Community Ventures

What Community Ventures does

Community Ventures is a Lexington, Kentucky-headquartered non-profit community development financial institution (CDFI) and certified Community Development Entity (CDE) operating since 1982 across eight Kentucky offices (Lexington, Louisville, Campbellsville, Millersburg, Bowling Green, Mayfield, Owensboro, Fulton). The organization pursues a holistic community development mission through three interconnected pillars — small business ownership, homeownership, and community/job creation — supported by a vertically integrated program portfolio that includes the SBA 504 Lending Program (338 loans, $164M+ loan volume, $400M+ leveraged project financing), New Markets Tax Credit allocation ($235M+ deployed, $431M+ leveraged projects), USDA Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program, Housing Affordability Programs (1,200+ new homeowners, 37,373 counseled), and the Equity Boost Loan Program (loans up to $200,000 with embedded technical assistance). It also operates four wholly-owned subsidiaries: Chef Space (commercial kitchen incubator, Louisville), Art Inc. Kentucky (artist incubator, Lexington), Mustard Seed Hill (historic campus restoration, Millersburg), and the Women's Business Center of Kentucky (SBA-funded since 2011).

Revenue is generated across four streams: interest and fee income from CDFI lending programs, federal and foundation grants (USDA, CDFI Fund Equitable Recovery Program, Truist Foundation, KHC, Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation, Old National Bank Foundation, U.S. Bank Foundation), New Markets Tax Credit allocation fees and related CDE returns, and program service revenue from housing counseling, business training courses, and technical assistance. The organization is led by Kevin Smith (President and CEO) and Wiley Faw (CFO/COO), with divisional Presidents overseeing Lending, Housing and Lending, Real Estate Development, NMTC, Chef Space, Art Inc., Mustard Seed Hill, and Disaster Recovery. Customer concentration is intentionally diversified across SMB entrepreneurs, prospective low- to moderate-income homebuyers, women entrepreneurs, artists and creative professionals, and food industry startups served through eight regional offices and program-specific facilities.

Name

Community Ventures

Legal name

Community Ventures Corporation Inc.

Website

https://cvky.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Community Ventures is a Kentucky-based non-profit CDFI and CDE, founded 1982, that provides small business loans, homeownership counseling, and community revitalization programs across eight offices, serving underserved entrepreneurs, homebuyers, and communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Financial Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Commercial Banking (522110)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162), Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Impact Investing & Social Finance (Funds, CDFIs, Microfinance) (BPAGALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microloans & Working Capital Loans (FSAKAGAA), Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE), Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building) (BPAGALAJ), Secured Microloans (Community/Nonprofit, Collateralized) (FSAKALAJ), Small Business & Self-Employment Personal Finance (Income, Expenses, Cash Reserves) (EDAAAJAL)

Keywords

• Community development lending
• Small business financing
• Affordable housing counseling
• SBA 504 loans
• Microloan programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CDFI Lending Programs: Community Ventures operates as a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) providing various loan programs including SBA 504 loans, microloans, small business expansion loans, and mortgage loans. Interest income from lending operations represents core revenue.
2. Foundation Grants: Federal and foundation grant funding including $500,000 from Truist Foundation, $2.478 million from U.S. Treasury CDFI Fund Equitable Recovery Program, $10 million USDA MPILP funding, and other government grants supporting specific programs.
3. New Markets Tax Credits: Community Ventures is a designated Community Development Entity (CDE) that deploys New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) for community revitalization projects, generating revenue through allocation fees and investment returns.
4. Program Services: Revenue generated through housing counseling, business training courses, and technical assistance services provided to entrepreneurs and homebuyers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Community Ventures operates as a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) providing small business lending products including SBA 504 loans, Equity Boost microloans (up to $200,000), USDA MPILP financing, and mortgage loans, alongside housing affordability programs (counseling, down payment assistance, Rural Homeownership Program). The organization also deploys New Markets Tax Credits for community revitalization and runs specialized subsidiary programs: Chef Space kitchen incubator, Art Inc. Kentucky artist incubator, Mustard Seed Hill historic venue, the Women's Business Center of Kentucky, and Next Gen Biz Lab student entrepreneurship.

Product overview

Community Ventures operates a multi-faceted community development organization offering a platform of interconnected programs spanning small business lending, homeownership support, and community revitalization. The core offerings include the SBA 504 Lending Program and Equity Boost Loan Program for small business financing, the Women's Business Center of Kentucky for entrepreneurial coaching, and Housing Affordability Programs including the Rural Homeownership Program. The organization also operates place-based initiatives including Chef Space (kitchen incubator), Art Inc. Kentucky (artist incubator), Mustard Seed Hill (historic campus restoration), The MET (mixed-use development), and Next Gen Biz Lab (student entrepreneurship). Programs are funded through New Markets Tax Credits, USDA lending programs, and federal grants, with branch offices across Kentucky in Lexington (headquarters), Louisville, Bowling Green, Campbellsville, Mayfield, Millersburg, and Owensboro.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chef Space: A west end kitchen incubator in Louisville dedicated to early stage catering, retail, food truck, and wholesale food businesses. Opened November 2015, this 13,556 square foot facility offers multiple food preparation stations, access to capital, storage space, and training opportunities.
• Art Inc. Kentucky
• Mustard Seed Hill
• Women's Business Center of Kentucky
• Equity Boost Loan Program
• Entrée-Preneurship
• Next Gen Biz Lab

