This article was written by Eliza Murrell and Maddie Cashel
For many entrepreneurs, the biggest barrier isn’t the idea, it’s access to capital.
Through a partnership between Kiva and the Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC), small business owners across Wisconsin are finding the funding and support they need to bring their visions to life.
Meet Gina, Co-founder of Granja Las Aguilas
Three years ago, Gina and her husband, Solano, took a leap. They left their life in the city to find land and build a farm from the ground up.
Today, their 33-acre farm, Granja Las Aguilas, produces chickens, eggs, and vegetables, serving families across Northwest Wisconsin and Minneapolis. For the past three years, they’ve been the only chicken and egg vendor at their primary farmer’s market, meeting strong customer demand.
But getting to this point wasn’t easy.
Prior to launching Granja las Aguilas, Gina spent over a decade working as a farm intern and manager. After moving to Minneapolis, she met her husband, and together, they were inspired to start their farm and create a peaceful life away from the city. They chose to focus on chickens and eggs, products with low startup costs and reliable demand. But even with their farming experience and business plan, getting started proved to be a challenge.
Land access and financing quickly became the biggest barriers in starting the farm. Traditional lenders imposed requirements that felt impossible to meet. Gina recalls, “bending over backward to submit every financial record we could find, including our residential history which was complicated as a farm intern, and a business plan in the very beginning when we didn't have a business history yet.”
They eventually secured land, but the property only included basic infrastructure and required many upfront costs to make it livable.
After careful research about Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and other organizations in the area, Gina connected with WWBIC.
WWBIC and the Kiva Trustee, the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Dane County, introduced Gina to Kiva, marking a turning point in her financing journey.
In May 2024, Gina applied for her first Kiva U.S. loan of $2,500. Powered by 34 lenders, Gina funded her loan in just one day!
“We couldn't imagine applying for a real agricultural loan because their interest rates are as high as our mortgage,” Gina says. “But in our first season of farming we realized that we really needed to buy equipment to process our chickens.”
With Kiva, that became possible.
It happened so quickly. And to have it be financed by the community was pretty cool.
Today, Granja las Aguilas is expanding access to locally produced poultry and produce across NW Wisconsin and Minneapolis.
Meet Janelle, founder and CEO of Grove Behavioral Services
Janelle didn’t just want to start a business; she saw a gap within her community.
After working for 10 years in the behavioral health field, Janelle returned home in 2022, determined to build her own practice and expand access to autism and neurodivergent services in her community.
Starting from the ground up wasn’t easy. As a startup business in search of initial funding, Janelle was denied loans from traditional banks.
Then she found WWBIC.
With their support, Janelle received startup financing and a year of coaching, making her business, Grove Behavioral Services, possible.
As her business progressed, she saw the need for more employees. Onboarding staff was costly, particularly the need to purchase laptops for documentation and insurance billing.
WWBIC helped her take the next step, suggesting she apply for a Kiva loan.
In November 2023, Janelle secured her first Kiva U.S. loan, which not only funded essential technology, but also provided encouragement as community members rallied behind her campaign.
Today, Grove Behavioral Services serves children who might otherwise remain on waiting lists, including school-aged youth up to 18, offering daytime and after-school programs.
Looking ahead, Janelle hopes to expand into more rural areas of Wisconsin where families are commuting long distances for care.
Her advice to fellow entrepreneurs:
Never be too proud to reach out for resources. There are so many organizations in our community that want to help see small businesses succeed.
Access to capital is critical to small businesses
Gina and Janelle are building very different businesses, but their stories share a common thread: access to capital.
With support from both WWBIC and Kiva, they were able to secure the funding and resources needed to grow.
Together, Kiva U.S. and its network of Hub partners like WWBIC are supporting borrowers across the country to grow their businesses and serve their communities.
