Learn More | Groundswell Capital

About

Equity. Sustainability. Innovation.

We believe that Arizona has untapped potential to be a national leader in smart economic growth. Smart growth ensures that all communities have equitable access to opportunity.

Smart growth does not put short-term gains ahead of long-term sustainability.

Smart growth spurs new ideas, attracts visionary talent, and fosters innovative solutions to our community's biggest challenges. Groundswell Capital was created to drive capital deployment into the sectors and communities at the forefront of smart growth in Arizona.

Our Vision & Mission

Groundswell Capital envisions a future where communities flourish as beacons of equity, sustainability, and innovation. We strive to become a catalyst for transformative change, nurturing a world where communities thrive without barriers, sustainable practices are the norm, and innovation fuels prosperity. Our vision is to create lasting impact, fostering a society where economic growth harmonizes with social and environmental well-being. We commit to being at the forefront of pioneering financial solutions, building resilient and prosperous communities that stand as models for generations to come.

Groundswell Capital's mission is to empower communities through innovative financial solutions that advance equity, sustainability, and innovation. We remove barriers for underrepresented communities, promote sustainability, and drive investments in workforce development and technology. As an Arizona-based nonprofit, we provide patient capital, leveraging innovation to catalyze positive change and build thriving communities.

Team

Meet the Team

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

President and CEO

Dre Thompson

Dre is an award-winning nonprofit leader and CEO for the Tucson Development Authority. As a passionate social entrepreneur, Dre

specializes in data and empathy driven design.

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Executive Vice President

Nic Dahl

Nic is an experienced executive who builds brands and cultures that help elevate human potential through creativity, human-centric-design, and unwavering excellence.

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Grant & Evaluation Director

Adam Andani

Adam has over a decade of experience in evaluating data-driven social and economic programs with an eye for equity and collaboration.

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Portfolio Manager

Wendy McBroom

Wendy is passionate about helping small businesses understand and feel empowered by their finances. She has degrees in Personal Finance, Entrepreneurship and is currently finishing her Master's degree in Financial Therapy.

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Financial Empowerment Advisor

Liliana Lopez

Liliana has spent her career elevating the stories of the Latino community as the Editor and Chief of a leading Hispanic newspaper. She is now supporting small businesses through relationship-based lending.

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Business Education Strategist

Armando Ojeda

Armando has over 20 years of experience as an executive mentor dedicated to teaching other entrepreneurs, particularly in the Latino community, how to grow and sustain their business.

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Climate & Community Advisor

Demetry Simonton

Demetry is an active community advocate for rural Arizona. His background is in entrepreneurship, community development, and municipal finance.

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Community Dev. Champion

Nicole Johnson

As a Community Development Champion, Nicole is an advocate for small businesses. She works closely with our small businesses to build impactful growth roadmaps and leads our Executive Coaching programming.

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Controller

Sara Lippitt

Sara Lippitt has over a decade of nonprofit accounting and financial management. She has a specialization in government accounting and grants managment.

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Marketing Coordinator

Rebecca Meyer

A recent Eller Business School graduate with a Master's Degree in Marketing, Rebecca supports our marketing and communications. She specializes in bilingual marketing, ensuring outreach to our English and Spanish-speaking communities.

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Operations Coordinator

Angelique Aubrahm

A powerful project manager and the driving force behind keeping our operations on target and on track, Angelique is also always ready to give a warm welcome to all community members and small businesses as they join us in our space.

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Additional Contributors

In addition to our staff, we work with organizational partners
who are vital to our success.

City of Tucson Small Business Navigators

Francisca Villegas

Narda Flores

Gisselle Coronado

Our Partners

Board of Directors

Dave DiCosola

UA Venture Capital

Dave's executive expertise spans three venture-backed technology startups that raised more than $700 million collectively and have scaled from $0 to more than $100M in annual revenues. He excels at strategic planning, fundraising, and capital allocation. He is dedicated to community service as mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs and builders.

