Genesis LA
Genesis LA is a dual-certified CDFI and CDE nonprofit founded in 1998 that deploys flexible loans, New Markets Tax Credits, and capacity-building programs to nonprofits, small businesses, and developers across underserved Los Angeles County communities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Genesis LA does
Genesis LA Economic Growth Corporation is a California-based nonprofit founded in 1998 by former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan. Operating as a dual-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Entity (CDE), the organization provides flexible, patient capital and capacity-building services to nonprofits, community development corporations (CDCs), community land trusts (CLTs), small businesses, and emerging enterprises in underserved Los Angeles County communities. Its core lending products are CDFI Loans deployed through the internally managed Genesis Community Investment Fund (GCIF) and New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) financings that leverage public and private capital to subsidize approximately 20% of project costs. Since 2002, Genesis LA has deployed over $280 million in CDFI loans and $440 million in NMTC financing across 250+ projects.
Genesis LA's business model combines net interest income on its loan portfolio, NMTC allocation and deployment fees, and intermediary fees earned from public and private partners (notably LA County) for administering grant and forgivable-loan programs such as the Commercial Acquisition Fund (LACAF). Revenue model types across streams include subscription-style recurring interest income, licensing/royalty-equivalent NMTC economics, and professional services fees for intermediary work. The organization supplements direct lending with multi-year programs — Block by Block (10-year neighborhood revitalization in South LA and Pacoima, 2023), Cal CORE (6-year statewide capacity building with Community Vision, 2021), the 3C program (Connecting Capital & Community, funded by JPMorgan Chase, 2021), and SPARCC (recoverable grants for community land trusts, 2021) — that integrate capital deployment with technical assistance and borrower capacity building. Recent capital inflows include a $4.13M U.S. Treasury CDFI Fund award (April 2023), a $2.6M LA County DEO partnership (2024), a $550K Wells Fargo grant (2025), and a $10M Bank of America zero-interest loan commitment for wildfire recovery (December 2025).
The company is governed by a Board of Directors including Chairman Richard Maire and Chairman Emeritus Lee Kanon Alpert, with a lean executive team led by President & CEO Tom De Simone, supported by CFO Jem Dicioco, General Counsel Jessica Waybright, Director of Lending Anthony Santana, and Director of Strategic Initiatives & Investments Sara Harris. It maintains dual CDFI/CDE certification, an Aeris third-party impact rating, a CA Finance Lenders License, and active social/web presence across LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and headcount is reported in the 11–50 range.
Genesis LA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Genesis LA
- Legal name
- Genesis LA Economic Growth Corporation
- Website
- https://genesisla.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Genesis LA is a dual-certified CDFI and CDE nonprofit founded in 1998 that deploys flexible loans, New Markets Tax Credits, and capacity-building programs to nonprofits, small businesses, and developers across underserved Los Angeles County communities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Genesis LA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Development Finance
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)
- SIC
- Savings Institution, Federally Chartered (6035), Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Development Credit Unions (CDCUs) (FSABAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC), Land Acquisition, Lot Development & Construction Financing (AD&C) (FSALAHAI)
Keywords
Where Genesis LA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Genesis LA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- CDFI Lending: Genesis LA provides direct loans to nonprofits, small businesses, and emerging enterprises through its internally managed Genesis Community Investment Fund (GCIF) and special purpose capital pools. Revenue is generated through interest on loans and financing fees.
- NMTC Lending: New Markets Tax Credits allocation from U.S. Treasury's CDFI Fund enables leveraged finance structures that generate tax credits, with Genesis LA raising and deploying NMTC to invest in community projects by leveraging public and private investment capital.
- Intermediary Services: Genesis LA provides intermediary services to third parties, deploying subgrants, administering programs, and underwriting loans/PRIs on behalf of public and private partners such as LA County.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom CDFI loan products for community development projects |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Genesis LA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Genesis LA is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Entity (CDE) that provides direct loans and New Markets Tax Credit financing to nonprofits, small businesses, emerging enterprises, and local developers across Los Angeles County. It deploys capital through its internally managed Genesis Community Investment Fund (GCIF) and supports borrowers with technical assistance, capacity building, and intermediary program administration for partners such as LA County.
Product overview
Genesis LA operates as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Entity (CDE) offering a comprehensive suite of financial products and programs. The organization provides two core lending products: CDFI Lending (direct loans to nonprofits, small businesses, and emerging enterprises through the Genesis Community Investment Fund) and NMTC Lending (New Markets Tax Credits financing). These are supplemented by multiple programs including Block by Block, CalCORE, 3C, LACAF, and SPARCC, as well as Intermediary and Development Services. Together, these offerings form an integrated community development approach combining capital deployment with capacity building.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CDFI Lending
- New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) Lending
- Genesis Community Investment Fund (GCIF)
- Block by Block (BxB)
- California Community Owned Real Estate (CalCORE)
- Connecting Capital & Community (3C)
- Los Angeles County Commercial Acquisition Fund (LACAF)
- Strong Prosperous and Resilient Communities Challenge (SPARCC)
- Intermediary Services
- Development Services
Quantifiable outcome
- $280 million in CDFI loans and $440 million in NMTC financing deployed to over 250 projects since 2002
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Genesis LA
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Genesis LA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Genesis LA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- Los Angeles County Department of Economic OpportunitycorePartnership to deploy approximately $2.6 million through the Commercial Acquisition Fund for small businesses and nonprofits to acquire commercial properties across LA County. Includes $1 million in discretionary funding for projects in the county's 2nd District.
