The ACC DeepRoots Connection Network sees the economic potential in Appalachia.
After Helene, Appalachian Community Capital (ACC) helped over 7,000 businesses apply for support through the WNC SBI Hurricane Helene Recovery program, and they soon realized that the DeepRoots platform they were already developing could provide critical financial assistance to the many small businesses throughout the entire region. Now, this online platform can connect businesses and entrepreneurs to multiple Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) — and interested businesses just need to fill out a single form to get started.
We sat down and spoke with Collin Huske, Head of Innovation and Development, about how the ACC DeepRoots Connection Network got its start, what they’re hoping to accomplishment and why they believe in Appalachia.
Tell us about your business.
The ACC DeepRoots Connection Network is a platform that allows businesses and entrepreneurs alike to connect with multiple mission-first Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) lenders, Technical Assistance Providers and service providers that may be able to assist your business. After you fill out a form outlining what you are looking for, you could be connected to several mission-first lenders — Community Development Financial Institutions — or other supporting partners to help your business thrive.
“After filling out a single form, you can be connected to supporting partners that can help your business thrive.”
The DeepRoots Platform was created following the WNC SBI Hurricane Helene Grant program, in which ACC helped connect over 7,000 businesses with ACC’s CDFI members and partners in Western North Carolina. We have since grown to all Appalachian states and are actively growing our resource provider network.
Where did your vision begin? How has it grown?
When ACC led the WNC SBI Hurricane Helene Recovery program with local Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) in WNC, over 7,000 businesses applied for support, and ACC learned that a majority of them had never even heard of a CDFI before. The DeepRoots Data hub was already being developed to help CDFIs efficiently lend to businesses, and a connection platform where a business can be connected to multiple resources via a single platform just made sense to develop.
What made you choose the Asheville area?
We chose to work in Appalachia because this region has always had enormous strength, creativity and entrepreneurial potential, even when investment systems have not fully recognized it. Appalachia is often described through what it lacks, but we see the opposite: communities with deep local knowledge, strong relationships, active small businesses and leaders who are already building solutions rooted in place.
“Communities are strongest when investment decisions are shaped by the people and institutions who understand the context, relationships and needs on the ground.”
That is why this work is meaningful to us. If the region’s strengths have not always been reflected in traditional investment patterns, then the opportunity is not simply to bring more capital in but to help capital move in ways that are more responsive, coordinated and aligned with local realities. We believe in place-led lending because communities are strongest when investment decisions are shaped by the people and institutions who understand the context, relationships and needs on the ground.
We see an opportunity to help strengthen the lending ecosystem across North Carolina and Appalachia so that investment can better support the future.
What does the word “community” mean to you?
Community is more than a shared geography. It means a network of people, small businesses, local institutions and trusted relationships that help a place thrive. Strong communities are built when entrepreneurs have access to the resources they need, when local businesses can grow and remain rooted and when organizations are able to share data, knowledge and support in ways that strengthen the whole ecosystem.
We see the Appalachian community as both a source of resilience and a foundation for opportunity. Small businesses are often central to that resilience. They create jobs, keep money circulating locally, preserve culture and help communities adapt through change. Our work is about supporting — and improving — that existing strength.