Justine PETERSEN

What Justine PETERSEN does

Justine PETERSEN (legal name: Justine Petersen Housing and Reinvestment Corporation) is a St. Louis-based nonprofit and certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) founded in 1997-1998 to deliver credit building, housing counseling, and small business lending services to low-to-moderate-income individuals, BIPOC communities, and underserved entrepreneurs. Its core products include the My Credit Compass credit-building program with action plans and secured cards, HUD-approved housing counseling and home buyer education (via eHome America, $125 per course), and a tiered small business lending stack spanning SBA Micro-Enterprise Loans, CDFI Micro-Loans, USDA loans, Community Advantage Loans, Able Biz loans, IgniteMO ($25K-$500K), and short-term Contractor Loans; the wholly-owned subsidiary Great Rivers Community Capital (CDFI, founded April 1999) originates small-dollar consumer and housing loans. The organization is licensed to lend in Missouri, Michigan, and Louisiana and runs a Champaign, IL office alongside its St. Louis headquarters.

Revenue mechanics combine transaction-fee loan interest (e.g., 7.25-20% across products, 6-8% closing fees, 0% interest on contractor loans), Federal CDFI Fund donation matching (1:1) with 1:7 leverage on loan loss reserves, HUD-aligned counseling fees, and bank co-lending capital from Simmons, Regions, PNC, Montgomery Bank, and US Bancorp under CRA programs. Complementary operating units include the Greencubator food-business incubator, Sanctuary In The Ordinary (affordable housing affiliate, January 2024), the Farm-To-Home hemp housing initiative, and the JP QuickPay payment portal.

Cumulative impact metrics include over 20,000 loans originated totaling $351M, 28,000+ jobs created or saved, and 40,000+ credit action plans built, with 70%+ LMI and 78% BIPOC client composition. The technology stack is lightweight and third-party-dependent (tfaforms, Cognito Forms, Eventbrite, 1tech.net payments) with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, and the strategic posture is moderate-growth, funded by the $6.2M April 2023 CDFI Fund award and ongoing bank partnerships.

Name

Justine PETERSEN

Legal name

Justine Petersen Housing and Reinvestment Corporation

Website

https://justinepetersen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Justine PETERSEN is a St. Louis-based nonprofit CDFI providing credit building, HUD-approved housing counseling, and small business loans to low-to-moderate-income individuals and BIPOC entrepreneurs across Missouri, Michigan, Louisiana, and Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Financial Services

NAICS

Finance and Insurance (52), Other Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (522390)

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing / Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Mortgage Origination (FSALAAAM), Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD), Affordable Rental & Multifamily Housing Finance Programs (LIHTC/Tax Credits/Subsidized Loans) (FSALAKAF)

Keywords

• Micro-enterprise lending
• Credit building services
• Housing counseling
• CDFI nonprofit lending
• Small business loans

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Micro-enterprise Lending: Loans to small businesses from $500 to $150,000, including SBA Micro-Enterprise Loans, CDFI Micro-Loans, USDA Micro-Enterprise Loans, Community Advantage Loans, and Contractor Loans
2. Consumer Credit Building Loans: Small dollar credit building loans for individuals to consolidate debt, payoff high interest loans, and build credit
3. Housing Counseling Services: HUD-approved housing counseling for first-time homebuyers, home buyer education through eHome America ($125 course fee)
4. Donations and Grants: Donations matched by Federal CDFI Fund. Donations support loan loss reserve (1:7 leverage), credit building work ($200 per session), and general operating support

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Justine PETERSEN provides a comprehensive suite of asset-building financial services to low-to-moderate income individuals, families, and small business owners. Core offerings include credit building counseling and loans (My Credit Compass), HUD-approved housing counseling and home buyer education, and small business/micro-enterprise lending across multiple SBA, CDFI, USDA, Community Advantage, Able Biz, IgniteMO, and Contractor loan products. The organization also operates the Great Rivers Community Capital CDFI subsidiary, Greencubator business incubator, Farm-To-Home affordable hemp-based housing, and SITO affordable housing affiliate.

