Lufkin Daily News | April 9, 2026
A new partnership between Communities Unlimited and the Legacy Institute for Financial Empowerment is bringing small-business support and financial empowerment services under one roof in Lufkin, with leaders saying the effort is designed to help residents turn ideas into opportunity.
The two organizations marked the opening of their shared space last week during a Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting at 1221 Abney Ave., drawing a large crowd of local officials, lenders and community supporters.
The collaboration links the Legacy Institute’s local programs, which focus on workforce development and financial stability, with Communities Unlimited’s regional lending work, creating a more direct pathway for residents looking to move from an idea to a functioning business.
At the center of the effort is the Legacy Institute’s newly established Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which will operate as a small-business incubator. The space is designed to support entrepreneurs in the early stages, offering guidance on business planning and marketing before they seek financing.
“This incubator space is extremely important because it’s a gateway to a different demographic of the community that we’re able to work with and that’s the business owners,” said Joseph Ceasar, executive director of the Legacy Institute. “We’ve normally worked with people on personal funding, but now this empowers us to be able to help them on the business side and it also gives us a platform to have our team consolidated in one building.”
The partnership extends beyond just training. Communities Unlimited has placed lending staff inside the Lufkin office to provide access to capital, particularly for borrowers who may not meet traditional lending standards.
That includes individuals with limited credit history or insufficient collateral, which are all gaps that often push entrepreneurs toward high-interest credit cards or short-term loans. Instead, officials say the goal is to provide a more sustainable alternative.
“We really fit in where somebody might be turned down by a bank,” said Chris Ranniger, a senior economic development loan officer. “We provide funding, so they don’t have to fall into predatory lending.”
The effort comes as community development financial institutions, or CDFIs, are taking on a larger role in supporting economic growth across East Texas.
