Kersy Azocar, President and CEO of Greenline Access Capital, joins our host Uva Coles in this episode of Our WellSpring. With over 16 years of experience in the financial industry, Kersy has grown into her leadership agency, voice, and strength through experience, training, and by learning from other leaders along the way. Kersy leverages her passion and a commitment to support and lift immigrant businesses, especially in the Latino community, to level the playing field for more women-led and BIPOC businesses in Philadelphia. In this episode, Kersy shares her origin story: her truths, her vulnerabilities, and the values that inform her work and leadership.

Guest/s

Kersy Azocar is the President and CEO of Greenline Access Capital, a mission-driven nonprofit financial institution that works to address the continued and persistent gap in access to capital for financially underserved people by providing customized lending products and services.

Greenline has served more than 250 people and has helped over 48 clients connect with $5.3 Million in Grants and Loans, including 23 Loans from Greenline’s funds.

Prior to joining Greenline, Kersy worked for 13 years at a Philadelphia-based Community Financial Development Institution (CDFI) where she managed a microlending department with a national scope leading the organization to become the #1 SBA microlender in the region and top

10 in the nation for over 7 years. In 2021, Kersy was the Project Manager of the Pennsylvania COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP), a $17 Million dollar grant program created by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to support businesses in the hospitality industry. The program was managed by the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC).

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Kersy prides herself on being able to address the needs of emerging and existing entrepreneurs providing a hands-on approach rarely encountered in the industry. She is nationally recognized, and able to leverage her expertise in the microlending and financial industries.

Our WellSpring Host

Uva Coles, Chief Learning Officer

Uva Coles serves as Chief Learning Officer for Spring Point Partners. As the organization’s external learning steward, Uva’s leadership ensures that equity, human-centered leadership, and narrative change are woven through every aspect of SPP’s partner-based learning deliveries. A writer, speaker, inclusive organizational strategist, and lifelong learner, Uva believes every room we step into is a classroom. Sometimes we are teachers; sometimes we are students. Our best learning happens, she believes, when we can be both.

Takeaways:

• Our relationship with leadership is fluid and often evolves over time.
• When designing our work and approaches for those we aim to serve, it is important to consider demographics, cultural norms and needs, and identity.
• We should know our value and understand the importance of exercising agency.
• Some of us are trained to simply do our work and let it speak for itself, but often, if we don’t ask for what we want, we may not get what we deserve.
• We ought to examine and reflect on the impact of love as a leadership competency.

Resources:

• Greenline Access Capital
• SBA
• Pew Foundation - 75 years in Philadelphia
  
  

In this special bonus episode, our host, Uva Coles, speaks to YouthBuild student leaders Adrianna Avila and Mirahcle Sanders. Adrianna and Mirahcle are bonded by a time-tested friendship and by navigating similarly challenging experiences. Both emerging leaders in their own right, the duo found the support system, agency, and community they were seeking at YouthBuild Philadelphia. They talk about their early learnings, the importance of mentorship, and their community-rooted and ever-evolving career aspirations.

Takeaways:

• Having the same expectations for everyone doesn’t work

• We have to heal ourselves and our homes in order to begin to heal our communities

• Showing up for ourselves is critically important

• Mentorship, no matter one’s role or title, is a strong signal to young people that the adults in their schools, communities, and lives are all invested and care

Resources:

• Philly Youth Make A Change (nonprofit organization)
• Jhene Aiko (music)
• Mindfulness Apps - Chill – Mindfulness Reminders, Headspace, Calm (app)
• YouthBuild Philly – youthbuild (YouthBuild Philadelphia’s site)

How to connect with us

• Spring Point Partners