Founders First Capital Partners Inc

04/23/2026 | Press release | Archived content

Founders First CEO Kim Folsom Appointed to Federal Reserve C...

Founders First CEO Kim Folsom Appointed to Federal Reserve Council, Named to Inc. Female Founders 500

Founders First Capital Partners celebrates a wave of national honors for CEO Kim Folsom (including a Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco advisory appointment, the Inc. 2026 Female Founders 500, and an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year judgeship) as the firm marks its 10-year anniversary and 5,000 businesses served.

Press Release
Founders First Capital Partners

Founders First Celebrates National Recognition, Federal Reserve Appointment, and Expanding Leadership of CEO Kim Folsom

Milestones mark 10-year anniversary and Folsom's 30-year commitment to entrepreneurship and economic mobility

San Diego, CA · April 23, 2026

Founders First Capital Partners, a leading provider of revenue-based financing and advisory support for growth-oriented small businesses, today announced a series of national recognitions and leadership appointments earned by its Founder, Chairperson, and CEO, Kim Folsom.

These milestones come as Founders First marks its 10-year anniversary and celebrates Folsom's 30-year commitment to entrepreneurship, underscoring the organization's mission to expand access to capital and accelerate economic mobility for underinvested small business owners.

Since its founding in 2015, Founders First has served more than 5,000 small businesses nationwide, completed over 60 investments, and mobilized more than $200 million in capital. The firm continues to scale its impact through its third private debt fund, Change Catalyst Fund II, and its regions of excellence Capital Activation Experience platform.

5,000+
Businesses Served
60+
Investments Completed
$200M+
Capital Mobilized
10 Yrs
Anniversary
Recent Recognitions & Leadership Appointments

Appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Community Advisory Council, contributing insights on small business growth and economic mobility

Featured on Inc. 2026 Female Founders 500 List, recognizing the nation's most dynamic women entrepreneurs; continues as a contributing columnist for Inc. Magazine

Selected as a Judge for the 2026 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year - Pacific Southwest Region

Invited speaker at the 2026 National Community Investment Conference (March 23-26, Phoenix)

Keynote speaker for the launch of City University of Seattle's Leadership Speaker Series and Innovation Hub Initiative (April 8, Seattle)

Leading the expansion and launch of the 2026 Capital Activation Experience (CAE) series - first stop in Chicago on June 9

Announced as Co-Host of the upcoming podcast "Women Who Fund America", launching November 2026, highlighting women leading as fund managers and capital allocators

A Decade of Impact, A Future of Scale

Under Folsom's leadership, Founders First has pioneered a model that combines non-dilutive capital with advisory support, enabling service-based small businesses generating $500K-$10M in revenue to scale into mid-market companies.

"At Founders First, we believe that access to capital should not be determined by geography, background, or network. These recognitions reflect the growing momentum behind a more inclusive approach to investing-one that supports entrepreneurs in building sustainable businesses, creating jobs, and generating wealth within their communities."

Kim Folsom - Founder, Chairperson & CEO, Founders First Capital Partners

Industry Recognition & Leadership Perspective

"Kim brings both lived experience and technical expertise to the entrepreneurs she serves. As a former Entrepreneur Of The Year finalist, she offers invaluable insight and guidance to founders navigating growth."

Maranda B. - Program Director, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Programs

"Kim is a powerful advocate for expanding access to entrepreneurship. Her leadership aligns closely with our mission to make starting and growing a business more accessible to all."

Victor Hwang - Founder & CEO, Right to Start

"Kim translates her experience as both an entrepreneur and investor into actionable insights for founders. Her perspectives help demystify capital-how to deploy it effectively and how to navigate the realities of working with capital partners."

Graham Winfrey - Deputy Digital Editor, Inc. Magazine

"Through our collaboration on the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship, Kim has been instrumental in advancing innovative approaches to deploying capital, including through State Small Business Credit Initiative."

Rachel Reilly - Senior Director, Finance, Milken Institute

"Founders First has helped expand funding pathways for underinvested businesses through capital activation and supplier matchmaking programs."

Steve Hall - Vice President, Small Business Lending, LISC

"We are delighted to welcome Kim to launch our Leadership Speaker Series. Her work advancing innovation and expanding access to opportunity for small business owners reflects the kind of leadership we aim to cultivate through our Innovation Hub."

Suzanne Elise Walsh - President, City University of Seattle

"As a fellow entrepreneur, I've seen how Kim translates her experience into impact-expanding opportunity for under-resourced small business owners to grow, scale, and build economic mobility."

Jim Sinegal - Co-Founder & Former CEO, Costco

About Founders First Capital Partners

Founders First Capital Partners is a national, mission-driven investment platform providing non-dilutive growth capital and advisory support to service-based small businesses generating $500K to $10M in annual revenue. Through its $50 million Change Catalyst Fund II, the firm delivers structured private credit to growth-stage companies, alongside its regional Capital Activation Experiences that connect founders directly with capital providers and ecosystem partners. Founders First's mission is to drive economic mobility, expanding access to growth capital for entrepreneurs to advance quality jobs and wealth creation in underinvested communities nationwide. View latest market impact report to learn more.

© 2026 Founders First Capital Partners · All Rights Reserved

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Founders First Capital Partners Inc published this content on April 23, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 26, 2026 at 05:44 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]