Petra has always loved cooking. Five years ago, she decided to turn her passion for food into a business by selling her home-cooked Mexican specialties in her local community in New York City.

When Ledy took over her family's market stand in Oakland, CA she needed extra capital to diversify the products at her stand. With the help of Grameen America, she finally had the financial flexibility to do so.

Four years ago, Ana was a new mother again and needed work that would give her flexibility and freedom. When her friend decided to sell her shop in their neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, she jumped at the chance to buy it.

Loruin is a fiercely dedicated businesswomen and mother of four, who loves baking her favorite Mexican pastries.

Rene has always had a passion for reconstruction and clothing design. After losing her stable job of over 20 years, her son encouraged her to follow her dream by enrolling in a program at a local university to study sustainable clothing. 

Five years ago Monica moved to Charlotte, leaving behind an abusive marriage. She had an interest in beauty and makeup and had dreams of starting a bilingual cosmetology school but didn’t know where to start. 

Joann joined Grameen America in 2016 with a microloan of $1,500. She used the extra money to invest in marketing materials, which enabled her to reach a broader audience in the community.