By 
Impact investing
In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Rende Progress Capital, a community development financial institution, is helping small business owners overlooked by traditional banks start and scale their operations. Cameron Whitmore, owner of 24K Gold Coffee, turned a frustration with poor-quality coffee into a thriving business, roasting beans at home before launching his own brand. When it was time to expand, he turned to Rende for a loan to purchase a commercial roaster. Today, 24K Gold Coffee is available online and at local cafés, farmers markets and retailers.
For many families, finding reliable, high-quality early care and education isn’t just a task — it’s a daily struggle. That’s where Winnie comes in. Each year, more than 650,000 parents turn to the platform to navigate a network of 250,000+ licensed providers. Backed by Impact America Fund, a WKKF investee, Winnie offers trusted reviews, robust listings and easy enrollment tools that simplify the search for early education. Now, responding to overwhelming demand, Winnie is expanding its support to families with new offerings for K–12.
What if the people who built a company actually owned it? For many American workers living paycheck to paycheck, the idea feels out of reach. But Apis & Heritage Capital Partners (A&H) is making it real — turning businesses with mostly low-to-moderate income workforces into 100% employee-owned enterprises. Since 2022, A&H has helped five small businesses transition to employee ownership, impacting more than 450 workers. Now, its innovative model is gaining global recognition. A&H was recently named one of five Skoll Awardees for Social Innovation, receiving $2 million in unrestricted funding.
Jobs
A recent WKKF-funded study highlights the increasing presence of Latinx residents in the technology sector of Calhoun County, where the foundation’s hometown of Battle Creek, Michigan, is located. About 29% of the county’s Latinx residents are employed in high-paying technical roles, contributing to regional economic growth. The findings emphasize the need for improved workforce development initiatives to better prepare Latinx workers for high-tech careers and support for Latinx-owned businesses. Organizations like Automation Workz are addressing barriers to education and training, ensuring that the Battle Creek region benefits from an inclusive and skilled workforce.
The Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP), a WKKF grantee, has helped attract $9.4 billion in investment and more than 36,500 jobs across 121 projects since 2020, according to its 2024 annual report. The organization, which promotes economic growth in Metro Detroit’s 11-county region, is nearing its 2030 goals of attracting 50,000 new jobs and $10 billion in investment. Nearly 8,000 jobs among those created by DRP-supported projects are pathway jobs, meaning they don’t require a college degree but provide a pathway to advance to careers in higher-paying jobs.
Community engagement
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU), key partners of WKKF, have teamed up to launch the Battle Creek Innovation Hub, a major new development aimed at expanding educational access and entrepreneurship in downtown Battle Creek. The Innovation Hub will offer academic programming, small-business resources and community events, reinforcing Battle Creek’s revitalization and long-term economic growth. The project also expands GVSU’s physical footprint in the city, creating greater opportunities for working adults, veterans and youth to pursue degrees, certifications and career pathways.
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