Pathway serves underserved target markets across Tennessee and through a year of uncertainty, supported small businesses, commercial real estate and multifamily affordable housing. In 2020, we launched COVID emergency response and ReStart loan products, expanded the 504 loan program, and offered our largest Energy Efficiency deal in our program history. 

Pathway has strategically expanded services through our Women's Business Center (WBC) and Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC), developed new programs and partnerships, and invested in technology to deliver our learning programs to entrepreneurs across the region, on Pathway Learning. The launch of our e-learning platform has supported our ability to reach more clients and supported 10,042 classroom hours in 2020.  

VIRTUAL LEARNING

In 2020 Pathway Launched Pathway Learning, a single online destination where entrepreneurs can access the same great classes, cohorts, coaching, advisory services and mentors from Pathway WBC and Veterans Business Outreach Center plus powerful new on-demand content, accessible anytime.

Pathway quickly mobilized listening sessions in March 2020 to understand the real-time needs of entrepreneurs during the first wave of COVID-related business closures and assited entrepreneurs to plan through the uncertain times and pivot. 

PARTNER COHORTS

Pathway Lending developed this six-week training program to equip new and established developers seeking to add small, multifamily projects to their portfolios with the skills and knowledge they need for a successful start.  Pathway partned with Waddell Wright, CCIM, CPM, founder and president of W. Wright & Co. to instruct this session!

Pathway partnered with Conexion Americas and launched a 5-week virtual cohort, Make It On Etsy, to support business owners get up and running on Etsy's online global marketplace. This cohort trained creative entrepreneurs to pivot and sell their wares online with fellow entrepreneurs.

PROGRAMMING

2020 was a year of resiliency, and Pathway Lending stepped up to meet gaps in the marketplace for small businesses. Our team rose to the occassion to meet our mission of 'no missed opportunities' by launching new lending solutions and learning programs to support entrepreneurs following Nashville's March 3 tornadoes and through the pandemic. Pathway's ReStart initative offered rapid loan funds and virtual coaching, while Pathway Learning, our new, e-learning platform, provided a single online destination for entrepreneurs to access mentoring. The flexibility of our team to shift to a remote workplace allowed us to best serve our clients and small business owners across our target markets.

-Clint Gwin, President & CEO

Pathway's growing partner network of 70+ institutions supports our expansion into key markets across Tennessee. When COVID interrupted businesses seemingly overnight, pivotal partnerships supported our efforts to address the needs of our small business clients. Our key stakeholders in navigating 2020 were Appalachian Community Capital, JPMorgan Chase & Co, PNC, Truist and Wells Fargo.