Menu
At Prosperity Now, the Rise Challenge identifies and elevates innovators building community-centered solutions that advance economic opportunity. This year’s finalists reflect the creativity and determination emerging from communities across the country. Three leaders—working to support homeowners in Philadelphia, entrepreneurs in Birmingham, and community lenders nationwide—shared what drives their work and what this recognition means for the people they serve.
The 2025 Rise Challenge finalists presented their work at the Prosperity Summit in Washington, DC, in October, before a panel of judges with experience in housing, small business, and community finance. Their efforts highlight practical ideas shaped by real-world conditions and long-term needs.
Daniel Smith, founder and CEO of Keepingly, was drawn to the Rise Challenge because it reflects the kind of challenges his team works on every day.
“Homeownership is one of the most powerful tools for economic opportunity, but only when families have the knowledge, transparency, and systems to sustain it over time.”
Being selected as a finalist to be both validating and energizing.
“It affirms that our work helping families track, manage, and protect their homes resonates beyond our team and aligns closely with Prosperity Now’s mission."
For Philadelphia—where Keepingly recently established its headquarters—this recognition highlights how technology can better understand and protect the value they built in their homes, an increasingly important concern in many cities.
Keepingly’s goal is to ensure families do not lose hard-earned equity simply because they lack clear information or accessible tools. Breaking into the traditional housing sector as a mission-driven tech company required persistence, trust-building, and securing values-aligned capital.
“Each step has reaffirmed that what we’re building matters—not just as a company, but as a broader effort to help families maintain stability and strengthen communities.”
Nalia Jackson, founder of Network Navigator, shared that the Rise Challenge offered an opportunity to elevate solutions shaped by local experience, particularly for small business owners navigating fragmented support environments.
“I see every day how much potential exists in entrepreneurs who simply are not connected to the right information, the right people, or the right pathways.”
Network Navigator’s Capital Connect was created to make information and connections easier to navigate and more visible for entrepreneurs.
Being named a finalist “carries deep meaning,” Nalia said.
“It tells our entrepreneurs that their experiences matter. It validates their challenges and their dreams, and it shows that solutions rooted in community can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with national innovations.”
The recognition brings momentum to Birmingham’s entrepreneurial community at a time when coordination and trust remain essential.
Nalia’s aspiration is to make entrepreneurship feel more accessible and navigable for people who often lack clear information or connections. Early challenges included limited visibility, constrained resources, and navigating a highly fragmented environment.
“Those challenges sharpened my purpose and strengthened our commitment to meeting people where they are.”
The winner of this year’s Rise Challenge was Parlay Finance. Parlay was founded on the belief that improving access to capital for small business owners, particularly through community lenders, plays an important role in supporting local economies.
With deep experience working alongside Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), the Rise Challenge aligned closely with Parlay’s focus.
“We are thrilled to win the 2025 Rise Challenge and look forward to working with Prosperity Next to empower CDFIs with scalable AI-powered technical assistance for small businesses across the country," said Alex McLeod, co-founder and CEO of Parlay Finance.
“The Prosperity Now team did a tremendous job leading such a service-oriented effort, and we were honored to participate,” said Jay Long, co-founder and COO of Parlay.
Winning the competition provides momentum to grow Parlay’s team, deepen its technology, and expand relationships with lenders across the country.
“This collaboration gives us the opportunity to challenge our assumptions, refine our strategy, and build transformational tools with partners who share our commitment to economic opportunity.”
Parlay equips community lenders with tools that support operational efficiency and more consistent credit assessment, helping lenders serve more small businesses while staying true to their purpose. Building a company around that goal required earning trust in a sector shaped by long-standing practices.
“We created a completely new category of banking technology, so there was no playbook.”
What continues to ground the work, Jay shared, is the team itself.
“Every member of Parlay’s founding team is either a military veteran or a military spouse. We view entrepreneurship as continued service—a different uniform, but the same commitment to mission and community.”
From sustaining homeownership to improving entrepreneurial access to strengthening community lending, this year’s Rise Challenge finalists demonstrate how practical solutions grow from lived experience and real conditions. Prosperity Now is proud to identify and elevate this work and to share how these ideas are taking shape across communities.
.png)
Join a community of changemakers committed to advancing economic opportunity for all.
Copyright © 2025 Prosperity Now. Prosperity Now is a registered non-profit organization under the IRS code section 501(c)(3), Tax ID# 52-1141804.