Photo: people working together at a long bench in a busy workshop, including a man using a wheelchair.
Backing entrepreneurs who use disability to change what’s possible
The Solutions Lab offers small business loans and mentoring for entrepreneurs with disabilities, pairing patient, flexible capital with hands-on support, so business owners can build companies that last.
Our mission
Real, sustained work for owners and their teams
The Solutions Lab is a nonprofit program for entrepreneurs with disabilities. It pairs mentoring and business coaching with small business loans of $5,000 to $50,000 at 4% to 5% interest, with no equity taken and no prior credit history required.
It’s built for individuals with disabilities who are pursuing self-employment, whether at the idea stage or already in operation. Unlike accelerators focused on rapid scaling, the Solutions Lab supports small-scale businesses founded to provide real, sustained employment for the owner and their team.
The solution
Two resources that are rarely available together
Resource one
Social capital
Mentoring, networking, and hands-on problem-solving that make entrepreneurs “capital ready,” plus benefits navigation so growth doesn’t put eligibility at risk.
Resource two
Financial capital
Patient, flexible loans of $5,000 to $25,000, and up to $50,000, at 4% to 5% interest. No equity taken, and every loan helps build a credit history.
Stories
Entrepreneurs changing what’s possible
Lee-Anne Reuber
Sekond Skin Society
Sekond Skin Society started as a yoga studio in Waterloo, Canada, and grew into something bigger. It is a fitness app, a community, and a movement built on one belief: fitness should work for every body, not just some bodies.
A $10,000 loan by The Solutions Lab provided a catalytic opportunity for Sekond Skin Society to launch its instructor certification program, an ongoing revenue generator for the company.
Kelvin Crosby
The Deaf Blind Potter
Kelvin Crosby, the DeafBlind Potter, is someone who’s spoken to corporate teams, national conferences, and stages across the country.
The Solutions Lab is working with Kelvin to build out his public speaking profile so he can reach executive-level audiences in the private and public sectors.
Em Hillman
Em’s Coffee
Em Hillman is the inspiration for The Solutions Lab. Her parents were told by doctors at birth that Em would likely never walk, talk, or feed herself.
In December 2009, she opened Em’s Coffee Co. — and Em is serving the community of Independence, Iowa to this day.
Early proof point
$25,000 committed. $10,000 already at work.
Ludke Consulting, LLC has committed $25,000 in founding capital. $10,000 has already gone out as a loan to Sekond Skin Society, a fitness app, a community, and a movement built on one belief: fitness should work for every body, not just some bodies.
The loan gave Sekond Skin Society a catalytic opportunity to launch its instructor certification program, an ongoing revenue generator for the company.
Investment thesis
Every loan is a real loan, not a gift.
Investment thesis
The Solutions Lab invests in entrepreneurs with disabilities who build owner-led businesses around clearly defined services and direct relationships with the customers they serve.
These businesses often have several distinct advantages:
- Entrepreneurs can identify demand firsthand, begin generating revenue without lengthy development cycles, and build trust that encourages repeat business.
- Entrepreneurs with disabilities also bring something more: lived experience solving everyday problems and a deep understanding of customers that mainstream businesses often overlook.
In an uncertain economy, these characteristics can support more resilient business models and more reliable cash flow. While no small business is immune to slow periods or changing customer spending, a clear service offering and close customer relationships can help entrepreneurs adjust quickly to shifts in demand and manage their operations effectively.
The Solutions Lab reinforces these advantages through modest loan sizes, repayment schedules aligned with each business’s cash flow, and hands-on mentoring. Rather than betting on speculative growth, The Solutions Lab backs viable businesses with a clear path to sustained revenue and loan repayment. Every successful repayment replenishes the fund, creating an opportunity for another entrepreneur to build a sustainable business.