news & stories
Inspiration and Resources for Change Makers
At Access Ventures, we believe our impact will reach only as far as the stories we tell.
We view storytelling as a critical amplifier of our work and the work of our partners, without which we cannot realize our mission.
Explore some of these stories below, and let us know what you think.
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We view storytelling as a powerful way to spark change, exchange ideas, and build empathy. We are currently producing two podcasts that serve as a critical amplifier of our work and the work of our partners.
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We continually share learnings and best practices that advance our collective mission of human flourishing.
Held Back By The Social Support System
Organizations like Leap Fund advocate for transparency and education, enabling workers to make informed decisions based on their unique circumstances.
A Little Help Goes A Long Way
Through the programs at VOA and the support of Samaritan users in his community, Trenton is able to connect to resources and training to help him explore his options and reach his career goals.
TikTok, Medical Debt, and The Power of Forgiveness
Dollar For is working to educate patients about the policies at non-profit hospitals and aid them through the process of applying for Charity Care.
A Place To Call Home
Timothy Wilkins, once homeless and struggling with addiction, transformed his life through hard work and support from Facility Management Services and the Working Your Way Home program, ultimately achieving the dream of homeownership and providing stability for his family.
Why A Digital Financial System Is Impactful
Access Ventures embraces a digital financial system through blockchain technology to foster an inclusive economy, transitioning from traditional investment strategies to supporting early-stage companies and protocols that aim to modernize financial infrastructure and enhance economic inclusion for marginalized populations.
Knowing Is Caring
Homelessness requires a multifaceted, community-wide approach involving emergency services, housing, workforce development, and public perception. Access Ventures' Know Homelessness campaign in Louisville and Southern Indiana aims to change misconceptions and increase empathy through stories and partnerships with local coffee shops, encouraging community action and support.
Economic Agency and a Regional Investment Strategy
Render Capital, Access Ventures' $15M fund, promotes economic agency in Louisville and Southern Indiana by providing character-based microloans, alternative capital products, and decentralized decision-making to support excluded entrepreneurs, aiming to build a robust ecosystem and empower entrepreneurs to improve their economic conditions independently.
Economic Agency and the Empowerment of Entrepreneurs
Access Ventures invests in Collab Capital to combat entrepreneurial inequalities by providing financial, human, and social capital to black-owned startups, aiming to subvert traditional exclusionary capital networks and enhance economic agency for historically disadvantaged groups through inclusive entrepreneurship.
Economic Agency and the Democratization of Capital
Access Ventures supports initiatives like Village Capital’s peer-selected investment model to increase economic agency for traditionally excluded entrepreneurs by democratizing capital flows, enhancing their ability to influence their economic conditions and accumulate wealth.
An Inclusive & Creative Economy is Resilient
A resilient and inclusive economy fosters stability, values diversity, supports upward mobility, and ensures equitable opportunities, ultimately upholding the dignity and well-being of all people while enabling growth and innovation.
An Inclusive & Creative Economy is Dynamic
Colonel John Boyd’s OODA Loop highlights the need for dynamic, adaptive strategies, and at Access Ventures, we advocate for inclusive, resilient economies by integrating innovative capital strategies to address both current and future challenges.
An Inclusive & Creative Economy is Equitable
The year 2020 highlighted the need for an equitable, dynamic, and resilient economy as the global pandemic, economic justice movements, and political turmoil exposed systemic inequalities and underscored the importance of creating opportunities for all to thrive.
Working Your Way Home
The Working Your Way Home program, created by New Directions, LHOME, and HPI, offers homebuyer readiness courses and down payment assistance to help employees transition from renting to owning, addressing the affordable housing crisis in Louisville and Southern Indiana through collaboration and community-focused solutions.
Bringing Neighborly Love to Affordable Housing
Nesterly addresses the housing crisis by connecting empty nesters with spare bedrooms to young tenants, fostering intergenerational home-sharing, reducing housing costs for students, and allowing seniors to age in place while earning extra income.
Render Capital: A New $15M Regional Fund
Access Ventures has launched Render Capital, a $15 million fund designed to provide early-stage risk capital to entrepreneurs in Louisville and Southern Indiana, addressing the regional need for startup funding and stimulating economic growth through initiatives like the Render Competition and various financing options for local businesses.