Forward to 40: Looking Back at the Work and What Comes Next
Orlando, FL, October 6, 2026. Nearly 40 years ago, BBIF was created in response to a problem that many business owners already understood: access to capital was not reaching everyone who needed it.
Since then, the businesses we serve and the financing they need have changed. Owners are purchasing property, acquiring companies, preparing for succession, and adapting to new technology in ways that looked very different from when we first opened our doors.
What has stayed consistent is the need for capital, preparation, and strong relationships. Over time, we have learned how much it matters to have people who stay involved, share what they know, and help connect businesses to the right opportunities.
That was at the center of this year’s Annual Planning Session, Forward to 40.
With our 40th anniversary approaching in 2027, we brought together key stakeholders to reflect on how our work has grown and discuss what business ownership may require next.
We held the session at 4Roots Farm Campus in Orlando, where we supported the development through a $6.75 million New Markets Tax Credit allocation toward the $17.5 million project.
Learn more about this project here.
For many attendees, the setting gave the conversation another layer of meaning. Being at 4Roots gave our community a glimpse into the impactful work happening in their back yard.
Looking back at how the work began
BBIF’s history goes back to legislation passed by the State of Florida in 1985, followed by our doors opening two years later. What began as a much smaller lending model has grown over nearly four decades to include direct business lending, commercial real estate financing, business acquisitions, business coaching, and larger community development projects through New Markets Tax Credits.
That growth did not happen all at once. It was shaped over time by the needs business owners brought to us, the relationships built around the work, and the partners who helped expand what was possible.
During Standing on Strong Shoulders, Judy Jones, our first CEO; Marilyn Drayton, our Board Vice Chair and longtime supporter; and Derrick Wallace, Chairman of Construct Two Group and a former BBIF client, reflected on different points in that history.
Their perspectives helped connect the organization we are today with the work, relationships, and decisions that helped build it.
Where that work has taken us
Nearly 40 years of work has given us a broader view of what business impact can look like. What began with a small lending focus has grown into a more expansive approach to helping businesses and community projects move forward, and FY2025 offered a strong snapshot of that impact.
Watch the video below for a closer look at our FY2025 impact and the work behind those results.
Impact at a Glance
$118.3 M
Capital Deployed
1,217
Business Loans Deployed
15,695
Jobs Created/Retained
$323 M
in Awarded NMTC Allocations
*Interim Impact as of 6/30/26
The stories shared during the session helped put that progress into context. Dr. Nicole Hollis of Bridge to Independence came to us as her school needed more room to grow. Laurie Walwyn of L&L Cares and Tamica Jackson of Endeavors Academy came to us through business acquisition, stepping into existing organizations and continuing the work already underway.
Those paths looked different, and that reflects how much the needs of business owners have changed over time. Today, owners may come to us because they are expanding, purchasing property, acquiring an existing business, or preparing for their next stage of growth. Our role has grown with those needs, building on the experience we have developed over the last several decades.
That range of work is part of the impact we are carrying into our 40th year.
Forward to 40
As we move toward our 40th anniversary, the focus is on building from the experience and relationships that have shaped the last four decades.
That means continuing to strengthen the areas where we already have experience while staying responsive to how the needs of business owners and communities are changing. Business acquisition, succession, technology, flexible capital, and larger community development projects are all part of that work, alongside the lending and business support that remain central to what we do.
The work ahead is about using what we have learned to stay useful, stay connected, and keep creating more ways for businesses and community projects to move forward.
Are you interested in learning more about how your support can help businesses move forward? Schedule a conversation with our team here.
BBIF is an equal opportunity provider.
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