Overview
The Entrepreneurship Center was founded to provide entrepreneurs from ethnically and economically diverse groups with the education, tools and access to SBA micro loan products necessary to launch, expand and sustain small business.
2,099
Small businesses received 3,846 hours of technical assistance support from the Entrepreneurship Center
Charles Smith, Director
Charles Smith joined Community Teamwork with over 14 years of SBA experience and 20 years of government lending experience. Charles has been involved in lending for his entire career.
Charles is excited to be working with the entrepreneurs in the Merrimack Valley and looks forward to the challenge of providing access to capital in these communities. He believes in giving entrepreneurs from all walks-of-life, no matter their stage of business, a chance to grow their business using all of the programs available to entrepreneurs, including conventional and SBA lending.
Charles is an Adjunct Professor and PH.D candidate in 2026 at UMass Lowell, a graduate of Texas Tech School of Law, Rawls College of Business and Texas and Prairie View A&M University. When not working or in school, Charles enjoys downtime with his family, including a young son and daughter.
Ani Vong, Business Coach
Ani is a lifelong Lowellian and has over 20 years of retail, merchandising, management and marketing experience. She is also a small business owner herself and therefore has a deeper understanding of a small business owner’s struggles, challenges and opportunities. Having grown up in Lowell and witnessing its changes and progress, Ani has a well-rooted connection and outlook of what it takes to build a hyper-local community-based business.
Ani’s personal goals are to make a difference in her community, by amplifying unheard voices using her platform, and to inspire young girls to dream big and become leaders. She is also committed to never stop learning and listening. Her professional goals at the Entrepreneurship Center are to support entrepreneurs as well as to educate the public about what it really means to be a small business owner, including understanding all the beauty and ugliness that comes with it, so that they can support their local small businesses effectively.
Emily MaGovern, Program Assistant
Emily has been working at the Entrepreneurship Center for almost 2 years. Her work mainly consists of client engagement, reporting and basic administrative duties. Not only does she support entrepreneurs, she is also an aspiring entrepreneur working toward opening her own business in the future.
Amanda Camerano, Business Coach/Microloan Program Coordinator
Amanda spent over 10 years in the banking industry, starting as a teller and working her way through the ranks to earn the title of AVP of Sales and Service. Amanda’s primary focus in banking was business development and management where she excelled and helped businesses in the communities that she served achieve their goals. Amanda left the banking industry to pursue a degree in Psychology while successfully managing and helping to grow a family-owned restaurant. When not working to help others, Amanda enjoys spending time with her family and giving back to her community. Amanda’s extensive knowledge of what it takes to successfully own and operate a business, plus her knowledge of resources available, make her an asset to the Entrepreneurship Center.
