AEO 116th Congress Welcome Letter
January 9, 2019

Chairwoman Maxine Waters
Financial Services Committee
2129 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515

Ranking Member Patrick McHenry
Financial Services Committee
4340 Thomas O’Neill, JR. FOB
Washington, DC 20024

Dear Chairwoman and Ranking Member:

The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) looks forward to working with each of you in the 116th Congress. The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) is the leading voice of innovation in microfinance and microbusiness in the United States. Our mission is to create economic opportunity for underserved entrepreneurs by supporting the development of strong and effective initiatives to assist them in starting, stabilizing and expanding businesses. AEO would like for every individual in the U.S. to have access to resources and services for creating wealth, assets and healthy communities through business ownership.
With this mission, we believe we can play an important role with your Committee to ensure the broader financial inclusion agenda incorporates entrepreneurship as a critical driver of closing the wealth gap in underserved communities. AEO, its leaders and 1700 members stand ready to work with the committee members on a number of important issues including and beyond capital access such as:

• Inclusive Entrepreneurship
• Digital Readiness and Technology Innovation
• Payment Systems
• Broadband

AEO is also a financial services innovator developing the myWay to Credit solution, a primary example of how financial technology can help to better serve underserved communities. With our clear understanding of the underserved financial market, we would appreciate the opportunity to work with you to develop the elements of a legislative package that encompasses the Community Development Financial Institutions community and strengthens the structure of the microbusiness field. Together, we can increase the number of business owners with the resources to realize and grow to their potential.

Sincerely,
Connie Evans President & CEO
Association for Enterprise Opportunity