Maura Shenker
Thought Leader
"Maura Shenker is a small business and economic development expert, focused on entrepreneurship as a wealth-building tool for traditionally marginalized urban communities. A strategic thinker, adept at creatively connecting talent to resources, she is committed to creating a culture of collaboration and trust. Most recently, Maura was the Director of Temple University’s Small Business Development Center. The SBDC, housed in the Fox School of Business, serves entrepreneurs at any stage of business development, with a mission to help businesses start, grow, and prosper. While at Temple, the SBDC was awarded $1.2M in EDA CARES funding plus a matching $300K from the PA Dept. of Community and Economic Development for a two-year initiative “PA Digital transformation and eCommerce Program” (PADTEP) which assists small business owners throughout PA with website creation, social media, and digital marketing strategy, cyber-security, and digital literacy skill-building. This work was a continuation of CARES funding ($1.16M) to create a Digital Transformation Center of Excellence.
Previously she was the vice president at FINANTA, a community-based, mission-driven nonprofit financial institution supporting immigrant and under-served communities with credit-building loans. While at FINANTA, they won the 2016 SBA Raskind Award – Mission Lender of the Year, including an invitation to the White House. As a recognized thought leader in this space, Maura has spoken on panels for the Clinton Foundation and the U.S-EU Trade Council, appeared on TV, radio, and in the press, presented at conferences, written briefs, and met with elected officials at the municipal, state, and federal levels to offer testimony about the power of entrepreneurship for intergenerational wealth-building in immigrant and BIPOC communities.
Maura holds an MS in Organization Development and Leadership from Saint Joseph’s University, where she also completed an ICF-certified coaching leadership program. Additionally, she has an MFA from The Ohio State University and a BFA degree from Rhode Island School of Design, both in Glass. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Political Science at Temple University, where her research focuses on the nexus of political and economic participation. She hopes to help dismantle the institutional barriers that discourage entrepreneurship and create programs and policies that can encourage active participation in the legitimate economy and political activism, agency, and advocacy in historically disenfranchised urban communities."