PHOENIX, AZ – November 17, 2025 — Growth Partners Arizona (GPAz), in collaboration with JPMorganChase, today announced a statewide initiative to expand financial literacy and business readiness for Arizona’s small-business community.
“Financial literacy is the foundation of resilient communities and thriving small businesses,” said Andre T. Whittington, Executive Director of Growth Partners Arizona. “Through this partnership, we’re embedding real-time support, trusted guidance, and actionable tools directly into the spaces where entrepreneurs live, work, and grow.”
The initiative will establish two Offices of Financial Literacy: one at The Archwood at Eastlake in Phoenix and another at the Tucson Small Business Center in partnership with Groundswell Capital—and launch a statewide Digital Financial Literacy HUB, a centralized, innovation-driven platform featuring interactive learning modules, gamified tools, and personalized guidance to help business owners strengthen financial management, assess capital readiness, and connect to CDFI lending.
Phoenix site (The Archwood at Eastlake). As the flagship location, The Archwood at Eastlake will offer on-site coaching and easy access to the Digital HUB, giving entrepreneurs a trusted place to learn, connect, and apply insights. “Entrepreneurship isn’t just about launching a business—it’s about building legacies of generational impact,” said M. Ali Nervis, CEO of Archwood/ACRES. “By adding a Financial Literacy Office at The Archwood at Eastlake, we’re anchoring practical education and digital tools in a community space designed for collaboration and growth.”
The Financial Literacy Office model will deliver financial education, one-on-one coaching, digital access, and banking resources, utilizing bank-partner curricula and community-rooted facilitators to increase long-term financial capability and business success across the state.
“At JPMorganChase, we invest in innovative, community-driven solutions that help small businesses succeed,” said Deanna Murphy, Southwest Regional Director, Corporate Responsibility, JPMorganChase. “This collaboration with Growth Partners Arizona brings financial education and resources closer to where they’re needed most.”
Southern Arizona site (Tucson). The Tucson Small Business Center will be powered by a dedicated, on-site Financial Education Coach supported by GPAz grant funding, serving as a critical resource for entrepreneurs across Southern Arizona. “We are deeply grateful to Growth Partners Arizona and JPMorgan Chase for helping us launch the Financial Literacy Office at the Tucson Small Business Center,” said Dre Thompson, President of Groundswell Capital. “This collaboration brings free, community-focused resources, digital access, financial education, coaching, and shared office space that empower entrepreneurs to build stronger, more resilient businesses.”
In addition to expanding on-the-ground and digital financial literacy efforts, the grant also includes capacity funding to scale the Arizona CDFI Network. Growth Partners Arizona will steward these dollars to strengthen collaboration among mission-driven lenders, deepen statewide knowledge-sharing, and support coordinated efforts to close capital access gaps for Arizona entrepreneurs. As Co-Chair of the Arizona CDFI Network, GPAz Executive Director Andre T. Whittington will help lead the strategic deployment of this capacity-building support, reinforcing the infrastructure of Arizona’s CDFI ecosystem and advancing long-term impact for small businesses across the state.
Together, these efforts reflect a bold commitment to shaping a more financially confident and economically dynamic future for Arizona’s small-business ecosystem.
You can learn more by visiting: growthpartnersaz.org/flo.
About Growth Partners Arizona
Growth Partners Arizona is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) advancing economic opportunity by providing affordable capital and education to small businesses and nonprofits across Arizona.
About JPMorganChase
JPMorganChase & Co. is a leading global financial services firm dedicated to driving inclusive economic growth through investments in underserved communities and small-business support.
About The Archwood at Eastlake / ACRES
Archwood at Eastlake, operated by Archwood Community Resource & Empowerment Strategy (ACRES), is a Phoenix-based nonprofit dedicated to elevating historically underserved entrepreneurs and building community wealth through place-based programming, business support, and ecosystem collaboration.
About Groundswell Capital
Groundswell Capital supports entrepreneurs through strategic capital, infrastructure, and ecosystem development to foster sustainable, locally owned businesses in Tucson and beyond.