Meeting Entrepreneurs Where They Are: ProsperUs Detroit’s Community-First Microlending

August 27, 2025 – 

CEO Paul Jones shares how ProsperUs pairs flexible capital with coaching to turn ambition into local wealth.

Read time: 5 minutes

ProsperUs is helping entrepreneurs turn ideas into enterprises — and keep wealth in the neighborhoods they call home. An Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) member and community development financial institution (CDFI), ProsperUs pairs flexible microlending with training and one-on-one technical assistance to expand access to capital and opportunity across Detroit and nearby communities. 

What makes ProsperUs unique — and how does that help you better serve your community?

At ProsperUs Detroit, we take pride in being a CDFI, and I often say we’re probably more “community development” than “financial institution.” What makes us unique is our deep, community-focused approach, which centers on the lived experiences of the entrepreneurs we serve. We don’t expect our clients to come to us. Instead, we meet them where they are, literally and figuratively: in their neighborhoods, in trusted community spaces, and at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey.   

More than 2,000 entrepreneurs have completed our cohort-based training; in the past year alone, we completed 196 individualized technical assistance projects and provided more than 40 laptops to entrepreneurs with demonstrated need. These efforts build trust and confidence, close the racial wealth gap, and promote local ownership.

What’s your “why” for working in this field, and how did you end up at ProsperUs?

I grew up in Brightmoor a Detroit neighborhood. Entrepreneurship was my way across the economic divide, and I want others from under-resourced neighborhoods to have that path. When I discovered how mission-driven financial institutions catalyze community transformation, I knew I’d found the right vehicle to drive impact close to home. 

How do you describe ProsperUs to someone new to community development?

ProsperUs advances economic equity by combining capital with business coaching and practical resources. We focus on entrepreneurs in under-resourced communities across Detroit and the surrounding areas, taking a holistic approach to help them start, grow, and build wealth.

Which recent partnership has had the biggest impact?

In 2023, with support from our local member of Congress, we expanded services in the City of Inkster, an area where few CDFIs have historically worked. The ripple effect has been powerful: One Detroit Credit Union opened a new branch after years without a local bank, creating new pathways to financial inclusion alongside our lending and coaching. We’re also deepening support for entrepreneurs impacted by the criminal legal system, with partners organizations and programs that include Nation Outside, Strategic Community Partners, SER Metro, and Eastside Community Network.

What’s the biggest opportunity to increase your impact?

Our new Community Catalyst Loan (CCL) Program directly engages community partners and technical assistance providers in the lending process. They provide on-the-ground knowledge that helps us streamline underwriting, make faster, better decisions, and extend support after funding. We’re piloting 250 microloans across 10 partners, and see this as a scalable model that restores community voice and trust in capital. 

It’s our first “believe in you” loan that is designed specifically for entrepreneurs who have historically been excluded from traditional financial systems. The application process is intentionally user-friendly, and community partners play a direct role in identifying potential borrowers and underwriting loans.

What’s the biggest challenge — and opportunity — you see heading into 2026?

Too much of the capital available to under-resourced entrepreneurs is rigid and risk-averse. We’re expanding patient, flexible, belief-driven capital, including forgivable loans, credit enhancements, and lending backed by the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). We’re also always advocating for a culture shift that embraces creativity, shared risk, and deep partnership with communities.

Are there new products or services on deck? 

Beyond the CCL Program, we’re expanding access to flexible products like forgivable loans and SSBCI-backed lending (with up to an 80% guarantee). Every loan is paired with tailored services — financial literacy coaching and one-on-one technical assistance — so entrepreneurs can not only access funding but grow with it. 

How can people learn more about CDFIs and get involved?

Start by learning what CDFIs do locally. Many neighborhood businesses, from cafés to contractors, were launched or stabilized with CDFI support.

Now is a critical time to deepen that awareness and take action. One of the most impactful ways to support CDFIs is by advocating policymakers for continued support of the CDFI Fund, which allows mission-driven financial institutions to reach more communities with flexible, affordable capital.

– Paul Jones, CEO of ProsperUs

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Learn about Jay Williams of Miss Eva’s Detroit, a ProsperUs Client. 

We thank ProsperUS Detroit Microlending for the awesome work it does to uplift and serve its community. Continue to keep up with all this ProsperUS on their website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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