Latino Economic Development Corporation

The Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), incorporated in 2022, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting economic empowerment and community development among Latino and other underserved populations in Massachusetts. The LEDC, an affiliate of Partners for Community, is committed to mobilizing community resources to assist those in need in the community as well as to protecting the City’s investments.  To this end, business partnerships have been sought to create a unique team of business professionals.  The team consists of entrepreneurial business partners and business coaches in the community, who will work with grantees to ensure they can access the support and professionals they need to help their businesses grow.  These individuals have the skills and expertise to guide and coach business owners in all areas of successful entrepreneurship and help business owners undertake activities that lead to expansion.

The LEDC provides mini-grants to Latino businesses to offset expenses such as continued rental of space, trainings, capital improvements, and other needs of the Latino business community.  Specific entrepreneurial training/education to bridge the educational and training gap among Latino communities.  Such mini-grants provide the opportunity for small businesses to connect with a team of professional business coaches to utilize specific expertise from coaches in the field, create an environment of support for businesses, and directly impact minority, women, and low-income communities in Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, and all over Massachusetts. 

The team includes human resources professionals, accountants, financial coaches, marketing specialists, social media/content creators, business/personal coaches, behavioral/mental health support, and individuals to assist in providing city certificates, LLC applications, and notary services.  These resources represent an ecosystem of support and guidance that Latino businesses can draw from and depend on as their businesses grows or begins.  The Latino Economic Development Corporation is further committed to ensuring success of Latino businesses and providing necessary ongoing support.  Therefore, LEDC will continue to support grantees for up to 24 months to ensure proper guidance and to protect investments in each business.