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Feb 26, 2024 • Pamela Garcia

#WeAreBCL: Ellie Kamouie. Ellie leverages her extensive background in numbers and problem-solving to further BCL’s mission of empowering Texans through homeownership and entrepreneurship.

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Oct 11, 2023 • Chadeira Moore

Amidst the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we sat down with our founder Rosa to share her perspective on being a Latina leader in the realms of economic development and finance. We discussed her challenges, her inspirations, and her unwavering commitment to empowering underserved communities.

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Sep 30, 2021 • Rosa Rios Valdez

I was born in San Felipe Guanajuato, a small town in central Mexico that rises 8,900 feet above sea level. My hometown was founded in 1521, in a historic region often referred to as La Cuna de Independencia, or “the birthplace of Mexican Independence”.

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Jun 25, 2021 • BCL of Texas

BCL is proud and grateful to have worked with the SBA to adapt to the new guidelines and rapidly accommodate the influx of PPP applicants. During the month of May, we dispersed our largest volume of small business loans ever in such a short period of time. In total, we loaned over $4.8 million to nearly 200 small businesses across the state during the second round of the Paycheck Protection Program.

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Sep 24, 2020 • BCL of Texas

When Travis County contracted BCL to administer their TCTX Thrive Small Business Grant Program, we knew that customer service and personal attention were going to be key for helping small business owners access the funds. Based on our 30 years of working with entrepreneurs, as well as seeing difficulties posed by other programs, we knew that navigating an online application portal and accessing a variety of financial documents and reports can be a burden on small business owners.

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Jun 5, 2020 • Rosa Rios Valdez

For the past two months, we have all read and seen the glaring issues affecting people of color. Latino and African Americans are dying at higher rates from COVID-19 due to underlying health issues. We must acknowledge that 95% of Latino and African American businesses have not benefited from the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) because small, minority-owned businesses remain underserved by mainstream lenders. And to compound matters, the death of George Floyd and many other black men and women who lose their lives at home and on the streets at the hands of police all point to long term systemic racial and social injustice.

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Apr 22, 2020 • BCL of Texas

In past weeks, most businesses, communities, and families were forced to make decisions quickly. The pressure knocked many into researching various resources to maintain staff, income, health and stability, mostly using technology and digital resources to adapt.  Our world is transitioning and efforts towards protecting the environment and sustainability should remain consistent.

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Apr 20, 2020 • Rosa Rios Valdez

Hello Family and Friends,

Growing up, I was taught that Sundays are holy days of obligation - days for prayer, solace, and introspection. As an economic, business, and community developer, my past weeks have been spent working around the clock, helping neighboring towns with new relief loan funds to approve close to 40 loans at zero percent interest, many of these loans forgivable after three payments.

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Mar 17, 2020 • Rosa Rios Valdez

At BCL of Texas, the physical and financial health of our community has always been our biggest priority. As we weather the coronavirus pandemic, we know both individuals and businesses are seeing economic impacts across our state. We’re here to let you know that we’re here, we’re open, and we’re ready to support you. **In precaution for the health of both our staff and customers, we are moving the majority of our services online through May 1 and canceling or rescheduling in-person events. ** Here are the ways that BCL of Texas is here to work with you through this period:

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Mar 12, 2020 • BCL of Texas

BCL of Texas is here to support our entrepreneurs and small business owners who have been impacted throughout Texas. As public officials take precautions for the health and safety of our community, we recognize that small business owners may feel an economic impact.

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Aug 23, 2019 • BCL of Texas

In a political climate where grant dollars and subsidies are dwindling, many nonprofit organizations are finding it difficult to stay sustainable and continue to deliver much-needed services to their community, having to turn to alternative funds, such as borrowed capital, to follow through on their mission. As Director of Community Development for BCL of Texas, I recognize that when organizations must take on debt to continue their programs, that debt must be as flexible and affordable as possible in order to reduce the burden on those the organization is committed to serve.

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Jan 24, 2019 • BCL of Texas

A rising community star, BCL’s Andrea Allen was recently named an honoree for the 5th annual Who’s Who in Black Dallas awards.

With 15 years of mortgage industry experience, Andrea joined the BCL team in 2017 as Mortgage Processing Specialist. We sat down with her for a Q&A about what drives her passion for making a difference.

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Feb 13, 2018 • Brian K. Marshall

While we celebrate the growth of small businesses ownership in the U.S, sadly the African American small business footprint has grown only to 14% of the 28 million small businesses in the nation. Most of this minority group is woefully underserved regarding growth capital and capacity building support.

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Jan 26, 2018 • BCL of Texas

Port Arthur, Texas, a community of about 50,000 just east of Houston, feels at first glance like a city defined by a crisis that won’t let up.

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Nov 16, 2017 • BCL of Texas

It’s 10am in the office on a Wednesday and we’re comparing outfits to see who dressed best for the cold weather, and looking for reusable silverware and refillable water bottles for our eco-party. Later in the day, we all take a walk together, open the curtains to let in sunlight to warm the building, and compost our leftovers.

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Oct 13, 2017 • Rosa Rios Valdez

In all the headlines about destruction and rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, one narrative is consistently missing: the small Texas towns outside of the Houston area that are dealing with the same devastating impacts, but with less infrastructure, less national attention, and less support.

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Aug 28, 2017 • BCL of Texas

BCL of Texas stands in solidarity with our neighbors across Texas who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey. We stand ready to help, and to connect you to the resources you need to put your life and business back together.

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May 16, 2017 • BCL of Texas

BCL celebrated 27 years of serving Texas communities with a public mural unveiling party this Cinco de Mayo at our Austin headquarters on South Congress Avenue.

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Apr 19, 2017 • BCL of Texas

With 27 years of experience, BCL is committed to building strong communities across the state of Texas. Our toolbox consists of customized lending, small business, and homeownership solutions to promote economic vitality.

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Where to Find Us
AUSTIN 1011 San Jacinto Blvd
Suite 500
Austin, TX 78701 P: 512.912.9884 F: 346.301.5752 NMLS #1114924
DALLAS 400 S Zang Blvd
Suite 1220
Dallas, TX 75208 P: 214.688.7456 F: 346.301.5752 NMLS #1114924
SAN MARCOS 302 W Hopkins St
Suite 2
San Marcos, TX 78666 P: 512.383.0027 NMLS #1114924