Product overview

Justine PETERSEN is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and nonprofit housing and reinvestment corporation offering a comprehensive suite of asset-building financial services. The organization operates primarily through its core divisions: Credit Building (My Credit Compass program with counseling, loans, and secured credit cards), Housing Services (HUD-approved counseling, home buyer education, home repair programs), and Small Business Lending (multiple loan products including SBA Micro-Enterprise Loans, CDFI Micro-Loans, USDA loans, Community Advantage Loans, Able Biz loans, IgniteMO loan program, and Contractor Loans). The organization also operates complementary initiatives including Great Rivers Community Capital (wholly-owned CDFI subsidiary), the Greencubator (25,000 sq ft food business incubator), Sanctuary In The Ordinary (affordable housing affiliate), and the Farm-To-Home hemp-based housing initiative. Services are complemented by educational programs like Lunch & Learn sessions and payment tools including JP QuickPay online portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• My Credit Compass Credit Building Program One-on-one credit building counseling and personalized credit action plans combined with credit building loans, secured credit cards, and credit monitoring for LMI individuals seeking to build credit and assets.
• HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Program Personalized pre-purchase housing counseling and foreclosure prevention counseling, including online home buyer education through eHome America, designed for first-time homebuyers and LMI households needing step-by-step guidance through the home purchase process.
• SBA Micro-Enterprise Loan Non-SBA-guaranteed micro-enterprise loan of up to $50,000 for small businesses unable to access traditional financing, with a JP average loan size under $10,000.
• CDFI Micro-Loan Micro-loan of typically over $10,000 up to $50,000 for small businesses needing capital beyond SBA thresholds, with 12%-20% interest rates and a 6% closing fee.
• USDA Micro-Enterprise Loan USDA-backed micro-enterprise loan of up to $150,000 at a 9.5% interest rate for small businesses based in rural Missouri.
• Community Advantage Loan SBA-guaranteed Community Advantage Loan with quarterly adjustable interest rate (Prime+6%, currently 11.5%), 10-year term, 10% equity injection requirement for start-ups, and a $2,500 loan packaging fee.
• Able Biz Loan Loan program for entrepreneurs with disabilities of up to $50,000 with a 6% interest rate, up to 84-month term, and 3% closing fee.
• IgniteMO Loan Participation Program Loan participation program offering $25,000 to $500,000 at 10-14% interest to socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, funded through Missouri State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) with a $2M anchor investment from Simmons Bank, targeting $105M+ in deployment to 2,000+ small businesses over a decade.
• Contractor Loans Short-term balloon notes of up to $150K at 0% interest with a 6-8% flat closing fee, designed to build capacity for small construction firms in the St. Louis region.
• DRIVE Auto Loan Refinancing Program Auto loan refinancing program helping eligible borrowers refinance high-interest auto loans to lower monthly payments and improve financial stability.
• St. Louis City Owner-Occupied Home Rehab Program Up to $5,000 in forgivable funds per household for eligible home repairs for St. Louis City homeowners at or below 80% AMI.
• City of Alton Owner-Occupied Home Rehab Program Up to $10,000 in forgivable funds per household for eligible home repairs in partnership with Madison County and City of Alton for homeowners at or below 80% AMI.
• Greencubator Small Business Incubator 25,000-square-foot small business incubator in the St. Louis Near North Side providing training, technical assistance, and support to food-related and urban agricultural startups.
• Sanctuary In The Ordinary (SITO) Affordable Housing Affordable rental housing for low-income residents in St. Louis produced via the selective rehab method at $40,000-$80,000 per unit, provided through the SITO affiliate.
• Farm-To-Home Hemp-Based Housing Initiative Hemp-based affordable housing construction program using regionally grown hemp and hempcrete panel technology to build homes that are approximately 30% more affordable and 50% more energy-efficient than conventional construction, with fire, mold, and weather resistance.
• Great Rivers Community Capital (CDFI Subsidiary) Wholly-owned CDFI subsidiary certified by the Federal CDFI Fund, originating consumer, housing, and micro-enterprise loans as an alternative to payday lenders for low-income families lacking access to safe and affordable capital.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20K loans totaling $351M originated since inception
