Ryan A. Aguilar

Work Highlights

Spearheaded a four-year business development program for incoming vendors outlining business planning, credit management, income statement forecasting, and strategies for navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Devised four comprehensive reports detailing predatory lending and systemic inequality in Buffalo to educate local entrepreneurs.

Conducted interviews with Community Development Financial Institutions, predatory lending organizations, and a former Congressman to carry out a thorough analysis of the landscape of predatory lending as it applies to historically disadvantaged small business owners.

Summer Takeaway

There are numerous opportunity barriers faced by small business owners in today's world, whether it be predatory lenders or the ramifications of the current economic crisis; however, there are benevolent organizations (such as Community Development Financial Institutions) that legitimately care about and can provide quality services to those in need.

Supervisor Quote

Ryan has met all of the interviewing and research he has been doing with such great enthusiasm and excitement. It has been wonderful checking-in with him regularly and hearing the passion he has for the work he is doing with us. He has contributed a lasting resource that our team at WEDI can use when working with microenterprise business owners.

–Bob Doyle and Yanush Sanmugaraja