Lola Aré is a senior business consultant with over 35 years of combined experience in corporate brand management, data analytics, and small business consulting. She is a trusted advisor, financial consultant, and coach with a long-standing focus on capital readiness, CEO mentorship, and small and mid-sized business growth.

Lola holds an MBA with concentrations in Marketing and Finance from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and is a Michigan-certified small business consultant. She was recognized as the Michigan SBA Small Business Counselor of the Year in 2011 and served as 2024 SBA THRIVE Detroit Coach, leading one of the nation’s top 10 performing cohorts.

Previously, Lola served as Center Director for the Oakland County One Stop Business Center (MI-SBDC), where she helped design a centralized model for small business support and led multiple cohorts of non-competing CEOs through growth and scale initiatives. Over her career, she has coached entrepreneurs ranging from pre-startups to established multi-million-dollar companies.

“I am a problem-solver,” Lola says. “My role is to help business owners articulate what keeps them up at night and create the right environment to resolve those issues so they can move forward with clarity and confidence.”

Lola is the Founder of the Becoming Bankable® Program, a nationally recognized capital readiness framework, and in 2023 led a partnership with GreenPath Financial Wellness to expand financial literacy services for business owners. She also serves as a Board Member of Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union and is a Leadership Oakland XVIII alum.