First Women’s Bank (FWB) on Thursday announced that Microsoft Corp. and United Airlines are the Bank’s newest Mission Partners. The companies join a growing list of FWB Mission Partners that includes Aon, Wendy’s, Comcast Corp., William Blair and the Western Golf Association, as well as other supporters, including investors Billie Jean King, Fidelity Investments, Bank of America and strategic advisors Sophia Bush and Nia Batts. In addition, FWB is spotlighting some of the small businesses it has financed since its grand opening last fall.
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“Closing the gender lending gap is a critical step toward achieving gender equality, and First Women’s Bank is the bank to do it,” said Marianne Markowitz, president and CEO, First Women’s Bank. “Together with our Mission Partners and supporters, First Women’s Bank will help bridge that gap, elevate small businesses and the communities they serve, and promote more inclusive economic growth.”
FWB’s innovative strategy combines national Small Business Administration lending with deposits from mission-aligned individuals, corporations and organizations to create accessible financing for small businesses with a strategic focus on the women’s economy. The support of FWB’s Mission Partners, through FDIC-insured mission deposits, helps expand economic opportunity for the women’s economy.
“We’re excited to partner with First Women’s Bank and continue to invest in the women’s economy,” said Anita Mehra, corporate vice president of global treasury & financial services at Microsoft. “Microsoft strives to create environments where people of a diverse range of backgrounds, especially women and women of color, have the resources and support they need to thrive.”
“Women and women-led businesses are critical to growing and strengthening our economy and our communities,” said Pam Hendry, vice president and treasurer at United. “That’s why United is proud to partner with First Women’s Bank as a force for good in the communities we serve to help build a robust economic environment where women and women-led businesses have access to the opportunities and resources they need to flourish.”
In addition to Mission deposits, Microsoft plans to provide training and resources from its global skills initiative to small businesses through the FWB Collective. The FWB Collective is a community of resources, support and inspiration to help small businesses grow and thrive.