As President of The Center for Strategic Economic Studies and Institutional Development (“The Center”), Constance Anderson wields her expertise in finance to help women and minority business owners in historically underserved communities grow and thrive. In an industry in which 32.5% of c-suite leaders are women, Anderson has proved herself a force for change.
Anderson brings over 20 years of experience in the banking world to role at The Center, most recently as Director of the Pacific Coast Regional Small Business Development Center and California Federal Bank. In her tenure at Pacific Coast, she hosted, attended, co-sponsored and participated in over 100 educational and economic development events for new and existing small businesses. In 2018, she led her team through a milestone 1,000 private sessions with business owners.
The Center provides comprehensive support and education to small business owners in low- to moderate-income areas in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Its consulting services cover everything from business planning, to technology, to marketing, to certification processes, to access to capital, and many, many more, with the understanding that every business requires its own unique approach.
The Center is a non-profit affiliate of Lendistry, a minority-owned, technology-enabled CDFI and CDE small business and commercial real estate lender that provides responsible financing to small business owners, with an emphasis on underbanked business owners. Together, the two organizations give entrepreneurs of color, veterans and women the support they typically struggle to procure.
Anderson’s business acumen, expertise in strategic planning and collaboration, as well as her experience in community development and local non-profits make her the perfect fit to lead The Center’s mission to change the statistics surrounding minority and women entrepreneurs. She is an influencer in her field and an ideal sounding board for businesses looking to grow.