Scale Fresno Launches with Commitment from The James Irvine Foundation to Drive Inclusive Small Business Growth

FRESNO, Calif. — At today’s inaugural Scale Fresno Investor Summit, more than 50 leaders from the
community, philanthropic, and public sectors came together to officially launch Scale Fresno — a first-of-
its-kind initiative to grow small business ownership in Fresno County by 30% by 2030, aiming to create
nearly 7,000 new businesses across the region.

During the event, The James Irvine Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive small business
growth — a commitment that began with a $1 million investment in SCALE Fresno in 2024. This
catalytic funding laid the groundwork for the collaborative effort and reflects the Foundation’s continued
focus on expanding economic opportunity, especially for low-income and historically excluded
Californians.

“Fresno is showing what’s possible when we invest in the power of local leadership and long-term
infrastructure,” said Jessica Kaczmarek, Priority Communities Initiative Director of The James Irvine
Foundation. “Scale Fresno is exactly the kind of community-rooted, systems-level approach California
needs to unlock inclusive economic opportunity. We’re proud to support this work to help ensure small
business ownership is within reach for all Californians.”

Fresno County is one of the state’s fastest growing and most racially diverse regions, but only 20% of its
businesses are owned by women or people of color. Despite the region’s diversity, deep disparities in
access to capital and ownership persist. Entrepreneurs of color face a $3 billion capital gap, limiting their
ability to start and grow businesses. Scale Fresno is designed to close that gap by building an economy
where access, ownership, and opportunity are available to all. While the initiative supports all small
businesses, it places a strategic focus on entrepreneurs of color, women, immigrants, and first-time
founders — groups that have historically faced systemic barriers to capital, mentorship, and visibility.

“Small businesses are the backbone of California’s economy — and that includes the talented
entrepreneurs building businesses in places like Fresno,” said Dr. Tara Lynn Gray, Director of the
California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA). “Scale Fresno is doing the critical work of
transforming systems and centering equity. This model shows what’s possible when we align around
community-driven, coordinated approaches to grow inclusive economic opportunity.”

Scale Fresno brings together more than 20 trusted, community-based partners — many of whom have
spent decades supporting entrepreneurs across Fresno County. Through this new ecosystem-wide
coordination, longtime partners are aligning their efforts behind the scenes to operate as a unified system.
By streamlining tools, referrals, capital pathways, and outreach, Scale Fresno is creating a centralized and
consistent support network — ensuring that small businesses can more efficiently access the services and
resources they need to start and grow their operations.

“What sets Scale Fresno apart is that it’s not just a program — it’s a coordinated ecosystem built by the
organizations that have supported Fresno County’s small businesses for decades,” said Tate Hill, CEO of
Access Plus Capital, the convener of Scale Fresno. “We’re investing in the infrastructure that drives small
business success: shared data, warm referrals, and aligned capital access. By addressing the fragmentation
and inequities that continue to hold back BIPOC and rural entrepreneurs, Scale Fresno can offer a real
blueprint for inclusive economic development — in Fresno County and beyond.”

A Blueprint for Impact: Scale Fresno’s Investable Plan

As part of the launch, Scale Fresno introduced its Investable Plan — a clear, fundable roadmap of projects
designed to bring this vision to life. The plan outlines dozens of implementation-ready projects aimed at
strengthening small business growth through access to capital, capacity building, and community.

“The Investable Plan gives funders, lenders, and public agencies a way to plug into real, shovel-ready
solutions — not just vision statements,” said Cody Laird, Chair of Scale Fresno and Business
Development Specialist at the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation. “We’ve designed this
roadmap with and for Fresno’s small business ecosystem. It’s actionable and ready to deliver results.”

Scale Fresno’s implementation strategy includes the following objectives:

CAPITAL

Unlock $30M+ in flexible capital for more than 320 Fresno small businesses — including
loans, grants, and credit-building tools — with a focus on underserved businesses
$3M in credit enhancements (loan loss reserves, guarantees, etc.)
180 microloans under $50K annually, totaling $9 million over 3 years
$7,000,000 annually in growth-stage loans over $50K for 140 loans over 3 years
70% capital deployed to underserved businesses

CAPACITY

30% increase in the number of businesses served annually
New small businesses: Number of EIN applications filed
50% of participating entrepreneurs will complete industry-specific training
25% of mobile TA visits delivered to rural areas
Number of businesses receiving digital and financial literacy support
$ Raised for TA programs
% of TA services offered in multiple languages

COMMUNITY

20% of successful business referrals to ecosystem partners
5-7 ecosystem or small business convenings hosted annually
450+ total attendees across all convenings over 3 years, segmented by business type and
demographics
70% of attendees reporting increased trust and awareness of the ecosystem

About Scale Fresno

Scale Fresno is a collaborative of more than 20 community-rooted, business-serving partners working
together to grow small business ownership in Fresno County by 30% by 2030 — nearly 7,000 new
businesses. With a strategic focus on entrepreneurs of color, women, immigrants, and first-time founders,
Scale Fresno unites financial lenders, technical assistance providers, and trusted local organizations to
deliver inclusive, tailored support. From capital access to capacity building, the initiative is helping
entrepreneurs start strong and scale with confidence. More than just a business support program, Scale
Fresno is a strategy to build a more equitable economy — one that supports the diverse small businesses
powering Fresno County.

Learn more at: ScaleFresno.org