Nita Shah is the founder and Executive Director of Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon, a microfinancing and coaching organization serving underserved entrepreneurs in Oregon and SW Washington. A background in owning and operating businesses enabled Nita to blend business development, financing and coaching to provide a holistic approach towards self-sufficiency. MESO is a CDFI, a SBA microlender and a Community Advantage lender. Since 2011, MESO has placed $3.5M in loans to credit challenged entrepreneurs with a default rate of 1%. Nita serves on the Board of the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies and on the Oregon Community Foundations Leadership Council.