Last November, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) announced that the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) was the winner of its 2015 Innovation Challenge. AEO proposed an innovative way of partnering Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) with small businesses in low-income areas that need investment.

AEO's proposed solution is a screening and assessment tool that will match small business owners that have been declined by traditional lenders with CDFIs that may be able to assist them. Since winning the Challenge, AEO has been using design thinking strategies and spending lots of time with CDFIs and bank partners to make sure the platform -- which they have named Project CUE, for Connecting Underserved Entrepreneurs -- addresses their needs.

In this special webinar opportunity, AEO's team will review what they have learned to-date, describe the services and software they are developing, and answer questions about their solution. CDFI Fund Director Annie Donovan will also provide remarks about the CDFI Fund's priorities in pursuing innovative solutions to community development problems in low-income and distressed communities.

2015 Innovation Challenge Update Webinar

Tuesday, July 19, 2016
1:00 p.m. EDT
Moderated by Tammy Halevy, Senior Vice President for New Initiatives, AEO

Register to attend the webinar here.

Registration may be completed up to the start time of the webinar on July 19.

Learn more about AEO's recent work by reading their blog series. Visit www.cdfifund.gov to learn more about the CDFI Fund and its programs.