WESST Blog

WESST is grateful to partner with BMO through their Zero Barriers to Business™ program. Through BMO Zero Barriers to Business™, BMO is committed to helping business owners gain better access to capital, educational resources, and partnerships, which is in perfect alignment with WESST’s focus on supporting historically underserved entrepreneurs start and grow successful businesses. Given the significant barriers and challenges that marginalized populations experience when trying to access capital to start and grow their businesses, it’s crucial for Entrepreneurial Development Organizations/Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) like WESST to partner with traditional lenders like BMO so we can work together to create a more diverse, inclusive business ecosystem.

In 2024, BMO gave WESST a generous $15,000 grant to support our entrepreneurial development services that help individuals improve their financial capability, access small business loans, and create new businesses in New Mexico. In addition to their generous philanthropic support, BMO’s own Letticia Flores-Poole, Senior Regional Manager – Zero Barriers to Business, offered to share her financial experience and expertise on behalf of BMO by volunteering to present four total trainings in both English and Spanish.

Utilizing the BMO curriculum, Letticia has already hosted one set of trainings on 1/7, covering the topic “Banking Basics for Entrepreneurs: Unlocking Financial Success,” which was attended by 29 total participants. We’re looking forward to her next set of trainings coming up on 2/4, “Capital Quest: Funding Options for Your Small Business.” Sign up for the English version from noon-1 here, y en Español y de 6-7 aquí.

BMO also supports underserved communities through Zero Barriers to Business is by sending referrals to partners like WESST. Entrepreneurs seeking small business capital often do not qualify for loans from traditional lenders, at first. By connecting aspiring entrepreneurs to WESST rather than simply stating that they’re not qualified, BMO is helping business owners access financial and small business coaching and resources that can help them eventually grow to a place where they’re qualified to work with traditional lenders. Zero Barriers to Business also features several valuable small business resources, such as business plan templates, tax preparedness checklists, cashflow forecasting tools, and more.

We appreciate Twyla McComb, Assistant Vice President/Branch Manager based in Albuquerque, who has been highly supportive of our new partnership with BMO locally. We look forward to continuing to partner with Letticia, Twyla, and BMO through their amazing Zero Barriers to Business initiative so we can continue impacting the lives of New Mexico’s entrepreneurs together.

We are deeply grateful to Letticia for providing her time and expertise to benefit WESST’s small business clients! Letticia Flores Poole is a Senior, Regional Manager, U.S. Zero Barriers to Business program, where she is responsible for supporting the bank’s strategy to assist Latino and Hispanic business owners with access to capital, educational resources and meaningful networking opportunities across BMO Bank, N.A. U.S. footprint and specifically within its Chicago North and Arizona regions. Letticia possesses 25+ years of banking leadership and management experience homed in the personal and business banking industry. In her prior role, as Regional Manager, Bank at Work, Letticia consistently ranked as one of the top performers and displayed a real passion for supporting small businesses, which led to the work that she does today. Letticia is an ignitor, but she is also part therapist, part advisor, part mentor, and part motivational speaker to her colleagues and clients. Letticia serves as the Illinois Chapter Chair of BMO Latino Alliance employee resource group and regularly volunteers in local community to support organizations such as Supporting Professionals Network Association, Latinas in Childcare, Northside Latinos Progress to name a few. Proud board member for International Minority Bankers Alliance, National Association Women Business Owners Commerce and Teatro Vista. When Letticia is not busting barriers for small businesses, this proud Cubana Latina born and raised in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood loves to spend quality time riding her bike and discovering new bike paths with her husband or running behind her three grandkids’ precious gifts courtesy of her son and bonus daughter.