Circle Foundation awards inaugural grants to Accion Opportunity Fund and Pacific Community Ventures

Luz Urrutia: Luz Urrutia is CEO of Accion Opportunity Fund. She oversees the organization’s efforts to expand access to capital and educational resources for underserved small business owners. Urrutia emphasized how the Credit Compass 2.0 tool provides applicants with clear assessments and paths forward, supported by the Circle Foundation grant. Bulbul Gupta: Bulbul Gupta is President and CEO of Pacific Community Ventures. She directs PCV’s work in lending, mentorship, research, and ethical AI applications to support community lenders and entrepreneurs. Gupta noted the importance of technology that removes barriers to capital and strengthens the broader CDFI field through shared data infrastructure. Circle Foundation: Circle Foundation is a donor-advised fund established in 2025 by Circle Internet Group to advance financial resilience and inclusion through strategic grantmaking and systems-level investments. It channels resources from Circle’s Pledge 1% equity commitment toward mission-driven initiatives in domestic CDFI support and global humanitarian finance. The foundation announced its inaugural domestic grants to Accion Opportunity Fund and Pacific Community Ventures to fund AI-powered infrastructure for small business lending. Elisabeth Carpenter: Elisabeth Carpenter serves as Chief Strategic Engagement Officer at Circle Internet Group and Founding Chair of Circle Foundation. She leads the foundation’s approach to investing in scalable systems and infrastructure that strengthen mission-driven lenders. Carpenter highlighted the grants’ focus on ecosystem-level improvements in financial inclusion during the announcement at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting. Accion Opportunity Fund: Accion Opportunity Fund is a leading national nonprofit small business lender and Treasury-certified CDFI that provides affordable loans, free business advising, educational resources, and support networks to underserved entrepreneurs. It champions pathways to both financial and knowledge capital for small business owners who are ready to grow. The organization is using the Circle Foundation grant to expand Credit Compass 2.0, an AI-enabled tool that delivers personalized financial education and roadmaps to loan applicants. Pacific Community Ventures: Pacific Community Ventures is a nonprofit CDFI, impact investor, and policy innovator dedicated to building an economy that works for everyone through loans, free mentorship, and research on impact investing. It focuses on low-income workers and communities. The Circle Foundation grant supports its Radiant Data Hub, an AI-enabled platform for data governance, predictive modeling, and impact storytelling, along with the launch of the first CDFI industry Data Commons. CDFI Ecosystem: CDFIs are mission-driven lenders that fill critical gaps left by traditional finance by providing small business owners with access to capital, tools, and support. Global Alignment: Circle Foundation also supports global humanitarian finance work, including technological advancements in cross-border aid delivery through partnerships with UNHCR and UNDP. AI Infrastructure Focus: The grants target investments in systems, platforms, and data infrastructure that allow mission-driven lenders to reach further, improve decisioning, and demonstrate impact more clearly.