Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) have announced an innovative pilot program designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage small business owners access the capital and support they need to start and grow successful businesses. The program provides funding to emerging low- and middle-income entrepreneurs through the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund (EEVF).

Cary, NC November 09, 2026 –(PR.com)– Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) have announced an innovative pilot program designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage small business owners access the capital and support they need to start and grow successful businesses. The program provides funding to emerging low- and middle-income entrepreneurs through the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund (EEVF). The EEVF program is offered in partnership with NACCE, the largest non-profit association in North America dedicated to entrepreneurship education in community colleges.

The $225,000 Wells Fargo grant will support the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund platform and will be combined with funding from other donors. Through the program, eligible entrepreneurs will have access to apply for interest-free microloans offered through Kiva, a nonprofit lending platform.

“When entrepreneurs have access to both knowledge and capital, they are better positioned to turn promising ideas into thriving businesses,” said Kimelyn Harris, head of Business Growth Philanthropy at Wells Fargo. “Community colleges play a critical role in developing entrepreneurial talent, and through the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund, we’re helping aspiring business owners access the education, resources, and flexible capital they need to grow their businesses, create jobs, and strengthen local economies.”

Officials from Wells Fargo, NACCE, the EEVF, and Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), announced this unique initiative during ceremonies at Phoenix Forge, a 17,000 square-foot community makerspace in downtown Phoenix powered by GateWay Community College (GCC). Thirteen colleges are involved in the pilot, nine of which are part of the MCCCD system, including GCC.

High Impact
Funding these “main street” businesses will help equip people to pursue opportunities to greatly increase their income through self-employment and business creation. During the kickoff, GateWay Community College President Amy Diaz acknowledged the impact the new program has for entrepreneurship students. “This unique program not only offers interest-free loans, it also adds features like crowd-sourcing options for first-time business owners,” said Diaz. “It greatly expands access to interest-free loans up to $10,000 for students at community colleges across the United States.”

“Thanks to this innovative program made possible through Wells Fargo, the EEVF will now grow even more substantially, which is a major milestone for NACCE and students in the Maricopa County Community College District and beyond,” said Rebecca Corbin, president and CEO of NACCE. “We are proud to be an integral part of this exciting new initiative.”

About EEVF
The Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund (EEVF) is an outgrowth of NACCE’s successful Everyday Entrepreneur program, founded by Stuart and Chip Weismiller in 2017. Everyday Entrepreneur is one of the largest programs of its type in America and has grown from serving a handful of colleges, to impacting more than 200 colleges across 34 states. The program has provided over $1 million to more than 1,000 aspiring entrepreneurs.

“Today, Everyday Entrepreneur has evolved into one of the largest entrepreneurship programs serving community colleges in the country,” said Stuart Weismiller. “The EEVF is designed to give entrepreneurs more ways to pursue their business goals by winning grants, accessing interest-free loans, and continuing to build their businesses.”

About NACCE
NACCE is an organization of educators, administrators, presidents, and entrepreneurs focused on igniting entrepreneurship in their communities and on their campuses. NACCE has two main goals: to empower leaders to approach the business of running a community college with an entrepreneurial mindset; and to grow the community college’s role in supporting job creation and entrepreneurs in their local ecosystems. The association represents 370+ community and technical colleges and 2,000 faculty, staff, administrators, and presidents who serve more than 3.3 million students. NACCE also provides SkillPointe (skillpointe.com), a free career exploration tool that provides a “Start Your Own Business” feature for skilled trade startups. Visit: www.nacce.com.

Contact Information:
National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship
Carol Savage
978-857-1473
Contact via Email
www.nacce.com

Read the full story here: https://www.pr.com/press-release/984048

Press Release Distributed by PR.com

Media gallery

About The Author
National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship