FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2026
PHOENIX, AZ. — Growth Partners Arizona (GPAZ), a statewide Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), today announced a strategic partnership with the Latino Community Foundation (LCF) through the Latino Economic Opportunity Fund to expand financial empowerment and capital readiness for entrepreneurs across Arizona.
Through this partnership, GPAZ will strengthen its Financial Literacy Office (FLO), expanding access to financial education, one-on-one coaching, business readiness, and pathways to responsible capital.
“The strongest businesses are built on financial confidence,” said Andre Whittington, Executive Director of Growth Partners Arizona. “We’re honored to partner with the Latino Community Foundation to help entrepreneurs build the knowledge, tools, and confidence needed to make informed financial decisions, access capital, and create lasting economic opportunity for their communities.”
“When Latino entrepreneurs and their businesses succeed, America’s economy thrives,” said Julián Castro, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation. “That’s why as part of LCF’s expansion in the Southwest, we’re proud to join Growth Partners Arizona to ensure entrepreneurs have the training and skills they need to grow their businesses. Through building thriving Latino-owned businesses, Arizona entrepreneurs can power an economy that serves everyone.”
The Financial Literacy Office is the cornerstone of Growth Partners Arizona’s Financial Empowerment Framework, connecting place-based coaching, digital learning, financial capability programs, and capital readiness into a single, community-centered pathway that helps entrepreneurs build stronger businesses and long-term financial resilience.
Together, Growth Partners Arizona and the Latino Community Foundation are working to expand equitable economic opportunity by ensuring entrepreneurs have access to the education, coaching, and support needed to become financially empowered before pursuing capital.
“Financial education and capital should work hand in hand,” Whittington added. “This partnership strengthens that connection and helps more Arizona entrepreneurs build businesses that are prepared to grow and thrive.”
About Growth Partners Arizona
Growth Partners Arizona is a statewide Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) dedicated to advancing economic opportunity through responsible lending, financial education, and business support. By combining flexible capital with coaching, technical assistance, and innovative financial empowerment programs, GPAZ helps entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations build stronger, more resilient futures.
About the Latino Community Foundation
The Latino Community Foundation (LCF) is the largest Latino-serving community foundation in the nation. Dedicated to unleashing the civic and economic power of Latinos, LCF builds philanthropic power by investing in Latino-led and Latino-serving organizations. To date, LCF has raised $100 million to build a thriving Latino community by cultivating Latino philanthropic leaders and advancing civic engagement and economic opportunity nationwide.