At JPMorganChase’s Crenshaw Branch, the doors are open to the community

Tatiana Roberts was seven years old the first time she walked into a bank. She translated for her mother, who didn’t speak English. "I just remember thinking, man, I wish this was in Spanish for my mom," she says. It was an experience that would shape her career as an adult.

Roberts served as the Community Manager for Chase’s Crenshaw Community Center in Los Angeles. She is now a Small Business Consultant, but her time working with community members at Crenshaw had a lasting impact on her. She wanted them to receive the kind of attention and service that her mother hadn’t.

"When you think about a bank wanting to do the work in a community like this, it's not like the residents would open the doors to anybody,” Roberts says. “They truly have to trust you."

Earning a community’s trust

That trust doesn't come easy—and Roberts knows it can't be rushed. Her role as Community Manager meant she spent most of her time outside the branch's four walls, building relationships with nonprofit leaders, school administrators, and local business owners. She attended networking events, partnered with mission-aligned organizations, and listened closely to the needs expressed by the community.

The stakes are high. In Los Angeles County, 41 percent of households fall below what researchers call the "Real Cost Measure"—the income needed to cover basic expenses like housing, food, transportation, and healthcare. Nationally, while the overall unbanked rate has held at 6 percent in recent years, significant disparities persist: 10.6 percent of Black households and 9.5 percent of Hispanic households lack bank accounts, compared with 1.9 percent of white households.

JPMorganChase believes that sound financial health can help Angelenos manage their day-to-day needs and build a secure future for themselves and their families. That’s why, since 2021, the Crenshaw Community Center has hosted 132 financial health events, reaching more than 3,000 attendees. Programming covers essential topics like budgeting, saving, building credit, and preventing fraud—all offered free of charge and open to anyone, regardless of whether they bank with Chase.

"A lot of people think that our workshops cost money," Roberts says, "which is actually a good sign—it means they see the value. But there's no fee. Our doors are always open."

A branch that welcomes the community

For Roberts, financial health education isn't abstract—it's deeply personal. Growing up in nearby Downey, California, she was taught to save, but never learned about credit, investing, or long-term financial planning. At 17, she joined a high-school program that placed students inside bank branches and fell in love with the work. She went on to hold positions as a teller, banker, home loan officer, and business specialist before discovering the Community Manager role.

"Community Managers help connect all the things I wish I'd had growing up," she says. "And all the things I wish my mom had."

The Crenshaw branch is one of more than 19 Community Center branches that Chase operates across the country. Similar financial health resources are available at Chase’s more than 330 branches across Los Angeles—accessible to everyone, wherever they are. In the Crenshaw branch, a large multipurpose room hosts workshops and pop-up events for local small businesses. Financial health advisors guide residents through everything from opening their first savings account to planning for homeownership. The space is airy, filled with light, and features local artwork. It's not unusual to run into a neighbor or friend while at the branch.

Conversations, not lectures

The workshops Roberts facilitated weren’t lectures—they were conversations, and their impact rippled outward, well beyond the workshop itself. Roberts recalls a seventh grader who went home after one session and taught her mother how to improve her credit score. "By teaching one, you teach many," she says.

One story stands out in particular. A participant, a formerly incarcerated individual, came to a workshop to learn about improving his credit score so he could get approved for a rental apartment.

"He improved his credit, got better with budgeting, saved money by not spending on things he didn't need,” Roberts says. “Within six months of us doing a series of workshops, he was able to get approved for a two-bedroom apartment."

Fraud prevention has emerged as another urgent priority. During the holidays, Roberts led workshops on scam awareness—and watched in real time as attendees recognized schemes they were in the process of falling for.

"They were sitting at the workshop,” she says, “about to hand their money off to someone they shouldn't. We literally stopped scams from happening right there."

Preparing for the spotlight

As Los Angeles prepares for the 2028 Olympics—along with other major sporting events—Roberts sees an opportunity for local businesses to benefit from the influx of visitors and investment. But she also recognizes the barriers many face in competing for both contracts and access to capital. That’s why monthly workshops now include conversations about certifications, bidding processes, and the financial preparation needed to pursue major opportunities.

"A lot of our businesses don't know how to compete with the bigger companies," Roberts says. "So, we help them understand how we can position them to bid for these contracts."

A plan, partner, and path forward

Across Greater Los Angeles, JPMorganChase serves more than 5 million consumer banking customers and 590,000 small business clients in the region, leveraging its resources and expertise to help power the local economy.

For Roberts, success isn't measured only in numbers. It's in the moments when someone walks into the Crenshaw Community Center not knowing what they don't know—and walks out with a plan, an advisor, and a path forward.

"Anything is possible for people when it comes to their money," she says. "As long as they're intentional. As long as they know the difference between their needs and their wants. Whatever goal they have—it can be accomplished."