At Accompany Capital we create paths to success and self-sufficiency for immigrants & refugees – as well as other fellow New Yorkers. We don’t just support our clients with affordable loans, we continue to support them with:
Saving for a First HomeIf you are a low to moderate-income New Yorker, we can help you qualify for one of these government-sponsored savings programs:
Accompany Capital’s home ownership seminars will help you understand the home purchasing process and what is involved in home ownership. The seminars are offered four times a year and fulfill the education requirement for both the HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program and the First Home Club Matched Savings Program, including:
Francess Smith, Manager of IDA Program
fsmith@accompanycapital.org
Through our partnership with organizations like New York Women in Business, we sponsor and participate in events that highlight women entrepreneurs’ stories and bring together women who are starting, building, or expanding business to learn from each other’s journeys.
Women who are not our clients are also welcome to take advantage of the many workshops we offer on every phase of entrepreneurship, from starting a business, to marketing it successfully and take it to the next level.
We have also created a speaker bureau – AC Voices – highlighting Accompany Capital clients who have successfully navigated the very diverse challenges they have faced and can tell the story compellingly at meetings, conferences, and panels to uplift other women – and men – on their journeys. Contact us to learn more about this program.
Accompany Capital works closely with Women’s Enterprise Action Loan Fund (WEALF) to benefit from referring our clients to WEALF for mentoring while WEALF refers their clients to us for larger loans. WEALF was founded 7 years ago to help women founders and their businesses become financially self-sufficient through interest-free loans of up to $10,000 and one-on-one mentoring from experienced businesswomen to maximize the impact of the loan. Since then, WEALF has been proving – with each loan they grant – that zip code & ethnicity are no barriers to success for women entrepreneurs.
**This program will be online until further notice, accessible from any device 24 hours a day, 7 days a week**
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s HomeFirst
Down Payment Assistance Program provides qualified homebuyers with up to $100,000 toward the down
payment or closing costs on a 1-4 family home, a condominium, or a cooperative in one of the five boroughs
of New York City.
The following topics are covered:
Discount code: BCNA50
Eligibility Requirements: Click here
For more information, please contact Francess Smith at (212) 898-7850 or fsmith@accompanycapital.org
This workshop is put on through the Housing Partnership Development Corporation
Friday, May 13th
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET
Are you a NYC small business owner with a commercial lease? If your business needs help with a commercial lease issue, you may be eligible for free legal services.
The Commercial Lease Assistance Program (CLA) program provides free legal representation in connection with commercial leases to underserved, small business owners who otherwise cannot afford counsel.
At this event, you will meet with the attorneys for a free, one-on-one consultation to discuss any issues related to your lease. If you are in the process of signing a new lease, attorneys can review your lease and advise you.
Your appointment will be for 30 minutes. We will contact you to schedule the appointment after registration.
For more information, please contact Tshering Gurung at tgurung@accompanycapital.org or 347-730-6468.
This workshop is provided in partnership with the Queens Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A and SBS
Tuesday, May 17th
2:00 – 3:00 PM ET
The federal government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world. Learn about how and what the Federal Government buys; certification for set aside; marketing to government agencies; subcontracting; and how to expand your business to global market.
This webinar will help businesses understand all the steps necessary to become a responsible and responsive vendor to Federal; New York State, and New York City governments. The webinar will provide businesses with an overview of how to get registered to do business with the government; how to get certified at all levels of government; and how to find government contracting opportunities!
Speaker: Man-Li Lin, Economic Development Specialist at U.S. Small Business Administration, New York District Office
For more information, please contact Tshering Gurung at tgurung@accompanycapital.org or 347-730-6468.
This workshop is provided in partnership with SBA, the Queens Chamber of Commerce and Sunnyside Shines BID and sponsored by Santander.
Wednesday, May 18th
2:00 – 3:00 PM ET
Learn about the basic resources and information needed to start your own business, including how to develop an idea into a business; the procedure for registering a business; your responsibility as an employer; home based business regulations; and the pros and cons of each business structure – sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, and LLCs.
Speaker: Man-Li Lin, Economic Development Specialist at U.S. Small Business Administration, New York District Office
For more information, please contact Tshering Gurung at tgurung@accompanycapital.org or 347-730-6468.
This workshop is provided in partnership with SBA, the Queens Chamber of Commerce and Sunnyside Shines BID and sponsored by HSBC.
The Bark Shoppe is a premier pet care facility in Harlem, dedicated to fostering great relationships between pets and their owners. Featuring signature soap-free shampoos for your pet’s coat and sensitive skin; water-based hydrating body sprays infused with natural essences to provide a long-lasting deodorizing scent without sacrificing the natural oils in your pet’s fur; and gentle but effective combs and brushes.
Offering simple, delicious, natural Ethiopian coffee and blends that allowing the unique flavors of each type of single origin bean to shine through. Many of our Ethiopian coffees are certified fair-trade and organic. Others are sourced from small farms that are committed to responsible practices but cannot afford the costs of certification. All of our Ethiopian coffees come from small-holder farms and farmers cooperatives.
Inca Heritage offers beautiful women’s hats, capes, coats, shawls, and dresses as well as fun children’s hats and toys, all made with 100% Premium Baby Alpaca and organic cotton from natural, organic sources, environmentally safe, and 100% free of animal cruelty.
Olive oil-based, gentle, all-natural skincare, body care, and hair care products that are safe and effective to combat early signs of aging, allergies, or skin sensitivities, giving you beautiful skin and stronger hair.
Award-winning language learning, translation, interpretation & cultural exchange services, powered by refugee talent & host community members.
