April 8, 2026

Dear Friends,

It looks like Spring is finally here and with it, time for our 14th annual Accompany Capital Immigrant Heritage Week Awards! Scroll down to learn more and to RSVP!

We have lots more news as well so scroll down for :

A very successful 2 days in Albany at the annual New York State CDFI conference
Our 2025 Fact Sheet
An exciting opportunity for immigrants working in the Culinary Arts
A free Meet the Lender event for small business owners in Queens
Three important April webinars for small business owners

Please join us April 23nd at 7 PM via Zoom

for the 13th annual

Accompany Capital Immigrant Heritage Week Awards!

Please join us April 23rd at 7 PM via Zoom for the 14th annual Accompany Capital Immigrant Heritage Week Awards.

This year's event honors New Beginnings and clients who - through their entrepreneurship, energy, and creativity - are contributing to what makes the culture, community, and economy of New York vibrant and special.

In addition, opur keynote speaker Bhairavi Desai, co-founder of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, will accept the AC Visionary Award on behalf of the organization and Council Member Shekar Krishnan will be honored with the AC Community Catalyst Award!

The event is free but you must register here for all the details!

April 23, 2025

7 - 8 PM EDT

Bridging the Gap - CDFIs Working Together

On March 23rd Community Development leaders from across New York State gathered in Albany for our annual two-day statewide conference. This year's theme - CDFIs at Work: Bridging the Gap - included panel discussions and workshops examining how CDFIs responded to the needs of their communities through unlikely cross-sector partnerships and innovative products. We were pleased to participate in a panel titled Driving Change where we highlighted our partnership with the New York Taxi Workers Alliance.

Click to read more

Our 2025 Fact Sheet is Now Available

We are very pleased to announce that our FY2025 Fact Sheet is now available, reflecting a strong year of lending and technical assistance for small business owners in New York City. In fiscal year 2025, Accompany Capital disbursed $7,638,860 across 225 new loans, supporting the launch of 41 new businesses and the expansion or strengthening of 493 more.

Click here

Attn: Immigrants Working in Culinary Arts

Consider applying for this great opportunity from The Vilcek Foundation: the 2027 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Culinary Arts.

Six immigrant professionals will each receive a $50,000 cash award across two categories: Food & Beverage and Media & Storytelling.

Whether you are a chef, baker, food writer, mixologist, food stylist, sommelier, content creator, culinary historian, or more, we want to hear from you!

Applicants must be 38 or younger, have at least 5 years of professional experience, and have been born outside the U.S. to non-American parents.

Apply by May 4 here: https://bit.ly/4ceUa9N

Tomorrow: Access to Capital - Meet the Lenders

Thursday, April 9

10 AM – 1 PM

120-55 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens

Looking for funding for your business's next stage of growth?

Please join Accompany Capital and other lenders tomorrow for this free event hosted by the Queens Economic Development Corporation. It's an opportunity for entrepreneurs and small business owners to connect directly with banks, CDFIs, and alternative lenders to explore financing options and funding readiness.

Who Should Attend:

✅ Startups preparing for their first loan

✅ Existing businesses seeking expansion capital

✅ Owners interested in SBA loans, lines of credit, equipment financing, or term loans

✅ Entrepreneurs working on improving loan readiness

April Webinars

Alternative Funding Options: How to Find Capital When the Bank Says No

Date: Wednesday, April 15

Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00PM

Location: Zoom (Click Here to Register)

Access to capital remains one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses today.

In this informative webinar, you’ll hear about alternative funding options available to entrepreneurs who may not qualify for traditional bank loans. We’ll break down the different types of capital available, explain how they work, and discuss what lenders look for when reviewing applications.

Whether you're starting a new business or looking to grow, this session will provide practical guidance to help you better understand your financing options and take the next step with confidence.

What you’ll learn:

Types of capital available to small businesses
Community Lenders and CDFIs
What lenders look for
How to prepare yourself to become “loan ready”
Understanding credit, cash flow, and lender requirements
Common mistakes to avoid when seeking capital

Presenter: Tshering D. Gurung, Director of Business Development, Training & Partnerships, Accompany Capital

Click Here to Register

This webinar is provided in partnership with the Brooklyn Business Solutions Center and sponsored by Metropolitan Commercial Bank.

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Choosing the Right Legal Entity for Your Business

Date: Tuesday, April 21

Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Location: Zoom (Click here to register)

Choosing the right business structure is important because it has legal and financial implications.

This workshop is designed to give you an overview of the various legal structures available when starting a business (e.g., LLC, C-Corp, S-Corp, Sole Proprietorship, Worker Cooperative, B-Corp, etc.), as well as some of the legal and tax consequences of each. This workshop will be an important first step in choosing the legal structure that works best for you.

What you’ll learn:

Factors to consider when choosing a business entity structure 
Define Single Proprietorship, Limited Liability Company (LLC) (single-member and multi-member), Partnership, S Corporations and C Corporations
Pros and cons for each entity type 
Tax implications for each business structure

Speaker: Rolando Gonzalez, Senior Staff Attorney, Harlem Community Law Office, Community Development Project

Click Here to Register

This workshop is provided in partnership with the Queens Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Webster.

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