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Path to Profitability
Are you ready to take your business to the next level?
Apply for the Path to Profitability program, exclusively for Pursuit SBA Microloan clients.
During this 9-month implementation program, you'll get the support you need to achieve your business goals with expert consultants, tools, and resources.
Paola Garcia-Villari
Managing Vice President, Business Advisory Services and Business Development Officer
Paola Garcia-Villari oversees and operates Pursuit's Business Advisory Services (BAS) team. She joined Pursuit as an underwriter in 2013, working on the Hurricane Sandy loan and grant programs. During her time with Pursuit, Paola has developed significant relationships with banks and referral partners and has helped thousands of small businesses obtain the capital they need to grow.
Before Pursuit, Paola worked at NYC Business Solutions - Lower Manhattan as a Finance Account Manager and Senior Loan Officer at Accion USA. She is a graduate of Hunter College, where she received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Chemistry and Biology. Paola was born in Colombia and now lives in New York with her husband and their two-year-old son, Lucas.
Malini Krishna
Vice President, Senior Business Advisor
Malini Krishna is a VP/Sr. Consultant on Pursuit’s Business Advisory Team. She's also a social entrepreneur and sits on the FounderPad’s advisory committee, mentoring women and minority lead technology executive teams.
With over 20 years of experience creating systems and resources to scale businesses, Malini’s achievements include: pioneering new investment-banking products at Bloomberg; spearheading public-private partnerships with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund; creating award-winning partnerships with VisionSpring and the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy; guest lecturing at Cornell and New York University (NYU); and being featured in media outlets, such as Bloomberg Markets, Forbes, ABC News, and the NYT.
Malini holds a B.A. in political science from Bryn Mawr College and an M.P.A with a focus on international finance and economic development from NYU.
Leo Zhang
Vice President, Business Advisory Services and Business Development Officer
Leo Zhang works on the Business Advisory Team and assists small business owners in securing financing through community partnerships.
Leo has over 20 years of combined small business experience as a practitioner, advisor, and college lecturer. At a young age, he was first exposed to entrepreneurship, working in the family business, and saw first-hand the struggles and satisfaction it provides. He held key positions in several small businesses throughout his professional career.
Leo holds an MBA from CUNY Baruch College, where he also teaches. During his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, basketball, and traveling.
Carol O'Connell
Vice President, Business Advisory Services and Business Development Officer
Carol joined Pursuit in 2016 after a 20+ year career in commercial banking as an underwriter. She works with small business clients one-on-one to identify capital needs and recommend the right funding sources. Carol also enjoys facilitating Pursuit’s educational trainings including workshops and webinars on various topics. In her spare time, Carol enjoys theater, live music, and travel.
Carol holds a BS from UAlbany, MBA in Finance from St. John’s University, and an Executive MPA from New York University.
Irene Dominguez
Assistant Vice President, Senior Business Advisor
As part of the business advisory team, Irene is responsible for working with a roster of borrowers, understanding their business needs, connecting them with business resources, and developing new ways to engage them in consulting and advisory services.
Prior to joining Pursuit, Irene worked in nonprofit organizations supporting minority small business owners and in government evaluation social service programs. Irene holds an M.A. in Social Sciences from Montclair State University and an M.A. in International Relations, which she obtained in Ecuador, where she’s originally from.
Alex Yu
Business Advisory Associate
Alex Yu is an Associate in Pursuit’s Business Advisory Services team. He joined Pursuit in November 2020 as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Pursuit’s Buffalo office, working on outreach capacity building, improving internal operations, and the Western NY Consulting Corps program, which connects Pursuit clients with vetted professional consultants at no cost.
Since December 2021, he has transitioned to a full-time role based out of Pursuit’s New York City office. However, he is still heavily involved in assisting small business owners with locating resources to improve their businesses and working with them to improve their long-term operations. Alex graduated from New York University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in Economics and Politics. He lives on Long Island and enjoys trivia nights, cooking, and traveling in his free time.
Taylor Manis-Derks
Business Advisory Associate
As a new Business Advisory Services Team member, Taylor is eager to contribute to helping small businesses reach their full potential. As part of the business advisory team, Taylor is responsible for connecting with clients, understanding their business needs, and connecting them to helpful resources. Growing up, Taylor's mom owned a small café, seeing firsthand the obstacles small businesses face to achieve their goals. Having a personal connection to small businesses has motivated Taylor to dive deeper into educating herself on what she can do to help them thrive.
Taylor is a Native Texan who has a background in Health care. She enjoys spending time with her Husband, Logan, and their two dogs, Arya and Harvey. In her free time, you can find her painting, listening to records, and enjoying everything NYC offers.
Katie Sovie
Business Advisory Associate
Katie began working with Pursuit as a college student in 2019 through the rotational internship program. After being introduced to and inspired by the Pursuit mission, she accepted a full-time position as a Loan Representative after graduation. Now as a member of the Business Advisory Services team, she enjoys working within a group that is dedicated to helping clients grow and achieve their goals.
Katie graduated from Siena College located in Albany, NY, in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in management and entrepreneurship. Originally from Ogdensburg, NY, she enjoys exploring the Adirondack Mountains through camping and hiking. She loves spending time with her family, friends, and animals, Jack and Oliver!
Here's what we'll cover:
- Month 1: Identify your strengths and weakness to uncover what you'll need to improve your business performance
- Month 2: Set your goals and get matched with consultants and experts who will show you how to achieve those goals
- Month 3: Get matched with your peer network to support your progress.
- Month 4-6: Advance your goals and gain foundational skills in critical areas of your operations
- Month 7-9: Set your plan to extend your profitability well into the future
Meet your team of experts
Application deadline Friday, May 10
Interviews start May 12-15
Program begins Second week of July
