Open the door to loans

Sarasota entrepreneur Brian Caswell, after years of trying, has made a dent in the “banks aren't lending” narrative.

Caswell doesn't work for a bank, at least not anymore. Instead he runs Cazley Financing Solutions, a business he started in 2008, and the Economic Development Investment Fund, a nonprofit. The goal at both organizations is the same: Fill the void when banks turn down small businesses for loans.

A onetime commercial loan executive for Bank of America, Caswell had what he hopes is a major breakthrough recently. The EDIF provided a $150,000 loan, through a federal and state program, to a Sarasota-based retailer that sells interior design products and services.