Strengthening Communities Through Entrepreneurship
MÁS Fund leverages philanthropic capital to invest in underrepresented entrepreneurs — driving economic independence and building stronger communities across Los Angeles.
ABOUT US
Who We Are
MÁS Fund is a philanthropic investment vehicle supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs in Los Angeles. By expanding access to capital, we help build businesses, create jobs, and foster lasting community wealth.
Rooted in a decade of impact from The SAM Initiative, MÁS marks the next chapter — moving from traditional grantmaking to direct investment in the entrepreneurial spirit that fuels our communities. As traditional nonprofit funding declines and barriers to capital grow, MÁS is here to meet the moment.
Our Mission
To deploy capital strategically to support historically underserved entrepreneurs, create sustainable economic opportunities, and foster a thriving, inclusive Los Angeles.
2025 INVESTMENTS
Larta Institute
INVESTMENT OF $50,000
MÁS awarded a $50,000 term loan to Larta Institute to support its Community Labs programs—Heal.LA Bioscience & Healthcare Accelerator and Venture Fellows—which empower underrepresented founders developing innovative solutions to improve health, climate resilience, and economic opportunity in Los Angeles. Building on three decades of experience helping more than 6,500 ventures raise over $7 billion, Larta provides hands-on mentorship, strategic partnerships, and access to capital to scale community-driven impact.
Pacific Community Ventures (PCV)
INVESTMENT OF $75,000
MÁS awarded a $75,000 term loan to Pacific Community Ventures to help launch and scale the Restore LA Fund, a targeted initiative supporting small businesses across Los Angeles County impacted by wildfires and other disruptions. The fund provides flexible, low-interest recovery loans paired with free one-on-one business advising and pro bono legal support to help entrepreneurs rebuild, stabilize operations, and improve job quality. As the first CDFI to offer a Good Jobs Rebate, PCV rewards small business owners who create higher-quality, more resilient employment opportunities for underserved workers and communities.
Grid110
INVESTMENT OF $25,000
MÁS awarded a $25,000 term loan to Grid110 to pilot a Micro Loan Partnership providing early-stage capital to underrepresented entrepreneurs participating in its Capital Readiness and Community Business Accelerator programs. The initiative offers flexible $2,000–$4,000 microloans—administered through a trusted CDFI partner—to help founders build credit, validate ideas, and access future funding opportunities. By pairing capital access with education, mentorship, and community accountability, Grid110 and MÁS are working together to create more equitable pathways for diverse founders to launch and grow sustainable businesses in Los Angeles.
2024 INVESTMENTS
RxLA
INVESTMENT OF $75,000
MÁS awarded a $75,000 term loan to RxLA, an innovative, for-profit affordable housing development company in Los Angeles. This organization capitalizes on public-private partnerships, integrates services into its housing model, and is supported by strong local stakeholders.
New Earth
INVESTMENT OF $50,000
MÁS awarded a term loan to New Earth to support their New Earth Digital program expansion and operations. New Earth Digital is an active marketing agency, offering job training, certification, and a paid fellowship in vocational skills such as merchandise design, social media marketing, video production, and more — leading to greater economic mobility for justice-involved and system-impacted youth.
TMC Community Capital
INVESTMENT OF $50,000
While MÁS was positioned to support the launch of a new microloan product at TMC, term loan capital was instead deployed to TMC’s Small Business Strong – LA Wildfire Relief Fund. This fund offers immediate relief in the form of $5,000 microloans to entrepreneurs whose livelihoods have been impacted by the fires, ensuring no one is left behind on the path to recovery.
OUR TEAM
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Mindy Freedman
Founder of MÁS and The SAM Initiative, leading with a decade of experience in philanthropy and social-impact investing.
Mindy Freedman is the Founder and Managing Partner of the MÁS Fund, a Los Angeles–based impact fund that provides low-interest loans and catalytic capital to historically underserved entrepreneurs. Rooted in the belief that meaningful change happens when communities have access to opportunity, MÁS builds on the success of The SAM Initiative, the giving circle Mindy founded more than a decade ago to unite philanthropic women in pooling their resources to fund and strengthen nonprofit organizations driving social change across Los Angeles. Through MÁS, Mindy is helping to shift philanthropy from charity to empowerment—mobilizing capital that fuels small businesses, creates jobs, and strengthens local ecosystems. Recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as a Leader of Influence in Philanthropy and Nonprofits, Mindy also serves as a Trustee of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles and a Board Member of Piece by Piece, a social enterprise supporting individuals transitioning out of homelessness. She earned her B.A. in International Affairs and Spanish from the University of Colorado and an M.P.A. in International Development and Spanish from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
Core Leadership
Investing in underrepresented entrepreneurs to build businesses, create jobs, and strengthen communities.
