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LEEF
We're on a mission

To help you grow your business

LEEF was founded in 2002 as an informal volunteer outreach program from Abyssinian Baptist Church. In 2025 LEEF transitioned to a mission-driven for-profit organization that provides free business consulting, training and fee-based loan preparation intermediary services. Our goal is to create a meaningful, quantifiable impact for minority and undeserved entrepreneurs while generating market returns for our lender partners.
Business Lending Supports:

  • Economic Growth, 
  • Job Creation, & Retention
  • Undeserved Communities
  • Businesses Promoting Environmental Sustainability

Meet Our Team of Experienced Business Advisors

Our team are dedicated to empowering minority-owned small businesses. They are experienced professionals covering a wide range of entrepreneurship and industry expertise. Each member also brings unique qualities in connecting with minority-business owners.

Lisa Jackson

Advisor

Darrell Green

Advisor

Seddu Eugene

Co-Founder

       Client Services    

Stephen Cohen

Advisor

    Martin Smith

Advisor

Kiwanda Jackson

Social Media Intern

Patricia Thomas

Advisor

Miguel Montoya

Advisor

John Miller

Advisor    `

Our Values

INTEGRITY

  • Consistently embodies the organization's core values through actions and decisions.
  • Cultivates trust by maintaining honesty and treating others with respect in all interactions.
  • Dedicated to promoting openness and clarity within the organization.
  • Taking initiative, being responsive, and skillfully navigating important or difficult conversations.
  • Consciously maintains professional conduct and appropriate relationship boundaries.

    • ACCOUNTABILITY

  • Accepts personal responsibility for conduct, actions, and outcomes, while also holding others to the same standard.
  • Takes the initiative to stay well-informed and ensures relevant information is shared appropriately with others.

    • ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

  • Recognizes and rewards innovative contributions.
  • Embraces change flexibly and positively.
  • Eagerly learns from all outcomes, good or bad.
  • Inspires creative thinking in others.


    • LEEP Young Entrepreneurs

    LEEP Young Entrepreneurs focuses on helping kids aged 9-13 discover the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and financial literacy through engaging, games, and activities, and emphasizes the importance of teamwork and citizenship.

    Volunteer Opportunities

    Connect, serve, and support diverse entrepreneurs, women, LGBTQIA+ , immigrants, veterans, entrepreneurs with disabilities, low-income entrepreneurs, and formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs by joining our marketing, finance, and legal volunteer programs. You can offer your hands-on experience, professional expertise, and skills to help entrepreneurs transform and succeed.

    Facilitator

    The role of the session trainers is to develop and present specialized content related to small business. Topics are geared to new and small business entrepreneurs and individuals with limited to no business training. Responsibilities include preparing and delivering a 2-hour workshop that is educational and engaging. LEEF provides input to our workshop volunteers on general training topics that would be relevant to the needs of our clients. We, however, welcome the expertise of each volunteer to develop and design individual training sessions.

    Business Coach`

    Business Coaches play an important role in supporting clients who need help in developing and refining their business plans as well as developing specific skills to run their business more effectively. They facilitate small group topic-specific sessions and work one-on-one with clients. Business Coaches work with clients from the very early planning stages of their business as well as providing ongoing support as clients launch and grow their businesses.
    Loan Application Assistance

    You will help  create financial projections, guide owners through business plans, and help them find funding through our lending and grant network. 

    From cooking in my house with my grandmother to opening my own restaurant and then two, could never happen without the support and coaching.

    Jean Thomson