Video Version: https://youtu.be/iAI3oDmRjm8
Guest: Manny Flores — President & CEO, SomerCor
Series: The First Million is Always the Hardest — ACHIEVE Summit Series
As part of the ACHIEVE Summit Series, host Bo Kemp sits down with Manny Flores, President and CEO of SomerCor, for a conversation about one of the most important tools in small business growth: the SBA 504 loan.
As a nonprofit lender and Certified Development Company, SomerCor helps businesses access long-term capital for commercial real estate, equipment, and expansion. Under Manny’s leadership, the organization continues to play a critical role in helping entrepreneurs secure the kind of financing that supports ownership, stability, and long-term growth.
But this conversation is about more than lending.
It is about how access to capital shapes who gets to grow, who gets to own, and who gets to build lasting businesses in their communities.
Bo and Manny explore how 504 loans work, why commercial ownership can become a strategic advantage, and how structured financing helps businesses scale without draining working capital. They also discuss the broader role community-based lenders play in economic development and why capital access remains one of the biggest barriers for entrepreneurs trying to grow.
As a Title Sponsor of the 2026 ACHIEVE Summit, SomerCor’s involvement reflects a shared belief that entrepreneurship requires more than ambition — it requires real pathways to capital, ownership, and scale.
This episode is about financing as a tool for growth, stability, and legacy.
Because the first million is not only about making money.
It is about getting access to the capital that lets you own what you build.
