Press Release: Miriam Torres Baltys of CDC Small Business Finance Wins SBA “Financial Services Champion of the Year” Award

Torres Baltys, a Community Advantage lender who has worked in the finance industry for two decades, was honored on May 9 in San Diego

May 10, 2023 (San Diego, CA) – Miriam Torres Baltys, a Senior Small Business Loan Officer with CDC Small Business Finance, has been honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) San Diego District Office in its 2023 National Small Business Week Awards.

Torres Baltys received the “Financial Services Champion of the Year” award, which recognizes individuals who support small businesses through advocacy efforts to increase usefulness and availability of accounting or financial services. She was praised for her knowledge and expertise and for advocating for her clients to be able to access capital.

“This job is truly about helping people, and it feels great to be recognized for the impact I am having on small business owners,” said Torres Baltys. “Every time I talk to a client, I try to think of them as if they were family — how would I want them to be treated, and how can I help them reach their goal? And if I can’t help them right now, how can I help them be knowledgeable and set a plan for the future so that they can still achieve their goals and dreams?”

CDC Small Business Finance is part of the Momentus Capital branded family of organizations, which also includes Capital Impact Partners and Ventures Lending Technologies, among other organizations. The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations works to close the racial wealth gap by offering a continuum of financial, knowledge, and social capital to help local leaders build inclusive and equitable communities and create generational wealth.

How Community Advantage Loans Help Business Owners While Advancing Racial Equity

Torres Baltys focuses on providing Community Advantage loans to borrowers from small businesses throughout Southern California, including in her home region of San Diego County, and also supports clients in all of CDC Small Business Finance’s markets.

The SBA’s Community Advantage program allows for loans of up to $350,000 for new and existing business owners with low-to-moderate incomes and those from disinvested communities. This makes capital more accessible to promising small business owners who have not been able to obtain traditional financing.

Community Advantage is a tool for advancing racial and financial equity: Community Advantage lenders lend to Black-owned businesses at double the rate of traditional financial institutions. For Hispanic-owned small businesses, the rate is nearly triple that of traditional financial institutions.

A Passion For Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed

Torres Baltys, who joined CDC Small Business Finance in 2018, has been in the finance industry for 20 years. Her passion for small business is fueled by her experience overcoming challenges as an underestimated youth in Escondido, California. Growing up in an under-resourced community lit a fire for Miriam to succeed and support others in overcoming financial barriers along the way.

“The most important aspect of Miriam’s success is how much she cares about her clients,” said Susan Lamping, Vice president of Sales for CDC Small Business Finance. “Miriam goes out of her way to apply creativity to the lending process to make deals work. She also cares deeply about her referral partners and ensures that they get great service.”

Some of the small business owners Torres Baltys has helped recently include:

• An entrepreneur in San Diego who needed funding to start up a Brazilian cachaca manufacturing and distribution company, but had no collateral to qualify for traditional financing
• An entrepreneur with a hardware and software subscription company who needed working capital and inventory to fulfill demand, but was rejected by other lenders
• An entrepreneur in Modesto, California, who wanted to acquire a medical equipment business, but was declined by a bank and then an alternative lender

“I very much relate to the people we serve,” Torres Baltys said. “I know what it’s like to start at the bottom, to work hard and attain what you set your eyes on. I want them to know that it’s possible.”

Torres Baltys also serves as a finance committee member with the South County Economic Development Council; is on the leadership team of the Sister Cities Project; is on the board for the Angels Foster Family Network; and is an elected graduate of the San Diego MANA Latina Leadership Program.

Learn more about how CDC Small Business can help you with small business loans and commercial real estate loans.

Awards Won By the Momentus Capital Branded Family of Organizations

This is the latest recognition for the Momentus Capital branded family of organizations:

• The NonProfit Times named Capital Impact Partners and CDC Small Business Finance as two of the best nonprofits to work for.
• The Washington Business Journal honored Momentus Capital President and CEO Ellis Carr as the 2022 Nonprofit Leader of the Year.
• Fast Company named Mr. Carr to that publication’s 14th annual list of the Most Creative People in Business.
• Chief Human Resources Officer Kimberly Dorsett was named one of DCA Live’s 2023 HR Leaders of the Year
• Momentus Capital was nominated to the Washington Business Journal’s Inno on Fire awards for helping to fuel the region’s economy.
• CDC Small Business Finance finished Fiscal Year 2022 as the foremost SBA 504 and Community Advantage lender in the United States.
• CDC Small Business Finance was named “Community Advantage Lender of the Year” and a “Top 10 Lender” for the 2022 fiscal year by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Michigan District Office.
• Team member Aaron Gougis won a “Leaders in Diversity” award from the Dallas Business Journal.
• Team members Ken Rosenthal and Stacey Sanchez received two top honors from Coleman Report as the leading banking publication’s SBA Business Development Officers of the Year.

About CDC Small Business Finance:

CDC Small Business Finance is transforming how capital and investments flow into communities to provide people access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. As the nation’s leading mission-based small business lender, CDC delivers small business and commercial real estate loans paired with small business owner assistance to bolster entrepreneurship, economic development, and job creation.

CDC offers numerous financing products including the Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 commercial real estate loans; SBA Community Advantage working capital loans; and the SBA Microloan. We also offer non-SBA products to provide more equitable access to credit for those who are unable to qualify for traditional financing. CDC also provides free business advising to support both potential borrowers to get loan-ready as well as to help existing small business borrowers grow and expand their business.

Since 1978, CDC has provided more than $21.3 billion in funding to 12,000 borrowers and helped create and preserve over 214,000 jobs.

CDC’s subsidiary, Ventures Lending Technologies, offers Ventures+, a proprietary loan processing and portfolio management tool that has become one of the top resources for small business and community lenders. This cloud-based platform provides a low-cost way for smaller lenders to offer services throughout the entire lifecycle from a borrower prospect to loan payoff. Through this work, the Ventures+ team helps scale the ability of local lenders to create impact in their communities by providing access to high-level services they would otherwise be unlikely to manage on their own.

Learn more at cdcloans.com and venturesgo.com.

About the Momentus Capital Brand:

The Momentus Capital branded family of companies refers to the combined operations of Capital Impact, CDC Small Business Finance, and Ventures Lending Technologies. While each organization under the Momentus Capital brand still operates as a separate entity, their clients will now have access to more resources and products.

The Momentus Capital branded family of companies is transforming how capital and investments flow into communities to provide people access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. We are working to reinvent traditional financial systems that have failed to address systemic issues of inequality, economic empowerment, and the widening racial wealth gap by offering a continuum of financial, knowledge, and social capital to help local leaders build inclusive and equitable communities and create generational wealth. This includes a comprehensive package of loan products, impact investment opportunities, training and business advising programs, and technology services that advance locally-led solutions.

Leveraging 80 years of combined experience, nearly $3 billion in assets, and strong community engagement, we have delivered $23 billion in financing, created and preserved 250,000 jobs, and served 12,000 small businesses and five million people across their history.

With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and San Diego, California, Momentus Capital operates nationally with a focus on larger urban areas and cities in Arizona, California, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas, and the Washington metro area.

Learn more at momentuscap.org.