Elissa Sangalli

Elissa Sangalli serves as the President of Northern Initiatives, a CDFI providing loans and business services to small business owners throughout Michigan. Northern Initiative’s social enterprise platform, Initiate, provides blended learning resources for small business owners across 38 states. Previously, Elissa served as the President of Local First and Founder of Good for Michigan for nearly fifteen years, bringing 1,000+ businesses together to collaborate in building a vibrant community that encourages sustainable business, social enterprise development, and the creation of a more equitable and inclusive region. She is a founding BALLE Fellow (now Common Future) and a B Corp Measure What Matters Champion. She has served on numerous boards, including Social Venture Circle and Michigan Community Capital.