Firm Overview

Businesses led by people of color and leaders with lived experience of employment barriers have insight into solutions that generate long-term success for their employees and enterprises. By demonstrating the creditworthiness of this portfolio, RIIF aims to attract new sources of capital to finance the growth of inclusive employers. 

RIIF works to build borrower creditworthiness and reduce bias in underwriting to provide credit to BIPOC-led enterprises and those who share the lived experience of the people they employ. RIIF deploys flexible capital and structures financing using equitable and accessible lending practices, including participation of stakeholders in the investment committee. During underwriting, borrowers undergo an intensive capacity-building exercise to build financial and capital readiness. After loan closing, borrowers are eligible for technical assistance projects backed by our evidence that are expected to strengthen borrower financial health, respond to emerging challenges which often come in the form of delayed payments from government partners. RIIF borrowers join a 300+ community of peers to support meaningful jobs and long-term success of their employees. As borrowers improve financial sustainability and increase access to capital, RIIF portfolio enterprises generate revenue and employ more people overcoming barriers, the three key dimensions against which impact is measured. 

With our affiliate REDF, we have a 30-year track record and in that time have seen 6x growth in the number of people overcoming barriers employed by our portfolio (133,000 to date) and 2x growth in revenue generated by the portfolio ($2.5 Billion). We are taking that knowledge to innovate around reducing bias in underwriting, creating revenue-based finance products to offer more patient capital and pricing, and targeted technical assistance with experts and interventions that work to create quality jobs and improve enterprise financial health.