ABOUT THE PROJECT
About Underwriting Reimagined
A two-phase initiative led by Impact Ventures, with support from JPMorgan Chase, focused on reimagining small business lending in Dallas–Fort Worth.
The Initiative
Underwriting Reimagined is designed to better serve entrepreneurs historically excluded from traditional financing. The initiative brings together financial leaders, business experts, and community advocates to build tools that reflect the lived experiences of entrepreneurs who are too often left out of traditional systems.
Phase 1
Nov 2024 – Aug 2025
Learning & Community Engagement through interviews, focus groups, surveys, and a Steering Committee.
Phase 2
Sep 2025 – 2026
From Insight to Action through pilot strategies, policy alignment, and Communities of Practice.
Learning Objectives
● Understand what small business owners value most in a lending relationship
● Identify barriers related to credit history, collateral, and guarantor requirements
● Explore how fear, risk, and trust shape engagement with lenders
● Assess the appeal of relationship-based and community-rooted lending models
● Assess openness to alternative indicators of creditworthiness
● Identify constraints within current underwriting and risk frameworks
● Explore flexible underwriting strategies and shared-risk models
● Understand capacity gaps related to coaching, referrals, and follow-up