Leeaf.la

Community Economic Development Servicesleeaf.la

LEEAF is a Los Angeles County nonprofit that delivers free entrepreneurship training, customized business support, and action research to small business owners, with a focus on minority, women, and immigrant-owned businesses facing systemic barriers to capital and networks.

Company typePrivate
Founded2021
HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Leeaf.la does

LEEAF (Los Angeles Economic Equity Accelerator & Fellowship) is a California-based nonprofit organization that delivers free entrepreneurship programs and community-led action research to small business owners across Los Angeles County, with a particular focus on minority, women, and immigrant-owned businesses that face systemic barriers to capital, networks, and business education. Its core service portfolio comprises three programmatic offerings — the Entrepreneurial Academy (practical skills training, 16,085 cohort instructional hours delivered), the Strategy Studio (free customized Marketing, HR, Finance, and Tech Operations support), and an Accelerator & Fellowship Program in build-out — supported by an Action Research practice that has produced over 10,000 ground-level observations, 650+ East LA interviews, 490+ Economic Mobility Initiative intakes, and 7,700+ LA County business closure site visits.

The organization is not a technology company; there is no proprietary platform and no AI/ML layer disclosed, with delivery reliant on Squarespace for web, Airtable for applications, Flodesk for newsletters, and PayPal for donations. Its underlying architecture is a service-delivery model that combines direct street-level outreach with bilingual (Spanish-language) in-person sessions and structured cohort programs, distributing programs through a network of municipal partnerships (LA County, City of Los Angeles, City of Bell, Huntington Park, East LA, Department of Economic Opportunity, Office of Hilda Solis) and corporate support (notably Wells Fargo).

LEEAF's economic model is grant- and donation-funded rather than transactional: programs are free to qualifying entrepreneurs, with revenue coming from philanthropic donations, corporate contributions, and government/institutional program funding. The organization has reached 12,213+ businesses and supported the launch or scale of 314 businesses, while downstream partnerships (Target Forward Founders, NAWBO-LA, Siete Family Foods' Juntos Fund) have channeled supported entrepreneurs into external accelerators, pitch competitions, and grants — extending impact without requiring paid contracts.

Leeaf.la firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Leeaf.la
Legal name: Los Angeles Economic Equity Accelerator & Fellowship
Website: https://leeaf.la
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2021
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: LEEAF is a Los Angeles County nonprofit that delivers free entrepreneurship training, customized business support, and action research to small business owners, with a focus on minority, women, and immigrant-owned businesses facing systemic barriers to capital and networks.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Leeaf.la industry classification

Industry

Product category: Community Economic Development Services
NAICS: Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
akta.pro industry: PRIMARYEDAAAOAM
Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs
Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Workforce Development Initiatives
SECONDARYEDAMAHAA
Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics
Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment
SECONDARYEDAMAHAG
Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills
Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment
SECONDARYEDAMAHAI
Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business
Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment
SECONDARYEDAAAFAK
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education
Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

Keywords

Small business support
Entrepreneur development programs
Economic equity initiatives
Community economic development
Nonprofit business services

Where Leeaf.la is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Los Angeles
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

Leeaf.la business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

Philanthropic Donations: LEEAF operates primarily through charitable donations from individuals and organizations committed to economic equity. The organization accepts donations via PayPal and positions donation opportunities prominently on their website for supporters to invest in their mission.
Government & Institutional Partnerships: LEEAF partners with city governments and public institutions (Department of Economic Opportunity, LA County, various cities) to deliver economic development programs, likely receiving program funding or grants in exchange for services.
Program Services: The organization provides free programs including the Entrepreneurial Academy, Strategy Studio with free Marketing, HR, Finance, and Tech Operations support, and accelerator/fellowship programs at no cost to qualifying entrepreneurs.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Freemium	Pay-as-you-go	Entrepreneurial Academy - Free skills training for small business owners
Freemium	Pay-as-you-go	Strategy Studio - Free business support services
Freemium	Pay-as-you-go	Accelerator & Fellowship Program

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Leeaf.la product offering

Product offering

Core offering

LEEAF is a nonprofit organization that delivers free entrepreneurial support programs to small business owners in Los Angeles County. Its three core offerings are the Entrepreneurial Academy (skills training), the Strategy Studio (free Marketing, HR, Finance, and Tech Operations support), and the Accelerator & Fellowship Program (cohort-based entrepreneurial development). The organization complements these with Action Research (community-led studies), City Partnerships (government program design and staff support), The Growth Journal (thought leadership content), and Success Stories (alumni showcases). All entrepreneur-facing services are provided at no cost.

