacent peer in the California CDFI ecosystem, with overlapping funder relationships and policy advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/workingsolutionsmicroloans
• Xx.com/ws_microloans
• Facebookfacebook.com/WorkingSolutionsMicroloans

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Working Solutions