Our Story
Built from both sides
of the table.
Groundwork. was built by someone who spent years helping entrepreneurs prepare for capital — and years deciding who got it. That perspective is in every feature.
Our Mission
"Groundwork. exists to close the gap between underserved entrepreneurs and the capital they deserve. We believe loan readiness shouldn't depend on who you know or where you live. It should depend on how prepared you are — and we make sure you're prepared."
The complete lending platform for CDFIs, credit unions, BDOs, loan funds, and the business owners they exist to serve.
Jerome Emanuel
Founder & Developer
Groundwork.
Former Chief Lending Officer
CDFI Credit Union, Upstate NY
CDFI
CLO
BDO
Developer
Elmira, NY
A platform built from lived experience — not a whiteboard.
Jerome Emanuel has spent nearly two decades at the intersection of community development, small business lending, and entrepreneurship. As the former Chief Lending Officer at a CDFI credit union in upstate New York — Jerome saw firsthand what happens when borrowers arrive unprepared and loan officers don't have the tools to help them get ready.
Before his work in community lending, Jerome spent almost twenty years in the automotive industry — sixteen of those as a Sales Manager or General Manager responsible for millions of dollars in inventory, budgeting, financial statements, hiring, and marketing for franchised dealerships. That business background gave him an unusually deep understanding of what it takes to run a business — and what lenders actually need to see.
The frustration was always the same: borrowers weren't ready. Loan officers didn't have time. Business development organizations were overwhelmed. Nobody had capacity for one-on-ones anymore. So Jerome decided to build the solution himself — writing every line of code from scratch.
"You took something complicated and made it easy. I don't think it gets better than that."
Eric Krohn — Director of Business Incubation Programming, Koffman Southern Tier Incubator, Binghamton University
Community Leadership & Service
Cornell Cooperative Extension Board of DirectorsElected board member — nominated by community peers through the Natural Leaders Initiative
Southern Tier Regional Economic Development CouncilAppointed by the Governor's Office of New York to serve on the Executive Committee
NAACP Economic Development ChairAppointed to the Executive Committee in January 2020, serving as Chair of Economic Development
Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative (ESPRI)Member of the Business and Economic Development workgroup
Chemung County Entrepreneurial Task ForceInstrumental member focused on helping Downtown Elmira businesses succeed through education and mentorship
NYS 76West Clean Energy CompetitionNominated to serve as a Business Mentor for New York's clean energy startup competition
United Way Loaned ExecutiveSelected to represent Chemung County as a Loaned Executive for the United Way
Elmira Entrepreneurs GroupCo-builder of the local entrepreneurs group with Incubator Works — focused on turning business ideas into reality through education and mentorship
Built by a founder. Not a team.
Groundwork. was designed, built, and launched by Jerome Emanuel — alone. Every module, every calculation, every line of code. No engineering team. No outside developers. No venture funding. Just a CLO who understood the problem deeply enough to build the solution himself.
That means when a credit union asks for a feature, Jerome can build it the same day. When a borrower hits a bug, Jerome fixes it. When a lender needs a custom report, Jerome writes it. The person who answers your support email is the same person who built the platform.
Ready to see Groundwork. in action?
Whether you're a CDFI, a BDO, a credit union, or an entrepreneur — we built this for you. Schedule a demo or explore the platform yourself.
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