LEDC’s mission is to create economic opportunity for Latinx by fostering entrepreneurship growth, workforce advancement, education opportunities, and supporting business development as a vehicle for reducing social and economic disparities. We envision a region and a state with a thriving multicultural community, enriched with Latino leadership, culture, and economic influence. We are Latinx-led - committed to lifting up marginalized communities in Minnesota primarily through economic development. Today, we advance the social and economic prospects of Latinx and other immigrant communities by providing capital, fostering education, and influencing policy and systems. As a longtime, trusted partner to this community, we have served as an emergency funding and resource hub for the Latinx and immigrant community during the pandemic.
LEDC provides services in four core areas:
Business Development: We help Latinx entrepreneurs plan, launch and grow their businesses via classroom training, workshops, mentoring, and one-on-one consultation.
Lending: We are the only Latinx-focused CDFI in Minnesota with loans with favorable terms as well as grants and forgivable loans available to individuals and business entities.
Employment & Training: A steadily growing education hub, we provide services in Spanish and English, including technical and business instruction, tools for jobseekers, and GED prep.
Agriculture: We provide technical assistance, business development, and access to capital and markets to help Latinx farmers start new farming enterprises and grow their farm businesses.
In additional to these programs we have several strategic initiatives, including the Latino Scholarship Fund and a shared kitchen to help launch new restaurants called Mi Cocina.
Write a review