TEDC

What TEDC does

TEDC Creative Capital, legally the Tulsa Economic Development Corporation, is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) founded in 1979 and headquartered at 125 West 3rd Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The organization provides non-traditional small business lending ranging from $5,000 to $10 million through a portfolio of programs: SSBCI OBLP (up to $5 million at a 5.5% fixed rate, administered with OCAST), SBA 504 loans, microloans, the Retail Revitalization Revolving Loan Fund, and Tulsa Business Loans. Over the last five years, TEDC has provided or located more than $150 million to nearly 300 small businesses. The organization also operates the EDEN (Entrepreneurial Development and Education Network) platform, offering business planning programs, the Kauffman FastTrac 12-week curriculum, and courses on real estate investing and cash flow management, positioning TEDC as a capital-plus-education provider rather than a pure lender.

The customer base is concentrated in Oklahoma small businesses and nonprofits — primarily startups, very small businesses (fewer than 10 employees), and SEDI-owned (socially and economically disadvantaged individual) ventures that face barriers to traditional bank financing. Industries served include food and beverage, retail, healthcare and recovery services, childcare and education, entertainment, and craft/import businesses. The 2026 launch of the GEM (Greenwood Entrepreneurship at Moton) resource hub at the historic Moton Hospital site in North Tulsa extends the model into a physical workspace, training, and mentorship facility. Revenue is generated primarily from interest income on the loan portfolio, supplemented by a $35 per-guarantor application fee.

TEDC's distribution model blends direct lending from the Tulsa headquarters, online application intake, and a referral network spanning federal agencies (HUD, SBA, EDA, CDFI Fund, U.S. Treasury), state entities (OCAST, Tulsa County), city government (City of Tulsa, PartnerTulsa), institutional philanthropy (GKFF, Schusterman), and commercial banks (Chase, BOK, Security Bank). Capital procurement is the central operating activity: a $1.89M CDFI Fund award in April 2023 and a $3M EDA award in May 2024 supplemented ongoing inflows. The organization employs 1-10 people and is governed by an independent board, with Rose Washington-Jones as President and CEO.

Name

TEDC

Legal name

Tulsa Economic Development Corporation

Website

https://tedcnet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TEDC Creative Capital is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) founded in 1979 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, providing non-traditional small business loans ($5,000 to $10 million) and the EDEN business education platform to underserved entrepreneurs across Oklahoma. Over five years it has deployed over $150 million to nearly 300 small businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Lending

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Commercial Banking (522110)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

Keywords

• Small business lending
• Community development finance
• SBA 504 loans
• Microloans for entrepreneurs
• Business education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Loan Interest Income: TEDC generates revenue through interest income on its various loan programs including microloans, SBA 504 loans, and SSBCI OBLP loans. Loans range from $5,000 to $10 million, with interest rates varying by program. The organization also charges a $35 application fee per guarantor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TEDC Creative Capital is a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides non-traditional small business loans ranging from $5,000 to $10 million, including SSBCI OBLP, Microloans, SBA 504 Loans, Retail Revitalization Revolving Loans, and Tulsa Business Loans. The organization complements its lending with the EDEN business education platform offering business planning programs, Kauffman FastTrac, and specialized courses. TEDC also operates the GEM (Greenwood Entrepreneurship at Moton) resource hub providing workspace, training, and mentorship to entrepreneurs in Oklahoma.

