Ten Louisville entrepreneurs are gaining access to capital through a new partnership between Park Community Credit Union, AMPED and the Community Foundation of Louisville.
Signing Toward Success
Ten entrepreneurs from the 2026 AMPED Business Accelerator gathered at the AMPED Technology Center to sign for lines of credit through Park Community Credit Union.
Representing industries ranging from healthcare and transportation to retail, food service, wellness, consulting, digital media and professional services, each entrepreneur had different plans for putting the financing to work.
For Pamela Estrada, owner of P&S Creations, those plans include opening her first storefront.
“This is a wonderful opportunity. It means the world to me,” Estrada said. “Right now, I’m in the process of opening my storefront, and this $25,000 line of credit is going to help me with inventory, equipment, and getting my doors open.”
The signing also welcomed the entrepreneurs as Park members and member-owners, beginning a financial relationship that extends beyond their lines of credit.
The Partnership Behind the Possibilities
Access to capital is one part of the accelerator experience. James Clay, founder of The Cleaning Weirdos, points to the business knowledge he gained along the way.
“It’s helped me out so much, from A to Z, from finances to business documents, and becoming Green Status certified with the state of Kentucky. You learn everything you need to learn with this program,” Clay said.
AMPED provided the year-long Business Accelerator, combining business education and mentorship for Black- and Latino-led businesses. Park provided eligible participants with below-market-rate lines of credit, while the Community Foundation of Louisville provided a loan guarantee through Invest Louisville.
The guarantee expanded access to financing for emerging entrepreneurs who traditionally face barriers to securing business funding.
Closing the Capital Gap
Access to capital can influence when a storefront opens, whether a new service launches, or how quickly a small business can pursue its next opportunity. As those businesses grow, the benefit can reach further through the products, services and connections they bring to the communities around them.
For Chanson Calhoun-Bellamy, owner of Young Stars Performance Academy, growth could mean expanding services and reaching more people.
“I teach kids who have autism. I work with the elderly. This line of credit opens so many doors for future contracts and being able to service more people,” Calhoun-Bellamy said.
Star Allen, owner of SLA Shuttle Service, sees another side of that impact.
“It means continued growth. It means to be able to give back to my community and to continue to support the businesses in the area,” Allen said.
This work also connects directly to Park’s role as a Community Development Financial Institution. CDFIs work to increase access to financial services and capital in communities where those resources have historically been harder to access.
For this year’s entrepreneurs, closing that gap means putting capital behind businesses already in motion and the people, services, and communities they serve.
