"A small company has needs that are not being met," Koch said. "You need a loan, but you also need coaching and advice."

Koch got the idea for the loan program after participating in a community service day in South Boston with his employees.

"We painted a community center," he said. "I thought that I had all these talented people here, and they??re painting walls and taping woodwork.

"We??re a small company," Koch said. "We??re close to our entrepreneurial roots."

Working with his own money and partnering with nonprofit microloan provider ACCION, Koch created Brewing the American Dream, leveraging his expertise working with food and beverage businesses.

Koch characterizes the program as philanthropic, and to date, it has realized a 92 percent repayment rate on its loans. Not bad for loans whose interest rates average up to 11 percent.

"Much cheaper than a credit card," he said, adding, "If you need a $3,000 loan for your business, you can??t get it." As such, he said his clients have appreciated his generosity and have put their loans to good use.

"It might be a Puerto Rican bakery that wants to buy tables and chairs to become a cafe," Koch said. "It might be money for a business to buy a new sign or money for a caterer to buy an espresso machine."

Loans range from $500 to $25,000, with the average size around $7,000. The program also offers workshops that teach everything from payroll to packaging design.

"The cost of administering small loans, for a bank, is too high," Koch said. "We were looking for a way to give back in a meaningful way."

Detailed information on the loan program is available at samadams.com.