The Fund for Jobs Worth Owning was proud to attend Opportunity Finance Network’s Small Business Finance Forum (SBFF) in Austin, TX from June 10-12, our first time at the Forum after many years of participating in OFN’s annual conference. As a mission‑driven small business lender focused on worker cooperatives, FJWO values opportunities to connect with peer CDFIs who are similarly committed to expanding access to capital for businesses that anchor communities. Worker cooperatives are small businesses, and gatherings like SBFF strengthen the ecosystem of lenders working to ensure those businesses have the financing, technical assistance, and long‑term support they need to thrive.

A highlight of the Forum was FJWO Director of Lending Jonathan Ward’s participation in the panel “Caring for the Care Economy: Supporting Childcare Businesses Through Innovative Capital and Targeted Support.” Jonathan joined speakers from Wells Fargo, LIIF, and WESST to discuss how mission‑driven lenders are designing responsive capital products and supportive services for childcare providers, a sector that is foundational to economic mobility yet faces steep barriers to financing, workforce stability, and sustainability. For FJWO, it was an honor to present alongside partners like Wells Fargo, whose recent grant supports our work strengthening worker‑owned child care and home care cooperatives.

During the session, Jonathan highlighted how worker‑owned child care cooperatives create jobs worth owning by giving early childhood educators real voice, shared ownership, and the ability to shape the conditions of their work. When workers lead, jobs improve, and better jobs create better care for the children and families who rely on these essential services. Jonathan also shared FJWO’s experience supporting childcare workers in purchasing their centers when owners retire, ensuring that high‑quality care remains rooted in the community and that the educators who have stewarded these businesses can carry them forward into the next chapter.

FJWO looks forward to continuing these conversations at OFN42 in New Orleans this October, where our team will once again join peers, partners, and fellow CDFIs committed to building a more equitable care economy.