North Carolina non-profit community development financial institution, Carolina Community Impact (CCI), added Katie Gailes as a new member to its Board of Directors. Gailes is an avid entrepreneurial advocate and former Launch Wake County & Wake Technical Community College executive. Her latest role with CCI further expands her enthusiasm for small business and innovation.
A graduate of two North Carolina higher education institutions, Bennett College and Duke University, Gailes has over 20 years of professional experience helping organizations develop and implement specialized programs that strategically nurture entrepreneurship. Her career spans working with IBM to starting her businesses and serving on boards tasked with spurring entrepreneurship in rural communities. She will add her professional lens to CCI’s existing board of directors.
“We are very pleased to add Katie Gailes to our board of directors. Her experience, expertise, and perspective on connecting with entrepreneurs and delivering resources that benefit them align with our work here,” Mike Croxson, CEO of CCI, says. “Most importantly, Katie has a history of collaborating with us before becoming a board member. We are committed to meaningful work that provides impactful solutions to our customers and communities. Katie’s membership to our board expands and increases our efforts in this entrepreneurship and innovation space.”
As a mission-driven community development financial institution, CCI builds programs & services that provide access to capital for entrepreneurs in underserved communities. In addition to capital, CCI offers coaching and mentoring to underserved entrepreneurs. The service provides business and personal credit reviews, business plan critiques, and assistance with financial statements.
CCI also operates the Central Carolina Kiva Hub, which provides businesses no–interest, no-fee crowdsourced loans. Earlier this year, they celebrated a milestone of helping over 26 entrepreneurs raise over $150,000 through their Kiva platform.
Gailes will actively contribute to CCI’s efforts to grow its programs and services. “I look forward to looking at the funding tapestry for small businesses in North Carolina,” Gailes states, “helping to identify the holes and then working with the CCI board and team to develop products that can plug those holes for the Main Street small business owners.