- Clearinghouse CDFIminorPartner CDFI in Bank of America wildfire relief initiative, focusing on housing recovery.
- Pacific Community VenturesminorPartner CDFI in Bank of America wildfire relief initiative, focusing on community rebuilding and economic resilience.
- Pacoima BeautifulcoreCommunity partner organization in the Block by Block 10-year community development initiative focused on revitalizing Pacoima neighborhoods.
- Community Coalition (CoCo)coreCommunity partner organization in the Block by Block initiative focused on revitalizing South Los Angeles neighborhoods.
- PrimestormajorExperienced developer partner in the Block by Block community development initiative.
- Holos CommunitiesmajorDeveloper partner in the Block by Block initiative for neighborhood revitalization.
- Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC)coreDeveloper and community partner in both the Block by Block and 3C programs, focusing on increasing homeownership for Black and Latinx families.
- Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD)coreDeveloper and community partner in Block by Block and 3C programs for South LA homeownership initiatives.
- Community VisioncoreCo-launched the California Community Owned Real Estate (Cal CORE) program in May 2021, a 6-year statewide capacity-building initiative for CDCs, CLTs, and nonprofit real estate efforts. Community Vision implements Northern California training while Genesis LA handles LA County.
- Center for Community Investment (CCI)coreFacilitates the Connecting Capital & Community (3C) program utilizing CCI's capital absorption framework to address racial inequities in housing. Genesis LA serves as the convening organization for Los Angeles.
- Low-Income Investment FundmajorPartnership to function as fiscal sponsor for SPARCC (Strong Prosperous and Resilient Communities Challenge), a recoverable grant program financing due diligence costs for community land trust projects.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Genesis LA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Clearinghouse CDFI: California-focused CDFI providing lending and development services in underserved communities. Direct co-partner with Genesis LA on Bank of America's $10M wildfire relief initiative, operating a similar CDFI/CDE model in Southern California.
- Low-Income Investment Fund (LIIF): National CDFI focused on low-income communities, with deep California presence. Genesis LA's co-partner on the SPARCC program and a fellow intermediary for affordable housing and community development capital deployment.
- Pacific Community Ventures: CDFI operating in California with focus on small business lending in underserved communities. Co-partner with Genesis LA on Bank of America's wildfire relief initiative, sharing similar nonprofit CDFI structure and target borrowers.
- Community Vision: Bay Area-based CDFI and community development partner. Co-launches the CalCORE capacity-building program with Genesis LA, providing the Northern California counterpart to Genesis LA's LA County coverage.
Broad incumbents
- Enterprise Community Partners: One of the largest national CDFIs with deep affordable housing and community development expertise. Operates broadly across LA but at much larger scale, offering overlapping CDFI lending, NMTC deployment, and capacity building services.
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Major national CDFI with active LA programming, providing community development lending, NMTC, and capacity building across the country. A much larger incumbent with similar mission and overlapping borrower base.
- Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI focused on equitable economic development, affordable housing, and community services. Competes with Genesis LA for NMTC allocations and CRA-motivated capital while offering similar community development loans.
Regional players
- CDC Small Business Finance: LA-based CDFI focused on small business lending, with deep Southern California roots. Comparable CDFI lending mission but with a narrower small-business focus versus Genesis LA's broader community development mandate.
Others
- National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC): National network organization promoting fair access to banking and capital for underserved communities. Tangentially related as an advocacy and capacity-building peer to the CDFI/CDE ecosystem in which Genesis LA operates.
- Opportunity Finance Network (OFN): National membership network of CDFIs. Not a direct competitor but the primary trade association and capital conduit for the CDFI industry, providing funding, policy advocacy, and capacity support to Genesis LA and its peer CDFIs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Genesis LA social profiles
Digital presenceGenesis LA compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Genesis LA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Genesis LA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Genesis LA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Genesis LA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Genesis LA
What does Genesis LA do?
Genesis LA is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Entity (CDE) that provides direct loans and New Markets Tax Credit financing to nonprofits, small businesses, emerging enterprises, and local developers across Los Angeles County. It deploys capital through its internally managed Genesis Community Investment Fund (GCIF) and supports borrowers with technical assistance, capacity building, and intermediary program administration for partners such as LA County.
Is Genesis LA a public or private company?
Genesis LA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Genesis LA founded?
Genesis LA was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Genesis LA based?
Genesis LA is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Genesis LA make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. CDFI Lending is the primary driver. The others are NMTC Lending and intermediary Services.
Who are Genesis LA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Clearinghouse CDFI, Low-Income Investment Fund (LIIF), Pacific Community Ventures and Community Vision. Broad incumbents are Enterprise Community Partners, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and Capital Impact Partners. CDC Small Business Finance is listed as a regional player. Others are National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) and Opportunity Finance Network (OFN).
Does Genesis LA have an API?
No public API is recorded for Genesis LA.
What industry is Genesis LA in?
Genesis LA's product category is Community Development Finance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSABAEAC, Community Development Credit Unions (CDCUs), with a secondary code of BPAGAKAC, Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 6035.