First Bank and Mountain BizWorks – “Dream It. Do It.”

Our Spring 2017 non-profit partner is Mountain BizWorks. This Asheville-based business lending and learning organization helps locals launch the companies of their dreams.

Kimberly Hunter: Mountain BizWorks is a community development financial institution that caters to people who have ideas around business or already in business, and want to do something big in our region.

Sara Landry: Really, our role is to create a community of entrepreneurs.

Matthew Raker: We’ve got the honor I guess of helping make dreams happen every day.

KH: We support people, by really giving them the framework to explore what it is they wanna do from a professional level in terms of creating jobs and creating businesses.

MR: First Bank’s a great partner for Mountain BizWorks. They’re a community-based bank. They really care about local businesses being successful.

KH: We both represent what it means to live and breathe and grow in a community.

SL: All of our funding goes directly back into investing in these entrepreneurs, to make our community a better place.

KH: Ten thousand dollars from First Bank is not just a drop in the bucket. It is actual feet on the ground, to entrepreneurs who mean to do well and to create businesses and jobs that will change their life.

SL: You have to be somewhat of a dreamer to be an entrepreneur. It takes a tremendous amount of risk, it kind of incorporates your whole life. There’s an entrepreneur lifestyle really when it comes down to it.

KH: We expect in the future to really grow our partnerships in all of our regions. And to really make sure that entrepreneurs are supported with our partners everywhere we go. So our presence is strong, and we’re clear that we’re here to stay. Thank you and goodnight.

Share:

Sign up for our newsletter and be the first to know about new tips, insights, and products from First Bank.

First Bank may use this email address to contact you about products, services, and promotions.

You may be interested in...

First Bank partners with Habitat for Humanity to promote housing affordability There’s no place like home for the holidays. The benefits of homeownership reach far beyond the financial investment and earned equity. Owning a home means long-term security and stability for individuals, families, and economies to thrive. This holiday season, we’re reflecting on our Power of Good commitment to Housing Affordability and our partnership with Habitat for Humanity. “Greater tax generation, creation of jobs, opportunities for economic development, increased job retention and productivity, and the ability to address inequality — all are among the economic benefits of increased access to quality, affordable housing.” – Habitat for Humanity What does housing-affordability mean? While many factors impact what affordable means to each buyer, housing policymakers generally use the 30% rule that states no more than 30% of your income should be spent on housing. In areas where the average home prices and rental rates exceed the 30% rule for the average citizen’s income, housing is deemed unaffordable and residents are considered to be housing cost-burdened. Nationwide, U.S. Census Bureau data shows that 40% of renters meet the definition of cost-burdened. Additionally, an October 2023 report from Redfin suggests that homebuyers must now earn a $115,000 annual salary to afford the median-priced U.S. home – that’s up more than 50% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Housing affordability snapshot on the Carolinas As population growth continues to rise across North and South Carolina, it’s proving difficult to keep up with the increase in demand for housing. Many experts point to the combination of limited supply and growing demand for the sharp rise in housing costs. Cost-burdened households in North Carolina represent 45% of renters and 19% of homeowners while in South Carolina those numbers are 50% and 25% respectively. What are the impacts of cost-burdened households? Households that spend more than 30% of their budget on housing oftentimes experience a snowball effect on other areas of their budget. Many housing cost-burdened households experience food insecurity and are forced to make difficult decisions like choosing between paying a bill or seeking medical care. This also makes it difficult to save for emergencies in the future, and places more reliance on credit card spending. When these difficult circumstances at an individual level become compounded, the entire community’s wellbeing becomes marginalized. First Bank’s commitment to affordable housing As a First Bank client, you’ve made the decision to invest in your community. Our designation as a community bank means that we will always prioritize investing in the communities where we do business. Unlike banks who operate nationally or globally, First Bank is committed to the Carolinas. Banking with First Bank allows you to keep your hard-earned money within your community – where it can do the most good for your neighbors. Our First Bank Power of Good corporate citizenship program has made the following investments in affordable housing: 6 min read

The First 80 Years of First Bank As we close 2015, we take a look back at the first 80 wonderful years in First Bank's history, from 1935 when we opened as the Bank of Montgomery in Troy, North Carolina to our expansion across three states. 1 min read

Volunteering Part 2: Help Wanted! This is the second in our 2-part series examining how to find local volunteering opportunities. 6 min read

First Bank Celebrates Anne Stoneham During Women’s History Month Anne Stoneham serves as First Bank’s Senior Director of Human Resources, leading Compensation & Benefits, Talent Acquisition, Training & Talent Development, and Internal Communications. Although her path from college to the workforce was anything but linear, she has been fortunate enough to work in the business/banking industry for 39 years. In her senior year, Stoneham realized that she did not want to pursue a career in her major. Upon graduating from UNC Chapel Hill, she worked at a bank until figuring out what her next steps were. Before this, Anne never even considered banking or business as a career choice, but there she found her love for helping her customers and teammates find the right solutions. She found career direction about a year and a half later when she was offered a position in the training department. There she was able to utilize her strengths, helping her to excel in her field and setting her up for many years of future growth and success. Anne has been fortunate enough to have a number of smart, strong, and capable women in all facets of her life that have been role models, showing her how to be authentic to who she is and how to navigate an industry dominated by men. Having strong admiration for her aunt and grandmother, Stoneham stated, “They were such great examples of grace and strength. I learned a lot from just growing up around them.” Her mother was also a vast influence on her growing up. As a student graduating from high school at the age of 15, Anne’s mother was a model of perseverance for her, always encouraging her to go the extra mile. Professionally, Anne gives gratitude to two leaders in her life; one who thought strategically and sparked Stoneham’s interest in leadership and the other who showed her how to be a true advocate, valued her opinion, and taught her how to preserve in the workplace. Anne stated, “Role models are all around us if we are just willing to be open and take the gifts that each individual can give us, because you can learn something from everyone.” When thinking about her role as a woman in leadership, Anne thinks that the greatest 4 min read

First Bank and Mountain BizWorks - "Dream It. Do It."

Ready to talk to an expert?

Ready to talk to an expert?

You may be interested in...