Participants will hear from a range of presenters involved with financing and food entrepreneurship, listed below.

Kahfii King is a Project Coordinator on the National Campaign for Healthy Food Access at The Food Trust. She currently supports and advocates for local, state and federal policies that increase access to healthy food for underserved communities. Specific policy focuses are healthy food financing, SNAP, SNAP incentives, and building demand for fresh food. She believes that strong communities and local food systems are only made stronger by policies that are comprehensive and equitable. Kahfii has her Masters of Public Affairs from the University of Indiana - Indianapolis.

Olivia Rebanal is Director of Inclusive Food Systems at Capital Impact Partners (CIP). Olivia manages the strategy, initiatives and partnerships related to CIP’s work in building equitable food systems. Through programs like the California FreshWorks Fund, Michigan Good Food Fund, and the National Cooperative Grocer Fund, CIP increases access to affordable healthy food, creates opportunities within the food economy, supports neighborhood retailers, and expands food distribution, processing and production. Olivia is a thought leader and advocate in the CDFI industry for strategically embedding inclusion and equity into programming. Prior to joining CIP, Olivia served as Director at National Development Council, launching and managing regional small business loan programs for the Grow America Fund, whose strategy is to cultivate community wealth through business ownership and entrepreneurship. Olivia has 20 years of experience in the CDFI industry and over a decade of underwriting experience, with emphasis on working with entrepreneurs of color.

Hacking oppression through disruption of the status quo and organizational complacency, Kafi practices social innovation by framing her cultural competency as a Black woman to the experiences of those most affected by their class, gender, and race. A Social Entrepreneur, a New England Farmer, and a Cooperative Model Developer she began working towards efforts of creating whole communities by first advocating for the needs of the whole woman. Kafi is guided by a history of “othering” in America and the relationship with her country as a black woman towards re-engaging the importance of community-initiated, equity-based cooperatives focused on place-setting of safe, healthy, sustainable communities for women. Through her constituency as an African American woman the Common Good Project was founded; a Cooperative home based on a Cooperative Urban Farm with a focus on a place-setting based in a women’s community-health.

Kersy Azocar is Vice President of Microlending at FINANTA, she joined FINANTA in 2008 and has over 15 years of experience in the financial industry. As a VP of Microlending, Kersy manages FINANTA’s Microlending Department for business, consumer and first-time homebuyer loan programs. The Microlending department includes FINANTA’s most recognized Affinity Group Lending program, which provides access to capital and financial education in a group setting. Since 2011, over 1,200+ clients have benefited from the program, with over $6Milion in microloans. Prior to her current position, she worked at PHH Mortgage Corporation, as a Mortgage Loan Consultant. At this position she interacted with loan processors, underwriters and Financial Advisors to provide home mortgage and other products, nationwide.   She prides herself on her high level of professionalism and ability to work well with people and offer her clients the best alternative for their businesses.