Accion Opportunity Fund Community

Luz Urrutia Chief Executive Officer See more Luz Urrutia is the Chief Executive Officer of Accion Opportunity Fund, the nation’s leading nonprofit providing small businesses with access to capital, educational resources, business coaching, and community networks. Since joining in 2017, Luz has led the organization’s transformation into a national Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), scaling its impact and reach across underserved communities. Under her leadership, AOF has deployed over $1 billion in small business loans, with a goal of quadrupling its impact by 2025 through expanded lending, new products, and strategic partnerships. In 2020, Luz led the merger of Opportunity Fund and Accion, The U.S. Network, creating Accion Opportunity Fund—the first nonprofit focused on a national microlending strategy designed to meet the credit and advising needs of small business owners. She has since overseen the development of new loan products, fintech partnerships, research initiatives, and digital tools to strengthen mission-driven lending.Luz brings over 30 years of experience in financial services, with a focus on expanding access to capital for historically underserved communities. She began her career at Wachovia, where she spent 18 years in leadership roles. In 2001, she founded and served as President and COO of El Banco de Nuestra Comunidad, a Georgia-based bank serving Latino consumers and small businesses. She later led retail expansion at Oportun across five states as VP of Retail Sales and Services, and served as CEO for the Americas at Dollar Financial Group, where she focused on transforming the company into a more responsible lender for low-income communities. Luz has served on the Consumer Advisory Board of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Consumer Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Board, and the board of the Financial Health Network. She currently serves on the board of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and is a member of the Community Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. In 2021, she was named to Forbes’ “50 Over 50: Investments” and received the Latino Leadership Award from the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Luz holds a B.S., magna cum laude, in Business Administration and Finance, and an M.B.A., both from Georgia State University. She lives in Mountain View, California.

Leadership Team

Amit Soni VP, Controller See more Amit Soni is the Vice President, Controller at Accion Opportunity Fund, where he leads accounting and financial reporting operations with a focus on regulatory compliance and operational efficiency. Prior to AOF, he spent over a decade at BlackRock, where he led audits under U.S. GAAP and IFRS, managed M&A finance integrations across the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and the U.K., and served as legal entity controller for four broker-dealers. He also held roles at AIG and EY, bringing deep expertise in technical accounting, financial governance, and compliance.

Cassie Ferrer VP, Underwriting See more Cassie Ferrer is the Vice President of Underwriting at Accion Opportunity Fund, bringing over 19 years of experience in financial services. She has led underwriting teams across small business, commercial, and private wealth divisions at institutions including Citibank, Truist, and Wells Fargo. Cassie holds an MBA and a BA in Finance and is currently a CPA candidate pursuing a PhD in Finance. Based in Florida, she is dedicated to advancing financial solutions that support underserved small business owners.

Whitney Martin VP, Service Delivery See more Whitney Martin is the Vice President of Service Delivery at Accion Opportunity Fund, where she leads program execution and customer experience initiatives. With over a decade of experience in financial services, she has held roles at Boston Consulting Group, Oportun, and AOF. Whitney brings expertise in process optimization, change management, and data-driven strategy to drive operational efficiency and deliver high-quality service to small business clients.