Who We are and
Why We Exist
GNEC is a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) developed in 2005, and much more. We are the first step for entrepreneurs who cannot secure financial support from a bank. Plus, we offer access to professional resources to help start-ups launch or established firms achieve their goals.
Our Mission
We provide business capital, consulting, and coaching to entrepreneurs based in Newark and the New Jersey region, in particular to businesses excluded from such assistance through conventional channels.
Success by the Numbers
We help entrepreneurs grow economically stable businesses by helping them secure access to capital. We believe that providing entrepreneurs with resources about how to secure capital is critical to closing the racial funding gap and helping them become bankable.
We have offered over $3,500,000 in loans and counting and about 4,000 clients served.
Industries from 2018-2022
12.5%
12.5%
Services – Personal
21.2%
21.2%
Business & Professional
25.9%
25.9%
Retail Businesses
25%
25%
Transportation & Trucking2.2%
2.2%
ManufacturingThrough access to our partnerships with professional resources, we also provide you the technical support to foster your success.
We are GNEC
Our sole purpose for existence is to help entrepreneurs start or grow businesses by providing the resources and capital solutions critical to business success.
We Just Care
We’re committed to helping our clients get the success they need day in and day out. Our team members include:
Click Pictures for Bios
Board Members
Judith A. Sheft (Board Chairwoman) – NJEDA
Avi Telyas ( Treasurer ) – Makerhoods.org
John Suwatson ( Secretary ) – Genova Burns LLC
Chip Hallock – Newark Regional Business Partnership
Dr. Tamara Mangum-Thomas – Sharpened Image
Dominick Belfiore – M&T Bank
Carlton West – New Trend Consulting
Amit Airen – Mizuho Bank
Therone Hopkins – Columbia Bank
Chris Murphy – Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP
Julian Ibanez – The Prudential Insurance Company of America
Glenn Carroll – Peapack Gladstone Bank
Azhoon F. Abdulghani -Wells Fargo
Kat Zacharia – JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Tarun Goel – PwC
Yane Arias – Santander Bank