Harlem Chocolate Factory is an artisan chocolate company that strives to convey the cultural experiences of Harlem through their chocolate products, sharing their love for Harlem & Chocolate and bringing diverse voices to the forefront of the chocolate industry. Try their Brownstone Bars and their delicious bonbons and truffles!
The Gilded Grape has a strong focus on local producers, featuring wines from the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley & North Fork- even Brooklyn – and artisanal spirits such as gin, whiskey, single malts, and vodka from New York State craft distilleries, as well as other popular brands and producers.
Balkan Bites is a female and family-owned business that specializes in wholesome Southeast European comfort foods made with premium ingredients and authentic recipes, such as Burek, a portable stuffed phyllo swirl.
Butcher Girls Co. is a virtual butcher shop, hand-delivering curated boxes of local, sustainable, and humanely sourced meat and fish as part of a weekly, biweekly or monthly subscription program.
Accompany Capital’s Francess Smith with IDA clients
If you’re a refugee interested in saving money for:
An IDA (Individual Development Account) program may be right for you. The IDA program is a specialized savings program for refugees & individuals with approved asylum-status who complete a financial literacy course and save money in a targeted account. After the financial literacy course is completed, the program matches each dollar you have saved with a dollar in grant money, up to $2,000 per individual or $4,000 per family.
You still have control over the money you have saved, while the “matching grant” is kept in a separate account that can only be used for down payments, investment in your small business, or your education.
1 member: $24,280
2 members: $32,920
3 members: $41,560
4 members: $50,200
5 members: $58,840
6 members: $67,480
7 members: $76,120
8 members: $84,760
Accompany Capital’s seminars help ensure that you are prepared for the financial responsibilities of entrepreneurship, home ownership, continuing education or vocational training. All classes are free and held at our offices. Topics include:
Francess Smith, Manager of IDA Program
fsmith@accompanycapital.org
212-898-7850
Click here for a fact sheet on Accompany Capital’s IDA Program
Please contact Nicole Mas at nmas@accompanycapital.org or 212-898-4112 for more information.
The owner of Le’Bulga Inc., a luxury handbag company, Natalia tells an impressive story of building a successful business from the ground up in the highly competitive fashion industry. After immigrating to the United States in 1995 from Uzbekistan, she graduated from FIT with a degree in Fashion Design. Upon graduation, she worked for various high-end fashion brands, which led to her passion for handbag design.
Le’Bulga handbags have been worn by celebrities and fashion insiders, and have been featured in fashion magazines alongside luxury brands including Burberry and Chanel.
The daughter of Argentinean and Colombian immigrants, Nancy is an impassioned advocate for New York City green taxi drivers and women entrepreneurs. As the first New York City taxi driver to receive a green taxi permit, she is highly regarded as a groundbreaker and leader in her industry. She has driven over 15,000 miles taking New Yorkers, including former Mayor Bloomberg, to their destinations.
Her goal is to continue to represent her industry through community organizing and speaking engagements with City agencies including the Taxi and Limousine Commission. Fluent in English and Spanish, Nancy is also pursuing a second career in translation services.
The daughter of Filipino immigrants and the owner of SPAdét, Annabelle tells an inspiring story about leveraging entrepreneurship to solve real-world problems. Using her background in biochemistry, she began experimenting with natural personal care products in 2008 to heal her daughter’s eczema. Once she perfected a formula that worked for her daughter, she founded SPAdét, which is best known for its O’Live Castile Soap – a pure, safe, and environmentally friendly liquid cleanser for sensitive skin.
SPAdét has secured large contracts with educational institutions, medical facilities, child learning centers, and specialty pharmacies.
The owner of Alima Hair Braiding in Brooklyn, Alimata tells her moving story about making the best of challenging circumstances – and uplifting other women along the way. A refugee from Burkina Faso who arrived in New York with her husband and children in 2012, she opened two hair braiding salons after putting herself through school.
Alimata’s salons employ eight women from her community. She is also the founder and president of the Association of African Women, a nonprofit networking group for African women entrepreneurs.
Archana came to the US from Nepal in 2003 and studied chemistry and sociology at Hunter College, graduating in 2010. She worked in sales, marketing, and training at Time Warner and Verizon before becoming the business manager at a Manhattan day spa. She was able to save enough money to open her own business on the Upper East Side in 2018: Lenox Spa and Nails, a spacious day spa specializing in manicures, pedicures, and facial treatments. A loan from Accompany Capital helped finance completion of construction and the purchase of spa equipment. Lenox Spa and Nails has created 11 full-time jobs.
As a member of the Accompany Capital Voices Speakers Bureau – women entrepreneurs who are ambassadors for Accompany Capital and experts in their business sectors – she is available to speak to groups about entrepreneurship.
Marieme Keita, who came to New York from the Ivory Coast in 1992, speaks eloquently about work life balance, including making time for the joy her four children bring while still managing employees and a thriving business.
She began work as a hair braider in 1992, later opening her own own storefront braiding salon. Learning by doing, she gained the experience and confidence she needed to open her next business in 2015 – Keita West African Market – and has saved enough to purchase a home for her family as well. Located on a street with extremely high foot traffic in Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn, the Keita West African Market now carries over $200,000 in merchandise and has recently expanded to include Lycamobile and money transfer services as well.
Her goal is to continue to expand and provide the most value she can for her customers, employees, and community while enjoying life and her beloved family as well.
Special thanks to the New York Women’s Foundation for supporting this project. Contact us at voices@accompanycapital.org for booking information.
