Meet the Founders: Two Bill Gates Scholars from Flint on a Mission to Build Wealth in Their Community

Evergreen Community Capital was not born in a boardroom. It was born in Flint, Michigan — a city that taught its residents early that survival is not enough. That you have to build something. That the only way out is through ownership, education, and community.

The two women behind Evergreen Community Capital are both products of Flint. Both earned the Gates Millennium Scholarship — one of the most competitive and prestigious scholarships in the United States, awarded annually to a select group of high-achieving students from low-income households. They didn't just survive Flint. They excelled. And now they're coming back — not just for their community, but with their community.

Candayshia (MBA, MAcc) Loyd-Ford — Co-Founder & Executive Director

Candayshia Loyd-Ford holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Michigan-Flint. She is a seasoned finance professional with deep experience across housing authorities, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.

Her career spans Finance Management, Tax Accounting, Investor Relations, HUD Compliance, Payroll Processing, and Collections — giving her a rare, 360-degree view of the financial systems that can either trap families in poverty or create pathways out of it. She has worked directly with housing authorities, nonprofits, and individuals navigating some of the most complex intersections of housing, finance, and public systems.

Candayshia is also the founder of Loyd Legacy Development Services, a firm offering tax preparation, business consulting, and organizational strategy — further evidence of her commitment to economic empowerment at both the individual and organizational level.

"I've sat on both sides of the table. I've worked inside the systems that determine who gets housing, who gets funding, who gets a second chance. I built Evergreen because I know what's possible when those systems actually work for people — and I know exactly how to make that happen." — Candayshia Loyd-Ford

Venishia Marthrel — Co-Founder & Director of Community Strategy

Venishia Marthrel holds a Master of Science in Administration of Justice from Southern University. Born and raised in Flint, MI, she brings over a decade of cross-sector experience in community development, creative strategy, operations management, and project management.

Venishia has worked with organizations including the 5th Ward Community Development Corporation in Houston, TX, where she contributed to arts, cultural, and community-based economic development initiatives. She is also an entrepreneur, published author, Gates Millennium Scholars Ambassador, and Champion for Family and Justice — a title that speaks to her lifelong commitment to the people and communities often left out of the conversation.

"I was born with odds stacked against me in Flint. But because people were placed on my path who believed in me, I am here. Evergreen is my way of being that person for someone else — of making sure the next generation from Flint, from Houston, from every overlooked community has what they need to build something real." — Venishia Marthrel

Why Evergreen? Why Now?

The name Evergreen is intentional. Evergreen things don't die with the season. They stay. They persist. They grow even when conditions are hard. That is exactly what Evergreen Community Capital is designed to do — create infrastructure for families and communities that lasts, regardless of economic cycles, political shifts, or systemic barriers.

Together, Candayshia and Venishia bring a rare combination: financial infrastructure expertise and community development strategy, rooted in lived experience. They are not outsiders coming in to fix a community. They are the community — building something designed from the inside out.

Evergreen Community Capital is currently accepting funding inquiries, partnership proposals, and volunteer engagement. If you believe in the mission, we invite you to be part of it.