A Note from Our Founders

We’re Anny and Andrew, co-founders of Mona. As first-generation Americans whose families came from Egypt and Taiwan, small businesses have been critical to our families’ stories. Like so many others, we have seen firsthand the power of small businesses to create economic opportunity for families, while also transforming communities for the better.

Indeed, small businesses generate 2/3 of net new jobs in America and are a critical path up the socioeconomic ladder for families across the U.S. Beyond the economic impact, these entrepreneurs are the backbones of our towns and cities – fueling community, economic growth, and togetherness across the country. Yet the vast majority face major barriers to accessing capital – and this problem is only exacerbated for historically disadvantaged groups.

We launched Mona while at Stanford to help change this. Today, Mona has connected 100+ entrepreneurs to $1 million+ in affordable loans and grants. From home care services to restaurants to coffee brands and beyond, we have conducted large-scale outreach to engage entrepreneurs across the country and then provide them with the technical, language, and advising support they need to secure pivotal funding. Open to all small businesses and with a special focus on immigrant, refugee, and women entrepreneurs, we partnered with creators coming from 36 nations around the world, from Rwanda to Yemen to Ukraine to South Korea and beyond. These entrepreneurs are impacting 40+ cities across the U.S.

For many, these microloans were life-changing. Roughly half of loan recipients during the pandemic stated that they may have had to, or definitely would have had to, shut down their business had it not been for the loans. About 80% of Mona entrepreneurs noted they could not get loans elsewhere. Meanwhile, the business impacts were clear. On average, entrepreneurs were able to hire 1 to 2 staff members because of the loan, and monthly revenue increased by more than 40% after loan disbursement. We are proud to drive this work, in addition to our support of entrepreneurs via product investment, distribution opportunities, advising, design, and more.

Ultimately, what drives our team is the creativity, kindness, and selflessness of our Mona entrepreneurs. The least we can do is provide them with fair access to capital to uplift the stories of our towns and cities – and of their own families – for generations to come.