Programs and Initiatives We’ve Worked With
This initiative strengthened New Jersey’s local economy by helping small business owners access capital, expert guidance, and community connections. Funded in part by grants from Wells Fargo and Santander, the program connects entrepreneurs with dedicated Success Circles teams that provide hands-on support to restart sales, attract new clients, strengthen marketing and digital presence, improve financials, address legal and operational challenges, and navigate reopening or growth. Whether focused on survival or expansion, IFEL works side by side with business owners to help them move forward and get results.
Support West Ward Small Businesses
Focused on revitalizing Newark’s West Ward, this initiative supports local entrepreneurs through training, resources, and access to economic opportunity. Working alongside community partners, IFEL helps strengthen a resilient and inclusive neighborhood economy. The program is supported by the Urban League of Essex County and Partnership West, Inc., with financial support from Wells Fargo.
Support Trenton Small Businesses
This initiative empowered Trenton-based entrepreneurs with funding access, business development tools, and mentorship. By fostering collaboration and opportunity, IFEL helped create jobs and strengthened the city’s local business network. This program is supported by the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey and has financial support from Santander.
Support Bronx Small Businesses
The Bronx Small Businesses Initiative supported local entrepreneurs by providing access to business guidance, community-based resources, and practical support during periods of economic disruption. Made possible through a generous grant from the Bronx Community Foundation and in collaboration with community partners including Third Avenue, MPC, and the Jerome Gun Hill BID, the initiative focused on helping Bronx-based small businesses stabilize operations, adapt to changing conditions, and strengthen long-term resilience.
Bronx Small Businesses Resources
Through this program, IFEL supported Bronx entrepreneurs with strategies for growth, digital transformation, and access to essential business resources, promoting equitable economic development and uplifting diverse voices driving innovation in the Bronx.
The initiative was backed by community partners including the Bronx Third Avenue BID, MPC, and Jerome Gun Hill BID, and made possible by a generous grant from the Bronx Community Foundation. Corporate volunteer partners such as Porzio, KPMG, DWT, Ellevate, The Brand Promise, SCORE, Valley National Bank, Black MBA Association, Kirby, and others brought professional expertise to help small business owners succeed.
NAV Success Circles
NAV Success Circles created supportive peer-learning communities where entrepreneurs shared experiences and received guidance from seasoned experts. The program fostered collaboration, accountability, and continuous growth among business leaders.
New Jersey Small Businesses Need Us Initiative
During the COVID-19 pandemic, IFEL’s Small Businesses Need Us initiative matched experienced business experts with New Jersey small businesses facing severe disruption. The program demonstrated IFEL’s ability to respond quickly to crisis conditions, helping entrepreneurs adapt, stabilize operations, and remain open during an unprecedented period of uncertainty.
Recognizing that disaster is not limited to floods or fires, the initiative addressed a range of challenges—from public health emergencies to economic and operational shocks—highlighting the importance of planning and preparedness in small business resilience.
The Invest for Better Circle, hosted by IFEL in partnership with Invest for Better, empowered women to take control of their financial futures through values-aligned investing and practical wealth-building education.
The program fostered a supportive learning community where participants built confidence, financial knowledge, and the skills needed to mobilize their investments in ways that reflect their values while creating positive social impact.
BLCSID Small Businesses Initiative
This initiative supported small businesses located within the Bergen-Lyons-Clinton Special Improvement District (BLCSID) through capacity-building, financial literacy, and strategic growth support. IFEL collaborated with local partners to help entrepreneurs strengthen operations, improve commercial viability, and build lasting community impact within Newark’s South Ward.
The Bergen-Lyons-Clinton Special Improvement District (BLCSID) is a business and community development partnership established by municipal ordinance in 2013. The BLCSID Partnership, Inc. became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2015 to help the district compete, improve, and sustain commercial vitality in the South Ward. The district covers a “U-shaped” area encompassing three main corridors: Bergen Street (from Lyons Avenue to Clinton Avenue), Clinton Avenue (from Bergen Street to 18th Street), and Lyons Avenue (from Bergen Street to the Irvington border), bisected by Interstate 78.
The mission of BLCSID is to enhance and sustain the South Ward as a premier destination to invest, live, shop, work, play, worship, and access quality health care.
Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber Initiative
In partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, this initiative empowered Latino entrepreneurs by expanding access to business training, mentorship, and critical resources.
Through this collaboration, IFEL supported inclusive economic growth and strengthened opportunity within one of the Greater Philadelphia region’s most dynamic and diverse business communities.
Through collaboration with Hudson County Community College, IFEL provided students and entrepreneurs with real-world business training and access to expert mentorship. The partnership bridged education and entrepreneurship, preparing participants for long-term success.
Trenton Small Businesses Initiative
Hosted by the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey and supported by funding from Santander, this initiative helped Trenton-based entrepreneurs expand their businesses through hands-on coaching, access to capital, and peer-based support. IFEL worked closely with local leaders and partners to promote sustainable business growth, strengthen local enterprises, and support job creation across the city.
Newark West Ward Small Businesses Initiative
Hosted by the Urban League of Essex County and supported by funding from Wells Fargo, this initiative focused on economic revitalization in Newark’s West Ward by providing local entrepreneurs with technical assistance and business growth strategies. Through this program, IFEL supported small business sustainability and helped strengthen neighborhood-based economies.
Through the Moving Past a Million program hosted by the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Success Circles Teams are being made available to participating entrepreneurs and small manufacturers. This initiative supports business growth by providing targeted peer advisory support, access to strategic resources, and opportunities for collaboration. IFEL connects innovators within the Brooklyn Navy Yard to expertise, partnerships, and networks that advance inclusive and sustainable growth.
GNEC
Success Circles Teams are being made available to select clients of the Greater Newark Enterprise Corporation through this collaboration. In partnership with GNEC, IFEL supported small business owners through training, financial readiness, and improved access to capital, strengthening entrepreneurship and economic opportunity across Newark and surrounding communities.
Paterson Small Business Initiative
Sponsored by the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey with support from Wells Fargo, this initiative helped Paterson entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses through skill development, technical assistance, and access to funding. The program promoted inclusive economic growth and contributed to community revitalization across the city.
Hosted by the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey with funding support from Santander, Trenton Base Camp Training offered immersive workshops designed to help entrepreneurs strengthen business skills, financial acumen, and leadership capacity. IFEL fostered a supportive learning environment where small business owners could build, learn, and thrive.