Manuel Flores

About SomerCor

SomerCor is a U.S. Small Business Administration, non-profit Certified Development Company headquartered in Chicago. SomerCor serves the entire state of Illinois and Kenosha and Rock counties in Wisconsin.

In its 30 years of operation, SomerCor has served more than 3,800 businesses in 1,750 communities with $1.73 billion in SBA 504 and Community Advantage loans that helped create more than 46,000 jobs. SomerCor also proudly partners with the City of Chicago in administering the city’s Small Business Improvement Fund and Neighborhood Opportunity Fund programs.

Manuel (Manny) Flores

President & CEO

SomerCor

Manny Flores is the President and CEO of SomerCor, an Illinois-based Small Business Administration (SBA) Certified Development Company. Manny first joined SomerCor as a board member in 2016 and was appointed President and CEO by his board peers in 2018.

 

Under Manny’s leadership, SomerCor has increased its SBA 504 lending volume from $51MM in FY2018 to more than $ 160MM in FY2022, increasing access to capital for small businesses across Illinois. Manny is a strong proponent of growing minority and women-owned businesses and has enhanced SomerCor’s outreach and lending activities to better serve under-resourced communities. Manny also expanded SomerCor’s participation in economic development initiatives related to strengthening the region’s small business ecosystem including the Chicago Inclusive Growth Coalition, the Chicagoland Opportunity Zone Consortium, and the Cook County Economic Development Advisory Committee, where he chairs the Small Business subcommittee.

 

Manny’s unique professional background includes holding elected office as a Chicago City Council member (2003-2010) and serving as Director and Acting Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (2011-2015), where he was charged with regulating state-chartered banks, credit unions, and residential mortgage companies and brokers.

 

In addition to his work at SomerCor, Manny is active on numerous non-profit boards including the Metropolitan Planning Council, the United Way of Metro-Chicago, the Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Better Business Bureau of Illinois, and Kids Above All. Manny is an attorney, a graduate of the George Washington University Law School, and a Leadership Greater Chicago fellow - class of 2009.