About Ami & The Ami Fund

The Ami Fund honors Ami Patel, whose life ended after a tragic car accident in 2019. Ami was a life-long entrepreneur and a hard-worker. Ami started her very own babysitting business in her youth and worked as in intern since she was 14 years old; she also worked in restaurants as a young woman. It was through this experience, and the experience of entrepreneurs in Ami’s own family, that she felt the struggle and pain that small business owners face.

Ami’s dedication and drive was evident in her work as a student of the SMU Dedman School of Law. Here Ami honed her legal skills with the hope of one day giving back to the small business community.

In her own words, Ami wished to pursue a career rooted in a

“passion for helping people develop something lasting“

It is with this passion that we honor Ami through the Ami Fund. Each year the Ami Fund awards a low-cost loan to encourage female attorneys to start their own businesses and follow their dreams

Loan Details & Requirements

The Ami Fund awards a low-cost five-year loan of up to $30,000. The loan is free of payments for the first year and then subject to repayment with 3% interest through the remaining life of the loan.

Applicants to The Ami Fund should submit a personal letter to the board and a 3-5 page business plan detailing the business they would like to build and the impact they hope it will have on their community.

Submissions to The Ami Fund should be completed by Dec 17, 2021. Funding will be awarded in late January 2022.