For any business, finding the right source of capital can be complicated. Small-business owners and entrepreneurs representing underserved communities often face substantial barriers to accessing the capital they need to start or grow their businesses—contributing to systemic inequality and widening the nation’s racial wealth gap. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

The NCRC Community Development Fund is a community development financial institution (CDFI) whose mission is to close this gap by supporting women- and minority-owned small businesses—and alongside this year’s SXSW conference, NCRC CDF leadership and several luminaries from the nonprofit financial services industry will bring awareness to this commitment and illustrate how impact investing actually works and more specifically how NCRC CDF can deliver for diverse and creative entrepreneurs who need capital.

The panel discussion, taking place at the Line Hotel in Austin’s Topaz Room, on March 14th at 1 pm at the Topaz Room at The Line, will feature NCRC CDF Executive Director Marisa Calderon; Joe Sanchez of TechStars; Jennifer Garcia of the Latino Business Action Network; and Latresa McLawhorn Ryan, of Blackbird Strategy Group.

Why here? Why now? At SXSW, one of the largest and most diverse interactive festival-conferences in the nation, one in five participating organizations are startups, nearly three in four participants are decision-makers at their organizations, and 60 percent of employers represented are self-employed or small- or medium-sized enterprises. It starts with bringing our message directly to the right audience.

What else? Next, the goal is for attendees to come away with a better understanding of how we can enact lasting social justice through impact investing in underserved communities; they’ll also gain free access to NCRC CDF’s business accelerator programs—the 9-week, cohort-based Launch and Growth Academies. And, finally, NCRC CDF has set aside a total of $5 million in lending capital, with highly favorable and equitable lending terms for qualifying entrepreneurs who attend and informally “pitch” their business to NCRC CDF’s lending team following the panel discussion. After a follow-up discussion with the lending team, NCRC CDF will provide lending capital to participants who meet the eligibility criteria.