CELEBRATING PROGRESS AS WE ENTER THE NEXT DECADE


 

We congratulate all of our women members, who have shown us the power of hard work and persistence. We celebrate the corporations, foundations, and other institutions that have helped us provide microloans and support to women with little capital and few other resources. And we’re grateful for our community of individual supporters who are determined to help women lift themselves out of poverty.

We have accomplished so much over the past 10 years. Yet, there are still hundreds of thousands more women who would like to start or grow businesses, build their savings, and become financially independent. So as we mark this milestone, we are not stopping now. We will continue to grow and expand.

Over the next decade, we aim to touch the lives of 1 million Americans, create 360,000 jobs, and invest $12 billion in women-owned businesses.

grameenamerica.org

10 YEARS 

A DECADE OF EMPOWERMENT
GRAMEEN AMERICA
 OVER THE YEARS


 

2008

Muhammad Yunus brings his Nobel Prize-winning microfinance model to the United States as Grameen America opens its first branch in Jackson Heights in Queens, New York.

2009

The organization expands its reach beyond New York City with a branch in Omaha.

2010

Grameen America increases its membership tenfold and invests a total of $13 million in women living in poverty.

2011

The organization opens a branch in Indianapolis and surpasses $31 million total disbursed to women entrepreneurs.

2012

More than 15,000 women benefit from microloans, and Grameen America expands to several new cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Charlotte.

2013

Grameen America opens in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to meet the rising need for low-interest microloans among women entrepreneurs.

2014

The organization is honored at the Clinton Global Initiative’s Annual Meeting for expanding to Harlem, New York City. Branches open in Austin and Boston.

2015

The organization launches a year-long effort to promote digital financial access.

2016

Grameen America hits a major milestone: investing over $500 million in women entrepreneurs. A new branch opens in Newark, New Jersey.

2017

Grameen America expands its operations to Miami—our 20th branch and 13th city in the United States.

2018

grameenamerica.org

ANA

Four years ago, Ana was a new mother again and needed work that would give her flexibility and freedom. She was working at a café, and finding it hard to juggle work with taking care of her new baby and her older daughter at home. So when her friend decided to sell her shop in their neighborhood, in Newark, New Jersey, she jumped at the chance to buy it. Owning and running her own shop—close to her home—meant she could bring her baby with her and look after her there. Ana took over the shop, where she sells imported snacks from Ecuador and other parts of Latin America as well as other food and products. With loans from Grameen America, she was able to make improvements to the store. She redid the floors and knocked down a wall to make the space bigger. Next, she wants to add a café area with tables and seating for her customers. Running a café has always been her dream.

MONICA

Five years ago Monica moved to Charlotte, leaving behind an abusive marriage. She had an interest in beauty and makeup and had dreams of starting a bilingual cosmetology school but didn’t know where to start. Then she heard about Grameen America. With her first loan, she was able to buy and sell beauty products door-to-door and at flea markets. She used her profits to pay for classes at a local cosmetology school. After training as a cosmetologist, Monica was able to open her own salon and her own beauty school. Now she teaches students how they can launch careers in the business by selling products or working at salons. She also empowers her more than 100 students to take charge of their own futures through entrepreneurship. “I want to continue to grow my school so I can teach more people,” she said. Her school, Absolute Beauty College, is now one of the top bilingual beauty schools in North Carolina.

Join us in the movement to empower women entrepreneurs in communities across the country.


 

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 $1 BILLION INVESTED IN WOMEN 
100,000 WOMEN SERVED