Commitment That Builds: Supporting Entrepreneurs for the Greater Good

Commitment is more than a promise—it’s a mutual partnership. It’s also a core value at the Entrepreneur Fund. When we commit to an entrepreneur, we’re not just offering resources—we’re offering a relationship rooted in trust, long-term support, and shared responsibility. Our goal is to partner with business owners as they grow, with a focus not just on individual success, but on the broader impact for our communities and our region.

For over 35 years, we’ve deepened that commitment across our region —now covering 29 counties and 12 Native nations across Minnesota and Wisconsin — helping local entrepreneurs see their potential and turn their bold ideas into successful businesses. One example is Hudson Square Coffee Company in Ashland, WI— a community coffee shop that began as a teenager’s idea during the COVID-19 pandemic. With encouragement from family, support from EFund, and help from local partners, that idea is now a cornerstone of the community with three locations.

“The most rewarding thing is just watching it grow. Watching where we started from. We’ve gotten so much support. I think that’s been the most rewarding,” said April Jolma, owner of Hudson Square Coffee Company.

This is what mutual commitment looks like to our team:

We grow together. Success is not a solo journey—it’s shared between entrepreneur and advisor, lender and community. We partner for the long haul, because success doesn’t happen overnight.

April’s local bank, Northern State Bank, connected her with EFund. Together, along with the Ashland Area Development Corporation, they helped secure the funding needed to finish the renovations and purchase essential equipment.

"We were able to open our doors a lot sooner, which meant taking the stress off of our family, off of the business, just to get the income coming in. It was huge,” April said.

We serve the greater good. Every loan and advising session is rooted in building a stronger, more resilient regional economy. Our work is driven by the good it creates in families, neighborhoods, and local communities.

After their first loan helped finish building renovations, and while considering additional lending opportunities for a larger project, April completed the Profit Mastery course facilitated by EFund. Following the workshop, she revisited their finances and realized they could complete the project without taking on another loan.

“Without April taking that class, I think they would have taken on more debt than they needed, without understanding the big picture,” said Tom Clark, April’s primary advisor and EFund business loan officer. "I was so happy because she educated herself as an entrepreneur, as a business owner, to say, ‘I'm looking at life differently now based on what you did,’ and that made me happier than anything.”

When entrepreneurship is paired with the right support, it does more than build a business. It transforms communities. We’re proud to stand with business owners like April and her team at Hudson Square Coffee Company, because when we believe in each other, we all rise.

“I enjoy walking into a place that I’m working with and seeing them be successful. Their success is everything,” said Clark. “I mean, truly, without an entrepreneur in a small town, it doesn't go.”