Product overview

LEEAF (Los Angeles Economic Equity Accelerator & Fellowship) is a multi-program ecosystem designed to build economic equity in Los Angeles County. The organization operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture centered around three core offerings: the Entrepreneurial Academy for skills development, the Strategy Studio for customized business support, and the Accelerator & Fellowship Program for comprehensive entrepreneurial development. Supporting these core programs are the Action Research service (providing community-led research), The Growth Journal (thought leadership content), City Partnerships (government collaboration services), and Success Stories (social proof showcase). Together, these programs provide a holistic ecosystem addressing access, skills, growth, and community for small business leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

12,213+ businesses reached through programs
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use Leeaf.la

Customer profile

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Leeaf.la technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Leeaf.la partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

Los Angeles CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLA County is a key partner in LEEAF's economic equity initiatives, participating in voice-to-action panels and providing support for small business development across the county's districts.
City of Los AngelescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of LA partners with LEEAF to support small business equity initiatives and economic development programs within the city.
Department of Economic OpportunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEO partnership supports LEEAF's initiatives in providing economic opportunities and resources to underserved business communities.
Office of Hilda Solis (LA County District 1)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupervisor Hilda Solis's office partnered with LEEAF at the Rebuilding Trust event, providing honorary certificates and supporting small business policy initiatives.
City of BellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Bell partners with LEEAF for small business support programs including the Bell Business Round Table series covering marketing, permits, zoning, and city hall navigation.
ATLAS store at Westfield Century City MallminorOthersATLAS store provides product placement opportunities for LEEAF-supported entrepreneurs like Violet Botanical Skincare.
NAWBO-LA (National Association of Women Business Owners - Los Angeles)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAWBO-LA's 2025 Pitch Competition featured LEEAF-supported entrepreneurs like Don Belton of Achieving Healthy Balance as finalists.
Target Forward FoundersmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTarget's accelerator program accepted LEEAF-supported entrepreneur Michael Monsour of Convivial Spice from over 5,000 applicants and offered an exclusive extension for grant pitching.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Leeaf.la competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses: Multi-city tuition-free education and business support program for small business owners, often partnering with community colleges. Directly comparable to LEEAF's Entrepreneurial Academy model; LEEAF differentiates with city-government partnerships and Spanish-language delivery.
SCORE: National nonprofit providing free mentoring, workshops, and educational resources to small business owners. Closely comparable to LEEAF's Entrepreneurial Academy and Strategy Studio, with a much larger geographic footprint but less focus on Spanish-speaking/underserved LA communities.
Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) - California: Federally funded network offering free advising, training, and resources to California small businesses. LEEAF's Entrepreneurial Academy and Strategy Studio overlap with SBDC services, but LEEAF differentiates with city-government program design contracts and Spanish-language street outreach.

Emerging players

Impact Hub Los Angeles: Co-working and social innovation space in LA hosting entrepreneurship programs, workshops, and accelerators for impact-oriented founders. Adjacent peer operating in the same LA entrepreneurship ecosystem, with overlapping educational programming but a different delivery format.

Direct peers

Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC): Initiative by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) that connects small businesses in under-resourced areas with capital, training, and education. Strong analog to LEEAF's economic-equity model, though with broader national scope and capital-raise focus.
Latino Business Action Network (LBAN): Stanford-affiliated nonprofit advancing Latino-owned businesses through research, education, and accelerators. Direct peer given shared focus on Latino entrepreneurship, academic-action-research orientation, and accelerator programming for SMB founders.
Pacific Community Ventures: California-focused nonprofit supporting underserved small business owners through advisory, capital, and research. Comparable regional footprint, target population, and combination of action research + direct business services — the closest direct peer to LEEAF.
Accion Opportunity Fund: Community development financial institution providing small business lending, coaching, and education to underserved entrepreneurs. Comparable target demographic (minority, immigrant, women-owned businesses) and mix of education + capital services, though Accion adds a lending product LEEAF lacks.
Kiva Los Angeles: Nonprofit crowdfunding platform for small business loans targeting underserved entrepreneurs, with local LA operations and City of LA partnership. Comparable LA footprint and underserved-entrepreneur focus; differs by being a capital marketplace rather than an education and accelerator provider.

Regional players

National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE): Membership-based nonprofit providing education, resources, and advocacy for self-employed and micro-business owners nationwide. Comparable mission to support very small business owners, with similar educational content but a national advocacy-led model rather than LEEAF's community-led research approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Leeaf.la financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Leeaf.la leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Leeaf.la funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

Leeaf.la M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Leeaf.la

What does Leeaf.la do?

Is Leeaf.la a public or private company?

Leeaf.la is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Leeaf.la founded?

Leeaf.la was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is Leeaf.la based?

Leeaf.la is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.

How does Leeaf.la make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Philanthropic Donations are the primary driver. The others are government & Institutional Partnerships and program Services.

Who are Leeaf.la's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, SCORE and Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) - California. Impact Hub Los Angeles is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC), Latino Business Action Network (LBAN), Pacific Community Ventures, Accion Opportunity Fund and Kiva Los Angeles. National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is listed as a regional player.

Does Leeaf.la have an API?

No public API is recorded for Leeaf.la.

What industry is Leeaf.la in?

Leeaf.la's product category is Community Economic Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAOAM, Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs, with a secondary code of EDAMAHAA, Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics. Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8200.