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The abrupt cancellation of USAID funding forced me to shut down my Minneapolis-based small business, Fintrac Global, and lay off dedicated employees. Sadly, my story is echoed by small-business owners across America — tens of thousands of American workers have lost their livelihoods due to the sudden dismantling of critical aid programs.
In 2022, I co-founded Fintrac Global to fight global food insecurity by helping farmers in developing countries improve productivity and gain market access. Our partnership with USAID — the United States Agency for International Development — allowed me to serve my country while running a successful business. It is deeply discouraging to see the government now turn its back on both small businesses and the vital global mission we supported.
With no warning or genuine review process, the Trump administration terminated thousands of USAID contracts nationwide. Fintrac Global, previously thriving and poised for growth, was forced out of business within weeks. We remain unpaid for hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of completed work, exhausting our resources to honor commitments to our employees.
This crisis extends well beyond my company. Across 43 states, small businesses built on USAID contracts lost their entire revenue streams overnight, resulting in more than 52,000 American job losses. For businesses with narrow margins and limited financing options, these cuts were catastrophic. The specialized workers we employed cannot easily find equivalent roles, and local agribusinesses and related private-sector companies we partnered with are also facing severe disruptions.
The damage goes beyond America’s borders. Our business alone supported more than 100,000 farmers in Zimbabwe and Tanzania, helping them achieve greater self-sufficiency. Now, without our assistance, these communities face heightened vulnerability and potential reliance on humanitarian aid or influence from other global powers, including China. This represents a tragic reversal of years of hard-won progress.
This situation represents more than just a funding shortfall — it’s a breakdown of trust. American small businesses planned their budgets responsibly, delivering services in good faith based on legally executed government contracts. Ironically, in attempting to reduce waste, the administration dismantled the oversight mechanisms designed to safeguard responsible spending.