At MÁS, our Core Leadership works collectively to source, evaluate, and support investments. Guided by experience in philanthropy, finance, and entrepreneurship, we believe intentional capital can transform lives and strengthen communities.
Hannah Crosby
Co-Founder and investment strategist, blending corporate finance expertise with a passion for impact.
Hannah Crosby brings a deep commitment to community-driven finance and impact investing to her role as Director of Investment at the MÁS Fund. She helps guide the fund’s investment strategy, supporting local entrepreneurship and expanding equitable access to capital. Outside of MÁS, Hannah works in operational finance and strategy at Delta Air Lines. Her career spans roles across finance, public service, and storytelling — including positions with the Yale School of Public Health and a nonprofit healthcare system in Southern Louisiana. Hannah began her career in journalism, driven by a belief in empowering communities through access to information and resources. Originally from New Orleans, she now lives in Atlanta and holds an MBA from Emory University and a BA in Journalism and International Studies from the University of Miami.
Marsha Olson
Pipeline manager with deep experience funding and mentoring entrepreneurs through FOUND/LA.
Marsha began her career at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where she helped manage a portfolio of grants focused on changing the way the world talks about Global Health and Development issues. She has implemented giving programs in the start-up space during her time at Thrive Market, and she helped build out a division of business focused solely on social impact for Wolf Kasteler Public Relations. It was there she developed strategic campaigns and initiatives for Lorene Powell Jobs’ XQ Institute, Entertainment Industry Foundation, The Hawn Foundation, Movember, and many others. She has advised high-profile individuals like Jennifer Hudson and Goldie Hawn on their philanthropic engagements. Marsha joined Wurwand Foundation as Director of Community Partnerships and Programs in June of 2018. Since then she has helped the foundation reach more than 25,000 local entrepreneurs with access to funding, education and community through their signature initiative, FOUND/LA.
Libby Jacobson
Partnerships and strategy leader, building networks that expand MÁS’s reach across Los Angeles.
Libby Jacobson is a business development and strategy consultant for impact enterprises in the greater Los Angeles area. Libby's background includes thirteen years Wall Street experience in institutional equity research and sales. While raising her four children, she spent many years volunteering. It was then that she realized the need to create sustainable solutions for issues affecting her local and global communities. Addressing homelessness has been her passion and priority. Libby is a Chartered Financial Analyst and earned an M.B.A. from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas in Austin and an M.S. in Social Entrepreneurship from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. She served as Chairman for Advisory Board for the Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab at USC and is Chair Emeritus of the Executive Board for Swipe Out Hunger, the leading national non-profit addressing food insecurity on college campuses. She serves on the Board of Directors at Downtown Women’s Center where she chairs the Social Enterprise committee. She is also on the inaugural board of the Trojan Sustainability Network.and serves on the Investment Committee for MÁS Impact Fund. She has been involved with outreach to homeless young adults at Safe Place for Youth where she has advised on the build out of their social enterprise. She lectures on Exploring Earned Revenues for the Non-profit Sector and Human Centered Design for organizations such as New Jersey City University Graduate Business School
David Kyle
Senior advisor bringing global experience funding startups and early-stage social enterprises.
A serial entrepreneur and business leader with 37 years of international experience building and managing start-ups and new ventures in the US and Emerging Markets. Motivates people to work together on complex projects to achieve breakthrough goals. Strong project management, talent development, and financial services background. Extensive mentoring experience with new business leaders and start-ups. Fluent in Portuguese. • 37 years of international experience, including 21 living and working abroad in 6 countries, in country management and business start-up roles • 16 years in social enterprise in a variety of investing, entrepreneurial start-up, CEO mentoring roles primarily in the US, East Africa and India • In 2013 started Impact Business Leaders aimed at building social enterprise management teams around the world with experienced business professionals wanting to change careers. Transitioned 112 experienced managers to new career paths in social enterprise. • Moved to India in 2007 to launch the for-profit start-up Indian School Finance Company providing 3 year loans to low income private schools, which by year-end 2016 had financed new infrastructure for over 1,000 schools across India in 9 states, 26 locations covering approx. 40 districts • In 1996 headed up first ever global intranet project, which became Citibank’s primary sales and marketing system for corporate and institutional sales teams • During 5 years as CEO, led turnaround of Citibank Portugal to a full service local banking operation, in a fast moving de-regulating environment in the early 1990s Specialties: Building teams and developing talent
Investment Committee
The MÁS Investment Committee combines the expertise of our Core Leadership with trusted advisors across finance, entrepreneurship, and social impact, providing strategic oversight and decision-making to ensure every investment drives meaningful results.
Invest in MÁS.
Invest in Community.
MÁS Fund invites you to be part of a growing movement to redefine philanthropy and entrepreneurship for a more equitable future.
All contributions are tax-deductible.
For more information, contact:
Hannah Crosby