Katelynn Sorrell
Hometown:
Beaufort, North Carolina
Connect: LinkedIn
Katelynn is excited to witness the growth and development of the entrepreneurship community in rural NC, contributing to economic development and the creation of more jobs. She aspires to contribute meaningfully to this project by driving economic recovery, shaping communities, and positively impacting people's lives.
Katelynn is a strategic marketer based in Eastern North Carolina who helps small businesses develop brands while simultaneously founding her own start-ups. Prior to her roles in business development, she’s worked as a project manager, sales executive, and journalist.
ERC Project
Project Title:
Revitalizing North Eastern North Carolina’s Economy through CDFI and Small Business Ecosystem Hubs
Host Community or Region:
North Carolina
Host Organization:
Array Community Development Corporation
The Array Community Development Corporation's project focuses on transforming the region’s small business lending. Of the 32 counties Array serves, 29 are in economic distress due to the declining tobacco and fishing industries. The project aims to convert Array’s business model and pursue a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) designation to boost small business lending and technical assistance to underserved entrepreneurs. The ERC Fellow will collaborate with Array’s team to develop and manage the growth strategy for the CDFI to support lending across 32 counties. The fellow will conduct entrepreneurial ecosystem building in seven key cities to deepen relationships and lending pipelines; identify small business trends, challenges, and opportunities; and develop local partnerships. The outcome is a comprehensive plan towards CDFI designation to help revitalize northeastern North Carolina’s rural, regional economy powered by small business development and access to capital.
Interested in supporting this project or learning more? Contact the ERC program team here.
