RALEIGH, N.C. – March 16, 2022 – Carolina Small Business Development Fund (CSBDF) and Regions Bank today announced a community partnership providing an online education platform to advance sustainable growth for North Carolina entrepreneurs. Regions Bank presented a $10,000 contribution to support CSBDF’s Digital Learning Academy (DLA), an e-learning platform providing small-business owners with tools and resources to help their companies thrive.
Created to address the technical assistance needs of the small-business community, the DLA features content covering an extensive variety of business topics such as bookkeeping, access to capital, crowdfunding, social media marketing and more. Subject matter experts in English and Spanish present DLA course content. The DLA site is available at any time to offer entrepreneurs added convenience in accessing resources to help their small businesses start, grow and scale. Regions Bank’s donation allows DLA participants to access course content at no cost.
“Supporting entrepreneurs at every stage of business is important; providing that support during their earliest stages can be vital,” said Terry Hoey, Mortgage Banking team leader and market executive for Regions Bank in Raleigh. “Regions Bank is proud to invest in the Digital Learning Academy to provide small-business owners who are building their companies with free access to these valuable courses and resources.”
“We are excited to collaborate with Regions Bank to provide relevant and timely content to our business owners,” said Leslie Lewis, a business solutions officer and e-learning strategist with CSBDF. “Regions Bank is committed to empowering entrepreneurs and small-business owners with the knowledge they need to succeed; this aligns perfectly with CSBDF’s mission and vision of the DLA. CSBDF is grateful for Regions’ support of our vision for a stronger local business community.”
In addition to the bank’s financial support, Regions associates are teaching a series of five of the bank’s Next Step financial education courses addressing topics such as fraud protection and credit, among other topics.
“Leveraging the skillsets and talents of our team helps us elevate this community partnership to the next level,” said Lethia Mann, community development manager for Regions Bank. “Our associates look forward to sharing financial advice, guidance and insights with DLA participants during these sessions.”
Supporting entrepreneurs at every stage of business is important; providing that support during their earliest stages can be vital.
Terry Hoey, Mortgage Banking team leader and market executive for Regions Bank in Raleigh
“This community partnership is more than a financial contribution, it’s about two organizations working together to be community and business development resources for entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout North Carolina,” said Kevin Dick, President and CEO of CSBDF.
Additional information on the Digital Learning Academy can be found here.
About Carolina Small Business Development Fund
Carolina Small Business Development Fund (CSBDF) works to promote community and economic development throughout North Carolina and the surrounding regions. Our work is inspired and driven by those we serve: aspiring and existing small business owners. By helping entrepreneurs reach their business ownership dreams, we seek to grow and support an engine of local economic growth. CSBDF’s model of operations has three prongs: affordable financing, comprehensive business solution services, and evidence-based policy research. With multiple offices located throughout the state, we offer an accessible pathway for small business success. This document provides a high-level overview of our core functions and offices.
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $163 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,300 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.