Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
September 29, 2025
Wells Fargo Awards $550K to JUST Community for Texas Entrepreneurs
TLDR
- The Wells Fargo Foundation's $550,000 grant to JUST Community provides Texas entrepreneurs with capital and coaching to gain competitive advantages in business ownership and wealth building.
- JUST Community's trust-based model evaluates entrepreneurs' character alongside credit scores, combining capital with coaching to systematically build sustainable businesses through strategic savings and investments.
- This funding expands wealth-building programs that create stronger families and communities by helping entrepreneurs achieve financial stability and generational wealth across Texas.
- JUST Community has distributed over $40 million in loans to thousands of Texas entrepreneurs, with 90% building sustainable businesses within 18-24 months of participation.
Impact - Why it Matters
This partnership represents a significant shift in how financial institutions can support economic mobility and address systemic barriers facing small business owners. Traditional lending often excludes entrepreneurs with limited credit history or unconventional business ideas, particularly impacting minority and women-owned businesses. By funding JUST Community's character-based lending model, Wells Fargo is helping create a more inclusive economic ecosystem where passion and potential can overcome traditional financial barriers. This approach not only helps individual entrepreneurs achieve financial stability but strengthens entire communities through job creation, local economic development, and generational wealth building. As small businesses form the backbone of local economies, this investment in equitable access to capital has far-reaching implications for economic resilience and community prosperity across Texas.
Summary
The Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded a significant $550,000 grant to JUST Community, a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to providing equitable access to capital and comprehensive support services for entrepreneurs across Texas. This substantial funding announcement was made during the kick-off of El Paso Start-Up Week at the Garden Venue, marking a pivotal moment for small business development in the region. The grant will enable JUST Community to expand its innovative financial empowerment and coaching model, which focuses on building meaningful relationships with entrepreneurs and evaluating their character rather than relying solely on traditional credit scores. This approach represents a transformative shift in how financial institutions can support underrepresented business owners who often face barriers to conventional funding sources.
The timing of this announcement coincides with JUST Community reaching a remarkable milestone of distributing over $1 million in loans specifically to entrepreneurs in El Paso, demonstrating the tangible impact of their trust-based lending approach. According to Steve Wanta, Co-Founder and CEO of JUST, "Trust is the foundation of everything we do. By building relationships with entrepreneurs and providing tools for credit, savings, and strategic investments, we help them build more than income. They gain ownership of their business, their homes, and their futures." The organization's proven track record includes providing over $40 million in loans to thousands of Texas entrepreneurs, with an impressive 90% of participants building sustainable businesses capable of covering emergency expenses within 18-24 months of participation.
The grant announcement celebration featured a vibrant local market showcasing businesses that have thrived through JUST Community's support, including Alma Gonzalez, Founder of Chester Homemade Dog Treats, who shared her powerful story of transformation. Gonzalez emphasized how JUST was the first organization to see beyond traditional metrics and believe in her vision, stating, "For so long, I felt invisible – no one believed in my idea because it was just a tiny dream. But JUST was the first to see beyond the numbers and trust in me." In El Paso alone, over 100 entrepreneurs have successfully leveraged JUST's unique model to launch and grow their businesses, creating a ripple effect of economic empowerment throughout local communities. This partnership between The Wells Fargo Foundation and JUST Community represents a strategic investment in building sustainable wealth and strengthening the economic fabric of Texas communities.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by citybiz. Read the original source here, Wells Fargo Awards $550K to JUST Community for Texas Entrepreneurs
