Grace Fricks is the founder and CEO of Appalachian Community Enterprises (ACE), now known as Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs. ACE is a non-profit organization and Community Development Financial Institution that provides loans to start and grow businesses in Georgia. ACE also offers its borrowers business development resources to create sustainable businesses. Since 1999, ACE has provided more than $5.5 million in microloans thus creating or retaining more than 1000 jobs. In 2009, ACE founded Georgia Green Loans, www.georgiagreenloans.org, a statewide partnership providing loans to help small businesses “green-ovate.” Fricks, a small business owner for over 10 years, is a former board member of the national trade association, Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) and the National Association of Women Business Owners, Atlanta chapter. Grace has served on the national advisory committee to the revolving loan program of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and is past treasurer of Georgia Microenterprise Network (GMEN). Other community work includes former Board of White County Rotary Club and former Trustee of the Board of North Georgia Technical College. Fricks was the 2005 recipient of the Founders Award for GMEN.
