Latino Economic Development Center

What Latino Economic Development Center does

The Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 and headquartered at 804 Margaret Street in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is the only Latino-focused Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. LEDC delivers three core programs: Business Development (workshops and one-on-one technical assistance in finance, legal, HR, technology, and industry regulations), Lending (access to capital for Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs, with promotional rates as low as 3.5% for qualifying borrowers), and Regenerative Agriculture (land access, capital, and technical assistance for emerging farmers in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin). Since 2020 LEDC has also been developing Plaza del Sol at 990 Payne Avenue, a food hall, commissary kitchen, and event center intended to serve as a small-business incubator.

LEDC serves a statewide Minnesota client base — over 80% of clients headquartered in the Twin Cities metro and nearly 20% in Greater Minnesota — through a direct, relationship-driven go-to-market model that combines bilingual outreach, community events (Taco Tour, Latinx Farmers Market, Día de Muertos, Latino Fashion Extravaganza), and partner organization referrals. Services are mostly free to clients, with below-market lending fees and emerging facility rentals as the main direct revenue, while institutional grant funding (Bank of America, CDFI Fund, USDA, Blandin Foundation, Baltimore Community Foundation, Minneapolis Foundation) underwrites the bulk of operations. Strategic initiatives include the East Side Enterprise Center (ESEC), the Main Street Revitalization Program on Payne Avenue / Arcade Street / East Seventh Street, Elevate Hennepin (consulting with Hennepin County), the Latino Scholarship Fund, and emergency-response grant distribution following Operation Metro Surge, which processed approximately 2,000 applications in two weeks.

The business model is unusual in that LEDC both originates loans to its clients and administers grant capital on behalf of institutional funders. Cumulative lending since inception exceeds $15 million, with $2 million (13%) deployed in the current year alone. LEDC also administered $1.2 million of a $2.5 million USDA Land, Capital and Market Access grant jointly with The Good Acre and Land Stewardship Project for Latino and BIPOC farmers. Revenue concentration risk is structurally low — the client base is a long tail of Latino and immigrant SMBs across food, retail, agriculture, childcare, and wellness — but the operating model depends on multi-year grant renewal cycles, with named institutional funders as the principal counterparties.

Name

Latino Economic Development Center

Legal name

Latino Economic Development Center

Website

https://ledcmn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) is a Saint Paul-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the only Latino-focused CDFI in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, providing bilingual business development, sub-market lending, and regenerative agriculture support to Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Financial Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Development Credit Unions (CDCUs) (FSABAEAC)

Keywords

• Community development finance
• Small business lending
• Business technical assistance
• Agricultural lending
• Immigrant entrepreneurship

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Lending Program Revenue: LEDC provides loans to small businesses that would otherwise lack access to traditional capital. Loans are made to Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs for business startup and growth. Interest income from the loan portfolio is a core revenue stream. A promotional loan offered up to $25,000 at 3.5% interest for 24 months to qualifying new clients.
2. Grant Funding: LEDC is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that relies heavily on grant funding from foundations and government programs. Major grants include $200,000 from Bank of America (2022), $25,000 from Blandin Foundation (2026), $250,000 from Blandin Foundation (2026 per the investing article), and a $2.5 million USDA Land, Capital and Market Access grant (administering $1.2M directly). LEDC also deployed over $1 million in emergency grants during Operation Metro Surge.
3. Plaza del Sol Food Hall and Commissary Kitchen: Plaza del Sol, LEDC's food hall, commissary kitchen, and event center will generate revenue through vendor rent, kitchen rental fees (24/7 commercial kitchen scheduling), and event space rental. The facility features two restaurant spaces and three vendor stands.
4. Donations and Charitable Contributions: LEDC accepts tax-deductible donations through its GoFundMe campaign and website. The organization is registered 501(c)(3) and offers monthly giving options, donor advised fund coordination, matching gifts, and stock/IRA/legacy giving.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

LEDC is the only Latino-focused Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. It delivers a continuum of economic-development services—business development workshops, one-on-one technical assistance, below-market small-business lending, and regenerative agriculture support—targeted at Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs across Minnesota. The organization also operates strategic initiatives including the Plaza del Sol food hall, commissary kitchen, and event center, the East Side Enterprise Center, the Main Street Revitalization Program, Elevate Hennepin consulting, the Taco Tour on Lake Street, and the Latino Scholarship Fund.

Product overview

LEDC is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) offering a continuum of economic development services for Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs and small business owners. The organization operates three core programs—Business Development (workshops and technical assistance), Lending (access to capital with promotional rates up to $25,000 at 3.5% interest), and Regenerative Agriculture (support for emerging farmers)—alongside strategic initiatives including Plaza del Sol (food hall, commissary kitchen, and event center), East Side Enterprise Center, Main Street Revitalization Program, Elevate Hennepin consulting, Taco Tour, Latino Scholarship Fund, and community resources including immigrant support services and a weekly newsletter. Services are delivered statewide with over 80% of clients in the Twin Cities metro area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Plaza del Sol: A food hall, commissary kitchen, and event center at 990 Payne Avenue in Saint Paul, featuring multiple food vendors and community gathering spaces.

