Who We Are - PSE

Founded in 1993, Partners for Self-Employment, Inc., previously referred to as Micro-Business, USA is a Miami-based, private non-profit 501 C 3 tax-exempt Florida Corporation, whose mission is to support the accumulation of assets and the financial self-sufficiency of low-income families by providing opportunities to make, borrow, save, and manage money.

We are led by a volunteer 8-member board, chaired by Ellen Kempler-Rosen, one of the agency's founders. The board has recently adopted the John Carver's Policy "GovernanceSM" model, which assures results for the community.

A staff of eight administer the program and delivers our much-needed services to the community. Our organization is certified by the United States Treasury Department as a Community Development Financial Institution and is a designated Microloan Intermediary for the Small Business Administration, as well as an Individual Development Account program by the U.S. Office of Community Service.

We are proud to be supported by the following organizations and community partners:

•  Miami-Dade Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED)
•  City of Miami
•  Department of Health & Human Services
•  U.S. Small Business Administration
•  U.S. Treasury Department
•  Citigroup Foundation
•  John S. And James L. Knight Foundation
•  Bank Atlantic Foundation
•  Levi Strauss Foundation
•  Subway Restaurants
•  Human Services Coalition
•  NFTE South Florida
•  Habitat For Humanity Of Greater Miami
•  Miami-Dade Neighborhood Housing Services
•  World Relief of Greater Miami
•  Legal Services of Greater Miami
•  Miami-Dade County Community Action Agency
•  YWCA of Greater Miami
•  Miami-Dade Enterprise Community Center
•  Carrie P. Meek Center For Business of Homestead Florida
•  South Florida Urban Ministries
•  Association for Enterprise Opportunity
  

What We Do

For the last 14 years, Partners for Self-Employment, Inc. (PSE) has served as a staunch supporter, advisor and friend to the residents of the Miami-Dade County, specifically those who are in low-income communities and are trying to improve themselves and their environment. PSE strives to help increase the strength of micro-business success by providing financial counseling, access to credit, business training and peer support to small businesses.

PSE does not only focus on the business aspect of a community, but also provides the additional services to help support the most important aspect - its people. We believe that the people of a community are what makes a community. As a result, we are also dedicated to supporting those individuals and families looking to become homeowners, by providing a match savings fund to aid those who need financial assistance in purchasing their homes.

Achievements

Our focus has always been on serving the Miami-Dade and South Broward County communities of South Florida. The combination of PSE's dedicated staff and responsive clients has helped us successfully train over 6,000 clients and disbursed over 2,700 loans. These numbers have allowed for 95% of PSE's clients to maintain a part-time home-based business, which provides them with additional income; averaging $9,000.00 per year to help with the rising costs of health care, education and housing.

To learn more about the impact our programs and services are having on the counties, click here to read some of our Entreprenuerial Success stories.