LaShaunda P. René

LaShaunda P. René (LPR), Vice President, Texas Market for TruFund Financial Services a National, Nonprofit, Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), certified by the US Treasury. LaShaunda leads market operations and strategy, including brand ambassadorship, partnership and funder cultivation, resource, business, and program development, in addition to market expansion in the Texas Region. LaShaunda enjoys being a strategic thought partner within the small business ecosystem and advocating for the needs of the small businesses, in partnership with elected officials, government, and community leaders.

She is a graduate of International Business and French Studies from Dillard University and holds a Master of Public Administration from Walden University. LaShaunda is a Charter School Board Member of New Harmony High School, a Women’s Leadership Academy Board Member, an Executive Mentor at Loyola University, a member of the Houston Business Ecosystem Alliance for minority and womenowned businesses, and the Dallas B.U.I.L.D. Network.

LaShaunda has over 18 years of professional experience working in the nonprofit and government sectors. This includes work in community and economic development, as well as program development and management, business and resource development, training and facilitation, special events, strategic thought, and community engagement. During her tenure with TruFund, LaShaunda has raised over $23 Million to support MWBE and LMI businesses and has been focused on ecosystem development and supporting small, rural, minority, and women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs to recover from disaster to become more resilient and increase their capacity for growth and scalability. LaShaunda has also received formal training in community development finance, leadership, fund development, facilitation, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

LaShaunda values equity, entrepreneurship, and education; and works with entrepreneurs throughout the South, with a special focus on those in the Houston Metro, Dallas-Fort Worth MetroPlex, Texoma, and North Texas areas to grow and scale by gaining access to small business lending and business education. A focal point of her work is developing and sustaining quality business development and advisory programs and services for small, minority, and women-owned businesses through strategic fundraising and collaborative partnerships.

As an optimist, wellness practitioner, and community developer, LaShaunda thinks that prosperity and economic development in rural, urban and other underserved communities is not only possible, but also imperative to the health and wellness of all communities. She believes that stronger communities are anchored by developing and sustaining adequately resourced, properly educated, well rested, and soundly advised entrepreneurs to grow and scale their businesses into enterprises that create and retain jobs, provided essential products and services and own and maintain real assets in their communities.

A little lagniappe…

LPR loves a good cause and her family, which includes a husband, 3 daughters and a son. She is a curious creative, certified Yoga Instructor; and lover of all things natural, travel, art, food, astrology and the unexplored. In her free time, LaShaunda teaches yoga, writes and speaks about her passions, and helps other women cultivate a life of meaning and impact.