Products and services

• Business Development Program
• Lending Program CDFI small-business lending program that provides access to capital and financing guidance for Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs who cannot access traditional lenders. Includes a promotional loan offer of up to $25,000 at 3.5% for 24 months for qualifying new clients meeting minimum credit, revenue, and operations criteria.
• Regenerative Agriculture Program Program that supports emerging farmers—especially those historically excluded from land ownership, including Latino, immigrant, and BIPOC farmers—through access to tools, resources, capital, and technical assistance for agricultural businesses in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. Addresses three barriers: access to credit/capital, access to land, and financial resiliency through financial literacy.
• Plaza del Sol (Food Hall, Commissary Kitchen, and Event Center) Multi-use community facility at 990 Payne Avenue in Saint Paul that functions as a small-business incubator, offering food-hall vendor stands and two restaurant spaces, a 24/7 commercial commissary kitchen for rental, and an event center with capacity for 300 people. Targets food entrepreneurs and Latino/immigrant-owned small businesses.
• East Side Enterprise Center (ESEC) Community economic development program that has built the economic capacity of existing businesses and attracted new businesses to the East Side of St. Paul since 2014, providing ongoing business support services.
• East Side Main Street Revitalization Program Revitalization program that provides funds to construction-ready projects led by businesses and nonprofit organizations rebuilding critical corridors along Payne Avenue, Arcade Street, and East Seventh Street on the East Side of St. Paul.
• Elevate Hennepin Consulting Consulting service delivered through a partnership with Hennepin County's Elevate Hennepin initiative, providing expert advising and business resources to businesses at no cost to the recipient.
• Taco Tour on Lake Street Annual event organized by LEDC that supports Latino- and immigrant-owned small businesses along Lake Street in Minneapolis by drawing community traffic and visibility to participating establishments.
• Latino Scholarship Fund Scholarship program that awards up to 12 scholarships annually to talented Latino students to help cover tuition, books, and living expenses for postsecondary education, including 4-year university degrees and 2-year associate or technical programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2 million in lending to Minnesota small businesses in current year, representing 13% of cumulative lending since inception in 2003
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• City of Saint PaulminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2025LEDC promotes City of Saint Paul small business resources to its client network, including financial and technical assistance programs available through the city's business resources department.
• City of MinneapolisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2024LEDC partnered with the City of Minneapolis and the Minnesota Farmers Market Association to organize the first annual Latinx Farmers Market, a community event supporting underserved Latino farmers and local food system entrepreneurs.
• Minnesota Farmers Market Association (MFMA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2024LEDC partnered with MFMA and the City of Minneapolis to organize the first annual Latinx Farmers Market, helping to connect farmers with the local community and build market access.
• Sanneh FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2024The Sanneh Foundation purchases all agricultural products from Latino farmers at the Latinx Farmers Market and distributes food, meat, and dairy to the community for free, with surplus redistributed to refugee communities.
• The Good AcrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2024The Good Acre is a co-recipient of the $2.5 million USDA Land, Capital and Market Access grant alongside LEDC and Land Stewardship Project. The partnership aims to facilitate access to capital, land, and local markets for Latino and BIPOC farmers.
• Land Stewardship ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2024Land Stewardship Project is a co-recipient of the $2.5 million USDA Land, Capital and Market Access grant alongside LEDC and The Good Acre, focused on supporting Latino and BIPOC farmers' access to land, capital, and markets.
• Hennepin CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEDC serves as a consultant with Hennepin County's Elevate Hennepin initiative, providing expert advising and other business resources to businesses at no cost. This is a consulting partnership rather than a funding relationship.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA): Twin Cities-based BIPOC-focused nonprofit providing business development consulting and lending to minority entrepreneurs, including Latino-owned businesses. Closest geographic and mission-aligned peer to LEDC.
• Latino Community Credit Union: North Carolina-based Latino-focused CDFI credit union providing bilingual financial services, small-business lending, and financial education to Hispanic communities — directly comparable mission and customer base to LEDC.
• Prospera (formerly CASA): Hispanic-focused community development organization providing small-business lending, technical assistance, and agricultural support to Latino entrepreneurs — directly comparable to LEDC's combined business + ag lending mission.
• Communidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES): Twin Cities-based Latino-serving nonprofit providing economic, social, education, and health services. Comparable mission and geographic footprint to LEDC, though broader in scope beyond economic development.
• IFF (formerly Illinois Facilities Fund): National CDFI providing capital and consulting to nonprofits and mission-aligned businesses, particularly in underinvested communities. Comparable CDFI structure and lending-plus-technical-assistance model to LEDC.
• HOPE Credit Union: Mississippi-based CDFI credit union providing financial services and lending to underserved, low-wealth, and disinvested communities in the Deep South. Comparable mission to break barriers to capital access.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Twin Cities: Large national CDFI operating in the Twin Cities market, supporting community development, small business, and equitable economic opportunities. Overlapping mission and geography but serving broader demographics.
• Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing capital and capacity-building to underserved communities, including BIPOC entrepreneurs. Comparable CDFI mission and lending model but at national scale.
• Self-Help Federal Credit Union: Network of CDFI credit unions serving underserved communities across multiple states with bilingual services and small-business lending. Comparable CDFI mission and underserved market focus.

Others

• National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB): National membership association of 130+ Latino-led CDFIs and economic development organizations. Industry membership peer that supports and aggregates LEDC's segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4OQVjOfuCJCRqguiryjSJw
• Facebookfacebook.com/LEDCMN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ledc-mn
• Instagraminstagram.com/ledc_mn

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Latino Economic Development Center