Panel: Grassroots Finance & Equitable Investment Models for the Future

Meeting the Moment (9/24/2021) Panel session: Grassroots Finance & Equitable Investment Models for the Future

Panelists discuss transformative economic models and financial and investment approaches that shift power to Black, Indigenous and People of Color and move away from an extractive economy.

Sandhya Nakhasi (she/her), Community Credit Lab

Sandhya (she/her) is the Chief Investment Officer of Community Credit Lab and Sandhya Nakhasi is the Chief Investment Officer of Community Credit Lab and supports managing Lending Programs designed by community-oriented partners. Prior to CCL, she was an Investment Manager at a private foundation where she led the design and implementation of both direct and indirect-investing strategies. In her career to date, she has worked at public, private and non-profit financial institutions including Freddie Mac, Capital One and Coastal Enterprises, Inc. where she developed her expertise in credit analysis, portfolio risk management and portfolio operations. She also used her expertise to build out underwriting and portfolio-management systems and processes that enabled data-driven decisions at Lighter Capital, a financial technology start-up focused on small business lending. Sandhya has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Economics from New York University and a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan.

Dion Cook (he/him), Denkyem Co-Op

Dion Cook is the co-founder and CEO of Denkyem SPC, where he works to provide access to affordable loans for Black-owned businesses. He has a background in education, business, and community economic development. Dion values relationships and community. Originally from Los Angeles, he and his wife are setting their roots firmly in the greater Seattle area. Gavin Amos-Lopez (he/him), Central Area Collaborative/BIPOC Infrastructure Services/ Avole Coffee Gavin Amos-Lopez is originally from Bakersfield, California and loves how green Seattle is. Gavin is a Community Navigator with the Central Area Collaborative and is the founder of BIPOC Infrastructure Services. Additionally, he is a contributing writer to the Seattle Globalist and Co-Owner at Cafe Avole. He has a passion for learning and finding new opportunities to participate in.

PANEL MODERATOR

Njuguna Gishuru (he/him), People’s Economy Lab

Njuguna Gishuru is a Seattle-based community economic development leader who specializes in advancing economic models that shift power to Black, Indigenous and People of Color. He is passionately committed to building thriving communities by ending systems of white supremacy and the extractive economy. Njuguna serves as a Leader of the People's Economy Lab where he drives transformative change by supporting the development of initiatives, institutions and individuals that are leading the just transition to a regenerative economy. He is deeply committed to the legacy of leadership he has inherited from his parents, Njambi & Peter Gishuru, pioneering organizers in Seattle’s African immigrant communities. His personal background and extensive experience in banking, government and community development make him uniquely suited for this work. Njuguna currently serves as a Director on the Boards of Urban Family, Nehemiah Initiative, African Chamber of Commerce, Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce, and One Vibe Africa.