October 3, 2018
The kick-off Keynote Conversation at the inaugural Croatan Forum brought together for the first time leaders of two important community development financial institutions (CDFIs), James Sills, CEO of M&F Bank, a leading minority-owned bank and a cornerstone of Durham’s historic Black Wall Street, and Laura Benedict, President of Self-Help Ventures Fund, a leading community development loan fund within the Self-Help family of CDFIs, also headquartered in downtown Durham. This intimate conversation on the future of community finance was facilitated by Croatan Institute president and senior fellow Josh Humphreys.