(Hales Corners, WI) — First American Capital Corporation, Inc. (FACC), a champion for the growth of Native-owned businesses, is excited to welcome Kara Gunderson to the team as a Business Education and Technical Assistance Associate.
With over 25 years of experience as a business owner and developer, Kara brings an impressive track record of helping entrepreneurs succeed while building meaningful relationships with clients. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Transportation Logistics from UW-Superior and is a certified Profit Mastery Facilitator.
In her role, Kara will focus on empowering Wisconsin-based Native-owned and other diverse and underserved entrepreneurs. She will work one-on-one with business owners to help them define their goals, develop the skills to achieve them, and access the resources needed to create and grow thriving businesses. Additionally, Kara will provide business training across the state, assist individuals with loan readiness, and represent FACC at conferences.
Reflecting on her time at FACC, Kara shared: “What I love about FACC is how we listen to our clients to learn about what is important to them for the training sessions we provide. I have been actively working to create relevant topic sessions and training environments tailored to their needs. This can include having a more relaxed and accessible environment to finding childcare.” She added that she has already had the pleasure of seeing multiple entrepreneurs grow and meet their goals through their work with her, which she finds incredibly rewarding.”
“Kara has been a tremendous addition to the FACC team,” said Gary Mejchar, Co-Executive Director of FACC. “Her expertise in business education and technical assistance, combined with her deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by rural and underserved entrepreneurs, has already made a significant impact. By being based in Superior, Kara provides invaluable direct access to our resources for business owners in northern Wisconsin. Her leadership in programs like Profit Mastery and loan-readiness training is helping entrepreneurs not only set goals but also learn new skills and build business acumen applied in day-to-day business management.”
Outside of her professional work, Kara enjoys exploring Northern Wisconsin with her family, hiking, kayaking, agate picking, and photographing the natural beauty of the region.
First American Capital Corporation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created by the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin (AICCW) in 2002. FACC provides lending and technical assistance to Native, Tribal and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise businesses and entrepreneurs. FACC was the first in Wisconsin to achieve the Native Community Development Financial Institution certification and is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Microloan Program designated Intermediary Lender and a Community Advantage Small Business Lending Company (CA SBLC) licensed by the SBA to issue 7(a) loans. Governor Evers’ Diverse Business Investment Program is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration, using American Rescue Plan Act funds from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. For more information about FACC, visit faccwi.org.