Products and services

• SBA 504 Lending Program Small Business Administration 504 lending program providing long-term, fixed-rate financing for small businesses to acquire real estate, equipment, and machinery; over $164M in loan volume with 338 loans issued creating or retaining 7,501 jobs.
• New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) Federal community development program stimulating economic growth in low-income communities through tax credit allocations; Community Ventures has received $235M+ in NMTC allocation, directly invested $238M, and leveraged $431M+ in total project costs.
• Equity Boost Loan Program Small business financing program providing loans up to $200,000 along with technical support, education, and networking for small entrepreneurs in Lexington, Louisville, and Bowling Green; supported by Truist Foundation $500,000 grant.
• Housing Affordability Programs Comprehensive homeownership support including housing counseling, homebuyer education, affordable lending, down payment assistance, disaster recovery programs, and community development; has created 1,200+ new Kentucky homeowners and counseled 37,373 new homeowners.
• Women's Business Center of Kentucky Business coaching center providing confidential, no-cost business coaching, training, programming, and networking opportunities to help women entrepreneurs start, grow, and succeed; founded in 2011 with partial SBA cooperative agreement funding.
• Chef Space Kitchen Incubator Nonprofit kitchen incubator in Louisville's Russell neighborhood dedicated to early-stage catering, retail, food truck, and wholesale food businesses; offers multiple food preparation stations, storage, access to capital, and training opportunities with capacity for up to 50 entrepreneurs.
• Art Inc. Kentucky Artist Incubator Non-profit art and community incubator dedicated to helping artists and creatives build their businesses, gain exposure, and generate sales; provides monthly membership with business consulting, classroom training, sales opportunities, website development, social media promotion, photography services, and funding assistance.
• Mustard Seed Hill Historic Venue Historic campus restoration project in Millersburg, Kentucky transforming the former Millersburg Military Institute into a community venue; includes Allen House mansion (event venue), McIntyre Hall, gymnasium, small private school, and The Neal House accommodation; hosts Christmas at Mustard Seed Hill holiday attraction.
• USDA MPILP Loan Program Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program providing $10 million in revolving loan funds to enable new independent meat processors and agri-businesses essential to food accessibility to launch and grow.
• WKY Disaster Relief Program Disaster recovery program supporting communities and individuals affected by natural disasters in Western Kentucky, including tornado recovery efforts in Fulton County and Mayfield.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15,200 jobs created or retained
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• Lexington Public LibrarysupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership with Lexington Public Library Eastside Branch to showcase ArtHouse Kentucky artists through yearlong revolving art exhibitions.
• Bourbon Christian AcademysupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2025Partnership with Bourbon Christian Academy to deliver the Next Gen Biz Lab student entrepreneurship program, including the inaugural business pitch competition.
• Kroger (Louisville Division)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Kroger partnered with Chef Space on the Local Food Entrepreneurship Scholarship program, providing commercial kitchen access and direct access to Kroger merchandising teams for scholarship winners.
• NeighborWorks AmericasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Ventures participates in NeighborWorks Weeks national celebration with nearly 250 network organizations across the country, highlighting housing and community development impact.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation: Kentucky-based CDFI providing small business loans, housing programs, and community development across Appalachian Kentucky. Directly comparable as a regional CDFI operating SBA 504 and microlending programs within the same state.
• Fahe: Appalachian regional CDFI network providing housing, lending, and community development across Kentucky and surrounding states. Comparable mission, CDFI structure, and target borrower segments.
• Clearinghouse CDFI: Multi-state CDFI providing small business loans, SBA 504 financing, NMTC allocation, and affordable housing capital in low-income communities. Comparable product mix and CDFI/CDE structure.
• LiftFund: Texas-headquartered CDFI providing small business microloans and SBA 504 lending to underserved entrepreneurs. Comparable microlending, SBA 504, and minority/women entrepreneur focus.
• Grameen America: National microfinance organization providing small loans to women entrepreneurs in underserved communities. Comparable microloan focus and women entrepreneur segment.
• Hope Enterprise Corporation / Hope Credit Union: Mississippi-based CDFI and credit union providing small business lending, housing, and community development across the Deep South. Comparable CDFI/CDE structure, SBA microlending, and community development mission.
• Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC): Regional CDFI serving rural communities across the Western U.S. with housing, community facilities, and small business lending. Comparable rural focus, CDFI structure, and USDA program deployment.

Broad incumbents

• Reinvestment Fund: Large national CDFI providing financing for housing, small business, and community development, with significant NMTC allocation activity. Comparable CDFI product mix but at materially larger scale and multi-state footprint.

Others

• Opportunity Finance Network (OFN): National CDFI industry association and intermediary providing capital, training, and advocacy to CDFIs including Community Ventures. Not a competitor but the principal industry body governing the CDFI ecosystem in which Community Ventures operates.

Regional players

• SCORE Kentucky: Kentucky-based SBA resource partner providing free business mentoring and education. Overlapping with the Women's Business Center of Kentucky's business advising mission but not a direct lender.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CVKentucky
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityVenturesKY
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/communityventuresky
• Instagraminstagram.com/cvkentucky

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 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 Community Ventures