Accessity: Expanding access to credit for low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs
Accessity is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) focused on providing economic opportunity to entrepreneurs in Southern California, particularly those who have limited access to traditional financial services.
How Accessity supports small businesses in the United States
- Low- and moderate-income (LMI) entrepreneurs often face systemic barriers when trying to access capital — from biased credit-score-based lending models to predatory practices by online lenders that hide rates and fees. Without access to affordable finance, many promising small businesses are pushed out of the market before they have a chance to launch and grow.
- Accessity, a Southern California-based Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), is closing that gap. The organization provides access to capital and education for LMI entrepreneurs, offering loan capital ranging from $300 to $150,000. Their model is designed to meet entrepreneurs where they are, offering tailored financial tools that help borrowers build and invest in their communities.
Program overview
Our work together
- Mastercard Strive USA partnered with Accessity to invest in a new AI-powered tool called SmartLend that makes their lending model more efficient and strengthens their relationship with clients. SmartLend analyzes lending data to predict customer experience outcomes and the likelihood of repayment or default — making the lending process more accessible, efficient, and transparent.
- SmartLend streamlines workflows by providing preliminary approval recommendations (which are then reviewed by a loan officer), flagging fraudulent activity, and surfacing digital resources based on each entrepreneur’s financial profile. That efficiency frees up Accessity’s staff to focus on personalized, hands-on support for borrowers who need it most.
- During the grant period, these technology upgrades led to significant and measurable improvements in processing speed, borrower conversion, customer satisfaction, and loan deployment.
By the numbers
What began as a technology upgrade translated into measurable operational momentum:
- Processing time reduced by 44%
- Document turnaround accelerated dramatically.
- Conversion rates climbed
- Customer satisfaction reached 92%
- Monthly loan deployment surpassed $1 million consistently
More broadly, each improvement strengthened Accessity’s ability to expand responsible access to credit while maintaining high-touch support for entrepreneurs.
Become a partner
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Mar Diteos Rendon
AccessityThis work initially began with the goal of implementing AI to create more standardized and efficient processes. However, it quickly evolved into something much bigger: a full transformation of how Accessity operates. At its core, this work focused on building a culture of innovation and using technology intentionally to improve efficiency and better serve our Southern California small business community.
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