WESST Client Profiles

After being denied a business loan at her local credit union, Katelyn Cardenas was referred to WESST in January 2025. Katelyn was in the early stages of her business, Virtue Ventures, LLC, a private car rental service based in Farmington. While she was able to satisfy the essential requirements for a small business loan, she lacked the two years’ worth of financial statements or projections needed to substantiate her loan.

Nevertheless, she continued to push forward.

Katelyn acknowledged she needed a greater depth of small business development knowledge and skills than she anticipated. WESST helped Katelyn develop a comprehensive business plan and organize and reassess her financials. Through their consultations and advice, she realized she needed legal counsel. Katelyn’s hard work and dedication paid off, and she secured a loan through WESST to scale her business and build equity.

“Any other advisor would have closed their door on me,” says Katelyn. “My business is intricate and can be overwhelming, but Dawn, Angelica, and Humberto have been amazing.” She refers to the staff at WESST as her “dream team”, crediting them for their coaching and mentorship.