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Sanctuary In The Ordinary (SITO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024SITO became an affiliate of JP in January 2024. Mission to strengthen people and neighborhoods through dignified rental housing for low-income residents using selective rehab ($40,000-$80,000 per unit).
• Great Rivers Community CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWholly-owned subsidiary CDFI founded in April 1999. Originates consumer, housing, and micro-enterprise loans to low-income families. Has originated 11,198 small dollar consumer and housing loans totaling $10M.
• Credit Building NationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining and capacity building network. JP partners through Credit Building Nation for professional development, referrals, and industry collaboration.
• eHome AmericamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline homebuyer education platform meeting National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling. JP refers clients to complete the $125 course before one-on-one HUD-certified housing counseling.
• Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJP partners with the Aspen Institute for economic opportunity programs, training, and capacity building initiatives.
• OzSBI (Ozarks Small Business Incubator)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOzSBI assists small businesses in obtaining micro loans, including helping Yes Honey secure financing through the OzSBI Microloan Program.
• Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for Metro East at SIUEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJP supports the annual Metro East Start Up Challenge competition, sponsoring the Minority Owned Business Award. $28,000 in cash prizes awarded in 2026.
• Elevator St. LouisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner for JP Lunch & Learn sessions and Sharing The Why community events. Provides space for financial education and community dialogue.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Grameen America: Nonprofit microfinance organization providing small-dollar loans to low-income entrepreneurs, predominantly women, across the U.S. Highly comparable to JP's micro-enterprise and credit-building lending mission and LMI target market.
• Kiva: Crowdfunded nonprofit enabling 0% interest microloans to underserved borrowers and small businesses globally. Overlaps with JP's CDFI Micro-Loans and SBA Micro-Enterprise Loans, especially for entrepreneurs unable to access traditional credit.
• LiftFund: Texas-based nonprofit CDFI providing small business loans and credit-building services to minority and underserved entrepreneurs. Closely comparable to JP's micro-enterprise lending, SBA loan products, and business development services.
• DreamSpring: Nonprofit CDFI (formerly Accion serving Arizona and the Southwest) providing microloans and small business financing to underserved entrepreneurs. Directly comparable to JP's SBA Micro-Enterprise, CDFI Micro-Loan, and Able Biz products.
• Self-Help Credit Union: North Carolina-based CDFI credit union providing consumer loans, mortgages, and small business lending to low-income communities. Comparable mission, CDFI certification, and integrated credit-building + housing + small business product set.
• Hope Credit Union: Mississippi-based CDFI credit union focused on financial services for underserved communities across the Deep South. Comparable CDFI model, LMI/BIPOC target population, and integrated credit-building and small business programs.
• CDC Small Business Finance: California-based nonprofit CDFI providing SBA 504 and 7(a) loans, microloans, and small business financing to underserved entrepreneurs. Comparable SBA-guaranteed and micro-enterprise loan products.
• Coastal Enterprises Inc (CEI): Maine-based nonprofit CDFI providing small business loans, microenterprise financing, and rural housing support. Comparable integrated approach to small business lending, housing, and community economic development in underserved regions.
• PeopleFund: Texas-based nonprofit CDFI providing microloans and small business financing to women, minority, and veteran entrepreneurs. Directly comparable microenterprise products and underserved entrepreneur target segments.

Broad incumbents

• Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing community development lending, affordable housing finance, and impact investing across multiple states. Larger and broader in scope than JP, but operates in the same CDFI space with overlapping affordable housing and community development mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/justinepetersen
• Facebookfacebook.com/justinepetersen
• Instagraminstagram.com/justinepetersen
• Xx.com/justinepetersen

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Justine PETERSEN