Great Lakes Credit Union has become the first institutional credit union to invest in Synergies SEED Fund‘s lending model, helping expand access to capital for entrepreneurs with disabilities while creating a new pathway for credit unions to participate in disability-centered lending.

Too often, strong businesses are overlooked because traditional lending systems were not designed to understand the realities of disabled founders. SSF was created to change that through cash-flow-based, benefits-aware underwriting and individualized support that helps entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses.

Through this partnership, GLCU will purchase loans originated by SSF. As that capital returns to the fund, SSF can deploy it again, financing additional entrepreneurs while continuing to manage each loan and support founders directly. The result is a model that increases lending capacity without changing the entrepreneur experience. 

“Synergies SEED Fund is building a powerful ecosystem connecting entrepreneurs, education, capital, and financial institutions,” said Michael Abraham, CEO of GLCU Holdings and a Synergies SEED Fund board member. “This partnership shows how credit unions can help create scalable pathways to capital for entrepreneurs with disabilities. I’m proud that GLCU is taking this important first step, and I hope others will join us.”

As SSF continues to grow, partnerships like this help prove that disability-inclusive lending is not a niche solution. It’s a scalable approach to financing entrepreneurs who have been overlooked for too long. Great Lakes Credit Union is the first institutional credit union to take this step alongside us, and we believe it won’t be the last.