Nicole Horseherder

Tó Nizhóní Áni

Nicole is an energy justice leader working to protect the water, air and landscapes of the Navajo Nation. Her nonprofit Tó Nizhóní Ání strives to bring power back to Indigenous communities suffering the environmental effects of decades of coal extraction and industry waste; and position the region to transition to and produce renewable energy.

Mark Mansfield

Tucson Electric Power (retired)

Mark Mansfield served as at Tucson Electric Power Company till 2021, where he oversaw safety, environmental compliance, operations, maintenance, budgets, and engineering for the entire power generation fleet. He successfully managed the construction of the Oso Grande 250-megawatt wind farm in Roswell, New Mexico.

Anne Dougherty

ILLUME Advising

Anne Dougherty is the Co-Founder and Co-Owner of ILLUME, a prominent clean energy research consultancy. She brings human-focused research techniques to solutions development. Her expertise in the energy industry focuses on the human dimensions of technology, program, and service development.

Amber Cordoba

Prestamos (Chicanos Por La Causa)

Amber has over 20 years of service to Arizona's small businesses. She launched a Women's Business Center and a Minority Business Development Agency. She currently oversees eight direct service programs across five states, 30 employees, and manages a budget of $3,200,000 serving over 3,000 unique individuals annually.

Rob Tull

Elements Wellness Group

Rob spent 20 years in the investment management industry, as a global compliance and risk management executive. He has also served as a director for a national non-profit, as an officer of a public investment fund, and an executive coach. Rob left the investment industry at the end of 2022 to create Elements Wellness Group.

Miguel Cruz

Tucson Federal Credit Union

Miguel is a key figure at Tucson Federal Credit Union, leading branding, marketing, and community engagement. He's known for merging culturally competent business and community strategies and is a sought-after speaker. Miguel is involved in community service through various boards in Tucson and Phoenix, including the Women's Foundation of the State of Arizona and Old Pueblo Community Services.

Mekha Pereira

Montgomery & Associates

Mekha is a hydrologist has focused on integrating scientific understanding of water systems with water policy work. She helps clients from a variety of water use sectors characterize their water resources, assess the reliability of their supplies, and navigate the policy and regulatory landscape of water management in Arizona.

Pete Prebus

Electric Bike Expo

Pete Prebus has a rich depth of knowledge of clean transportation through his work and advocacy and leadership in market transformation for the electric bike industry in the United States. He founded ElectricBikeReport.com in 2010 and contributed to the rise of the electric bike market by providing news,
in-depth reviews, consumer guides, and rider stories.

Angelo Torrealba

Apfel & Associates,

Angelo Torrealba is an MBA-trained law practice manager and a human rights advocate. Torrealba is a Venezuelan licensed attorney and a human rights advocate. Torrealba has vast experience in business management related to non-profit organizations and international private law firms. He studied for a Master in Business Administration in Melbourne, Australia

Loan Committee

Our Loan Committee

Interested in Joining? Reach out!

Our program includes two loan committees that assist in making loan decisions.

We intentionally recruit loan committee members with a diversity of backgrounds including finance, legal, organizational development/hr, marketing, technology, small business coaches, and small business owners. 50% of our loan committee members are bilingual and 53% are BIPOC individuals. 60% are women. 60% are entrepreneurs themselves.

Loan Committee members review applications, make recommendations for advancement, join Round Tables to meet small businesses directly, then include suggestions for technical assistance and support for the business. Loan Committee Members are all trained in our underwriting criteria and are well aligned with the mission of the organization.

Peter Anadranistakis

Co-CEO and Co-Founder at Fifty Mission Capital

Alexandra Ibrahim

Business Banking Area Manager at JPMorgan Chase & Co

Armando Carrillo

Bilingual Business Banker at OneAZ Credit Union

Stephanie Victoria

Bilingual Community Resource Navigator for Chicanos Por La Causa

Jessica Barfield

Director of Tucson Business Development, Local First AZ

Corrinna Molnar

Bilingual Public Defender