Washington, D.C. (March 8, 2021) – The Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif) announced today that Kimberly Gayle joined the organization as its new Chief Program Officer. In this role, Kimberly will provide executive leadership and management oversight of Wacif’s small business advisory services and programming.
“I am thrilled to welcome Kimberly to the Wacif team as our first Chief Program Officer, and to expand our leadership to take on the challenges ahead that impact entrepreneurs across the region,” said Wacif CEO Harold Pettigrew, Jr. “With Kimberly’s leadership and expertise shaping our approach, Wacif will continue to deepen its impact and focus on efforts to support the recovery and resilience of underserved entrepreneurs and communities.”
“I have dedicated my life and career to advocating for marginalized communities and supporting entrepreneurs,” said Wacif Chief Program Officer Kimberly Gayle. “Joining Wacif was an easy choice, given the alignment between the organization’s mission and values.”
Kimberly is a certified business advisor with extensive experience driving business growth in start-up, turnaround, and well-established cultures. Before Wacif, she was the Regional Director for the Minority Business Assistance Center, led by the State of Ohio’s Minority Business Development Division and hosted by the Columbus Urban League. Prior to serving as Regional Director, Kimberly worked as the Director of Business Education and Incubation Services for the Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI) where she led the Training and Development Services Department, a division providing training, technical assistance, networking, and client-support functions.
For the past 10 years, Kimberly has taught a variety of business management and entrepreneurship courses and served as an Adjunct Professor for Columbus State Community College and Franklin University. Kimberly is an advisory board member for the African American Leadership Academy and Founder for Black Tech Columbus.
Kimberly’s arrival comes during a period of sustained growth for Wacif. At the end of 2020, Wacif announced the upcoming launch of the DMV Enterprising Women of Color Business Center (EWOC), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). In response to the 2020 COVID-19 health and economic crisis, Wacif stood up a number of high-impact partnerships with public and private entities across the country to bring critical resources to underserved entrepreneurs and strengthen the resiliency of small businesses across the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region, which resulted in the deployment of over 11 million in capital through grants, debt relief, and loans.
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About the Washington Area Community Investment Fund
The Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Inc. (Wacif) is one of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan’s area’s leading Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) focused on small business development. Wacif’s mission is to increase equity and economic opportunity in underserved communities in the Washington, D.C. area by investing knowledge, social, and financial capital in low-and-moderate-income entrepreneurs. To learn more about Wacif’s mission, visit www.wacif.org.