UCEDC’s Commitment to Diversity

Diversity in business ownership is not merely a picture of idealism but a pathway to a thriving economy. Multicultural environments have been shown to increase creativity, productivity, and profitability. At UCEDC we believe the benefits of diversity and inclusion are boundless. We know that the success of business owners from varying cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds not only impacts the entrepreneur but also the neighborhoods in which they live and serve. We consider investment in these businesses crucial to the economic prosperity of our communities.

UCEDC is committed to serving diverse members of the business community including people of color, women, veterans, LGBTQ, and underserved populations. With the support of the Wells Fargo Bank Diverse Community Capital Initiative, we have committed to increasing the diversity of our borrowers through outreach to various communities and by developing partnerships with diverse professional and business groups. Our goal is to improve access to affordable business capital and to enable business growth among diverse borrowers through financing and business education.

UCEDC has also developed a multi-faceted plan to increase the diversity and inclusivity of our operations. The plan is focused on the following areas:

  • Increase diversity on the Board of Trustees
  • Increase diversity on the UCEDC staff
  • Increase the diversity of our client base
  • Increase the number of diverse applicants for our loan program

Diversity Mission Statement

To provide financing, training, and mentorship to entrepreneurs in our service territory regardless of class, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, age, or gender. We will accomplish this by diversifying our board and staff to better reflect the demographics of the business landscape, and increasing our penetration into various business communities.