Meda CEO Gary L. Cunningham has been elected to the board of directors of Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) of Washington D.C.
The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to supporting the success of microbusinesses in the United States, announced the election of seven board members, and the appointment of both a new board chair and a State Microenterprise Association (SMA) representative. The board members are:
Usman Ahmed, Head of Global Public Policy at PayPal Inc.
Joshua Brackett, CFO at Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs, Inc. (ACE)
Melissa L. Bradley, Founder and Curator at Venture DC/Project 500
Gary L. Cunningham, President and CEO at Meda
Byna Elliott, Senior Vice President, Director of Community and Economic Development at Fifth Third Bank
Alex Forrester, Co-founder and COO at Rising Tide Capital
Douglas Schaeffer, Executive Vice President and CRA Director at Woodforest National Bank
Their full bios can be read here.
“I’m honored to join the AEO board in their work that supports millions of entrepreneurs across the United States. AEO’s work closely aligns with Meda’s mission to grow minority businesses and their groundbreaking report “The Tapestry of Black Business Ownership in America” highlighted the significant impact these businesses have and can have on their communities. Our partnership will continue to demonstrate the importance of investing in minority business owners and their impacts on the community, “says Gary L. Cunningham, CEO of Meda.
Meda is a nonprofit organization that serves Minnesota’s minority entrepreneurs by providing one-on-one business consulting, access to capital, and procurement opportunities. Since 1971, Meda has empowered over 20,000 minority entrepreneurs and helped launch over 600 minority businesses. This year, Meda will be celebrating its 46th anniversary at the annual Meda Gala on November 18. For more information about sponsoring or attending the Meda Gala, please visit www.Meda.net/gala or www.meda.net
About Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) is the voice of innovation in microbusiness and microfinance in the United States. For 26 years, AEO and its more than 450 member/partner organizations have helped millions of entrepreneurs contribute to economic growth while supporting themselves, their families and their communities. AEO members and partners include a broad range of organizations that provide capital and services to assist underserved entrepreneurs in starting, stabilizing and expanding their businesses. Together, we are working to change the way that capital and services flow to underserved entrepreneurs so that they can create jobs and opportunities for all. Learn more about the Association for Enterprise Opportunity at http://go.pardot.com/e/384812/