Samira Rajan, CEO of the Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union a community development credit union serving Brooklyn's Bushwick and Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhoods, was recently named one of Crain's New York Business Magazine's "40 Under 40."
The list celebrates 40 New Yorkers who have excelled in their respective fields, from fashion to finance to the world of nonprofits, before turning forty years of age.
According to her "40 Under 40" profile, under Rajan's tenure the CDCU has grown more than 23%, to $9.4 million in assets; its loan portfolio has increased by 32%, to $6.9 million in loans outstanding; and its membership has increased by 19%, to over 6,000 members. Since joining the credit union Rajan has also added a host of programs, including online banking, adding incentives to savings accounts, and free tax preparation for small businesses. Rajan has been CEO of the credit union since 2001.
In addition to managing the credit union, Rajan is also director of Grow Brooklyn, the credit union's nonprofit affiliate, which allows the credit union to provide high-impact services it might otherwise not be able to support, such as foreclosure prevention services and free tax preparation to low-income members through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites.
Rajan holds a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University. Brooklyn Cooperative was Rajan's first job after receiving her public policy degree.
