Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC)

LEDC's Business Development Program: Helps entrepreneurs prepare to launch or grow their businesses, including communications and marketing, budgeting, digital literacy, commercial insurance, taxation, and other areas of technical assistance. Our Business Development associates guide each member in creating their business plan and provide access to resources and education needed to meet their goals. Through direct support and referrals to specialized service providers, we support clients with their needs in finance, legal issues, technology, IT, HR issues, and industry-specific regulations.

LEDC's Lending Program: Addresses the significant barriers faced by Latinos and other BIPOC entrepreneurs in accessing capital. LEDC provides flexible underwriting standards that don't require large personal assets for collateral and expert navigation through the complexities of capital and small business development. In 2023, LEDC's lending team worked with clients to close 42 loans, deploying $3.7 million in capital, which is more than at any point in LEDC's history. More than 95% of these loans supported Latino entrepreneurs and Latino-owned businesses, and 48% of loans supported women-owned businesses. Our growing pipeline of prospective loans to Latino-owned businesses and other BIPOC-owned businesses, now totaling $1.5 million, will require that we continue to increase our capacity and capital to meet our clients where they are.

LEDC's Agriculture Program: Provides agriculture-focused technical assistance, business development, and access to capital and markets that help Latino and other immigrant farmers start new farming or food production enterprises or grow their existing farm businesses. At LEDC, we understand that each client is unique, with their own set of skills, aspirations, and challenges. That's why we offer our services in both Spanish and English, building trust first, and providing a continuum of services tailored to their specific economic needs. We believe that everyone, regardless of their background, deserves the opportunity to turn their dreams into reality.