Product overview

TEDC Creative Capital is a community development financial institution (CDFI) offering a unified suite of lending products and educational programs for Oklahoma small businesses. The core lending portfolio includes SSBCI OBLP (up to $5 million at 5.5% fixed rate), Microloans, SBA 504 Loans, Retail Revitalization Revolving Loans, and Tulsa Business Loans, ranging from $500 to $10 million. Complementing the lending products is the EDEN educational platform providing Business Planning Programs, Kauffman FastTrac (12-week curriculum), and business development courses. The GEM (Greenwood Entrepreneurship at Moton) resource hub provides physical workspace, training, and mentorship. These products work together to provide comprehensive capital solutions and business education supporting entrepreneurs from startup through growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SSBCI OBLP (Oklahoma Business Lending Partnership) A loan program funded through the U.S. Treasury's State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and administered in partnership with OCAST, offering loans up to $5 million (average around $350,000) with a competitive 5.5% fixed interest rate for the life of the loan. Targeted at Oklahoma-based small businesses needing growth capital.
• Microloan Small-scale loans designed for startups and very small businesses needing flexible, accessible capital. Part of TEDC's menu of non-traditional lending programs targeted at Oklahoma entrepreneurs who face barriers to traditional financing.
• Retail Revitalization Revolving Loan Fund A specialized loan program focused on revitalizing retail businesses and commercial corridors in Tulsa and surrounding areas, supporting economic development in targeted neighborhoods.
• SBA 504 Loan Small Business Administration 504 loans providing long-term, fixed-rate financing for major assets such as real estate and equipment. Offered through TEDC's partnership with the SBA for small business owners in Oklahoma.
• Tulsa Business Loan (Small Business Loan) General small business loans offered to entrepreneurs in the Tulsa area to start, expand, or sustain their businesses. One of TEDC's foundational lending products for the local Tulsa market.
• EDEN (Entrepreneurial Development and Education Network) TEDC's business education platform offering programs including Business Planning Programs, The Power of Real Estate Investing, and Cash Flow for Entrepreneurs. Equips Oklahoma small business owners with knowledge and skills for success.
• GEM (Greenwood Entrepreneurship at Moton) A physical space at the historic Moton Hospital site providing workspace, training, mentorship, and resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Designed to support the next generation of business leaders in North Tulsa.
• Kauffman FastTrac Program A 12-week entrepreneurial program offered through TEDC that walks new business owners through the skills they need to succeed, including developing business plans and learning about marketing, hiring, legal requirements, and government regulations.
• Business Planning Programs Structured courses through EDEN helping entrepreneurs develop comprehensive business plans and financial projections for their ventures, preparing them for successful loan applications and business operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $150 million provided or located to nearly 300 small businesses over 5 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.

• Kauffman FastTracsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Kauffman FastTrac is a 12-week entrepreneurial program that TEDC offers to help new business owners develop business plans and acquire skills for success.
• PartnerTulsacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023PartnerTulsa, an extension of City of Tulsa, owns the Moton Hospital property and worked with TEDC on the Greenwood Entrepreneurship at Moton (GEM) project. PartnerTulsa provided $40,000 Brownfields grant for environmental remediation.
• Downtown Tulsa PartnershipsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Downtown Tulsa Partnership runs the Days of Wonder pop-up shop program that gave TEDC program participants their first brick-and-mortar store spaces.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• LiftFund: Texas-based nonprofit CDFI providing micro and small business loans with bundled technical assistance to underserved communities; near-identical 'capital plus education' model and comparable loan-size range.
• Hope Credit Union: CDFI credit union serving low-wealth and minority communities in the Deep South with deposits, loans, and financial coaching; comparable mission-driven small business and consumer credit model.
• Kiva: Crowdfunded microloan nonprofit extending 0% interest capital to underserved small businesses globally; directly competes for the same underserved small-borrower cohort via an alternative funding model.
• Pacific Community Ventures: West Coast CDFI providing capital, advising, and consulting to underbanked small businesses; parallels TEDC's blend of lending, business education, and ecosystem partnerships for SEDI-owned firms.
• Grameen America: Microfinance nonprofit serving women entrepreneurs in underserved U.S. communities with group-lending and individual microloans; comparable mission and small-dollar, high-touch underwriting approach.
• DreamSpring: Nationwide nonprofit CDFI (formerly Accion) providing microloans and small business capital to underserved entrepreneurs; same target customer (underbanked SMBs) and similar SBA, CDFI Fund, and partner-bank capital stack.
• Coastal Enterprises Inc. (CEI): Maine-based CDFI providing small business financing, including SBA and microloans, combined with business advising; closely mirrors TEDC's capital-plus-advisory approach in a different region.
• MetaFund: Oklahoma City-based nonprofit CDFI that has deployed over $470M since 1999; co-financed Oklahoma's first joint CDFI deal with TEDC for Palmer Addiction Recovery Services, making it the closest like-for-like comparables.

Others

• Kauffman Foundation (FastTrac): National entrepreneurship foundation whose FastTrac curriculum TEDC delivers locally; comparable as the upstream provider of the educational content that underpins TEDC's Kauffman FastTrac program.

Broad incumbents

• JPMorgan Chase Community Development Banking: Largest U.S. bank's community development arm offering SBA, construction, and small business loans in low-income communities; active TEDC referral/grant partner and broader competing funder in the same underserved segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tedccreativecapital

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 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 TEDC