Membership Spotlight – Rodolfo Magdaleno

Meet LEDA’s individual member, Rodolfo Magdaleno, the owner of an American Family Insurance agency. Rodolfo is passionate about helping families and businesses protect what matters most. Did You Know? The insurance industry is essential to our economy, contributing over $600 billion to the U.S. GDP annually. Insurance helps individuals and businesses recover from unexpected losses […]

Grundy County – Our first Industry Roundtable!

We partnered with the Grundy County Chamber Of Commerce and City of Morris IL to host our first Latino Small Business Roundtable in Grundy County! We host the Small Business Roundtables to connect our small business owners and the local leadership. We had great representation across the county attend this morning. Thank you Mayor Brown, […]

Latin@ Economic Summit

Attending the Latin@ Economic Summit organized by the IL Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Minority and Economic Empowerment was an incredible experience! We loved connecting with various state agencies and participating in workshops featuring outstanding panelists who provided invaluable information. This summit is definitely a must for any Latino entrepreneur! We were […]

All That & A Touch Of Soul

New restaurant alert! Join us in welcoming “All That & A Touch Of Soul” to Joliet. Located on 318 S Chicago St Joliet IL 60432

Meet LEDA’s 2024 Summer Interns

Introducing Our Summer Interns We are thrilled to introduce our dynamic group of summer interns who are ready to bring their unique talents and perspectives to our team. Please join us in welcoming these bright and ambitious students: Anahi Rodriguez is a Junior undergraduate student at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, IL, majoring […]

EBC’s “Celebrating Small Business” Reception

We are grateful to Entrepreneur & Business Center at Joliet Junior College for inviting LEDA to their “Celebrating Small Business” reception. It was a fantastic evening celebrating entrepreneurs dedicated to strategic growth in 2024. Partnering with the EBC is always a joy! We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Rooted Restaurant @rootedminooka Many thanks to Elevate […]

RECAP – Breaking Barriers for Black and Latino Small Businesses

Thank you to everyone who made the “Breaking Barriers for Black and Latino Small Businesses” Small Business Expo a great event. We are grateful to our sponsors: Northern Illinois Community Initiatives, PNC Bank, Edward Jones, and With Purpose Media and Events. A special thanks to our planning team: Joliet Latino Economic Development Association, African American […]

Breaking Barriers for Black and Latino Small Businesses

Join Us for the “Breaking Barriers for Black and Latino Small Businesses” Expo! Date and Time: Thursday, June 13th, 2024, from 5 PM to 8 PM Location: 511 Collins St, Joliet, IL 60432 Admission at no cost. Are you a Black or Latino entrepreneur looking to grow your small business? Don’t miss this incredible opportunity […]

Leadership Transition: Paulina Martinez

We are excited to announce a leadership transition and a new chapter for one of our valued board directors! Paulina Martinez has served as our Vice President since 2021 and was recently announced as the Economic Development Director at the City of Joliet. We have no doubt that she will be a tremendous asset to […]

“Breaking Barriers for Black & Latino Businesses”

The countdown begins for the “Breaking Barriers for Black & Latino Businesses” small business expo! This event is hosted by the Joliet Latino Economic Development Association, the African American Business Association, the Entrepreneur and Business Center at Joliet Junior College, and the Office of Minority and Economic Empowerment at IL DCEO. Dedicated to supporting minority-owned […]