Genesis Bank Announces Launch of Genesis Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship – Genesis’ Business Accelerator and Advisory Division

Ed Hart Joins as Senior Vice President – Director of Genesis Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genesis Bank (“Genesis” or the “Bank”), announced today the launch of the Genesis Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship (“GBIE”) as a division within the Bank. GBIE, the Bank’s Business Accelerator and Advisory Division, is a multifunctional forum focused on accelerating entrepreneurship, growth, and success across a broad range of constituents, including businesses, family-owned businesses, minority owned businesses, government and municipal entities, commercial enterprises, and non-profit organizations, within the Bank’s Target Markets of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. GBIE will work to bring the business community together to address the full life cycle needs and common challenges, gaps, and technical areas faced by businesses, through a series of strategic partnerships with industry leading subject matter experts, including trust and estate planning, insurance, leadership development, strategic planning, employment law, human resources, accounting, tax, legal, cybersecurity, advertising and marketing, digital and social media, staffing, and banking.

Additionally, Genesis Bank announced today the GBIE will be led by Ed Hart, who joins Genesis after having led California State University, Fullerton’s (CSUF) Center for Family Business (“CFB”) for the past 10 years. The CFB is within CSUF’s College of Business and Economics, which is the largest business school on the West Coast. During his tenure running CSUF’s CFB since 2011, Mr. Hart benefited hundreds of family businesses throughout Southern California through his expertise, leadership, and network within the community. Additionally, during the past two years, Mr. Hart assumed the leadership role of the North American Family Business Alliance, an organization consisting mostly of university-based family business programs in the U.S. and Canada. Prior to joining CSUF, Mr. Hart was the Director of Business Development at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business from 2007 – 2011, where he assisted in the development of executive leadership programs for small, medium, and large private and public companies.

Stephen H. Gordon, Founding Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genesis Bank, stated, “We are deeply excited to have Ed Hart join our team to lead the Genesis Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship. As one of only two diverse, multiracial Minority Depository Institutions (“MDI”) in the entire U.S., out of nearly 5,000 banks, we believe the launch of GBIE is a tremendous opportunity for Genesis Bank to impact and accelerate businesses in our communities in ways not typically offered by banking institutions. At Genesis, we lead with ideas and brain power; and given our first-hand experience as true entrepreneurs that care about community, we deeply understand the need for a consultative and advisory approach.”

Mr. Gordon concluded, “Ed’s extensive background and experience working with family businesses within our Target Markets provides for a proven platform that we can leverage and build upon, with the backing of the Bank’s resources, talent, technology, services, and solutions. Together, we look forward to utilizing GBIE to broaden our outreach and collaboration efforts to strengthen our business community.”

Ed Hart stated, “For years, I have had a passion for serving business owners and leaders, and when I met the Genesis Bank founding leadership team, we immediately recognized that our visions were acutely aligned. The opportunity to represent Genesis Bank and to make an impact on our communities felt like a perfect fit for me. I’m excited to not only continue to work with family-owned companies around Southern California, but to expand my reach into other businesses, minority owned businesses, and nonprofits, and to work with the municipal and government leaders who care about strengthening and accelerating businesses in our communities as well. The GBIE, working in partnership throughout the Bank and with the Genesis for Good Foundation, will make a tremendous impact and leave a great legacy of giving back and educating the leaders of today and into the future.”

About Genesis Bank

Genesis Bank is a California state chartered commercial bank, organized by a group of highly experienced and successful bankers, investors, and business professionals. The Bank focuses on serving the financial needs of small to mid-sized businesses and owners, and investors in income-producing multifamily and commercial real estate located in the Bank’s Target Markets of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, California. Additionally, Genesis is an MDI, and is only the second diverse, multi-racial MDI in the U.S. The Bank is powered by GenTeck^SM, a groundbreaking combination of best-in-class technologies, which are tightly integrated to give clients a seamless, digital first, and transparent experience. The Bank’s products, services, and solutions primarily include traditional commercial business, Small Business Administration (SBA), income property, and owner-occupied commercial real estate loan and deposit products, as well as treasury management services and solutions. Genesis Bank is headquartered in Newport Beach, California, and can be found online at www.mygenesisbank.com. Genesis is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC.