Stories

LEAF’s Elevate Small Business team is thrilled to announce the award of a FY2020 grant for technical assistance from Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation. The award of $61,000 will allow Amine Benali and Chris Hunter to serve Greater Boston’s minority, women,…

Culinary duo Ernie Campbell and Aquila Kentish opened the doors to their new Jamaica Plain restaurant in early September to a crowd of faithful customers, city officials, and community leaders. Previously, the couple had operated their world-class Carribean food business…

LEAF has approved a loan to Community Purchasing Alliance (CPA), a purchasing cooperative in Washington, D.C. that helps local community organizations such as schools, churches, and other mission-oriented property owners to lower the cost of their largest contracts. CPA is…

Shana Bryant Consulting (SBC) is an event planning and management company based in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, MA. SBC provides end-to-end event management services, trainings, and consulting services for institutional clients, non-profits, and entrepreneurs seeking to coordinate high-impact functions.…

LEAF has approved a loan for Rhode Island food cooperative Urban Greens Co-Op Market. Located on Cranston Street in Providence. The market provides local, healthy food to consumers of all income levels. The Co-op opened on June 27, 2019 and…

Last month, our Managing Director of Strategy & Development, Amine Benali, wrote an opinion editorial responding to a New York Times article about an Amherst, MA student journalist’s exposė on prison labor contracts in MA public schools. One of LEAF’s…

This summer, LEAF is saying its goodbyes to two of its full-time employees and its amazing Quaker Voluntary Service Fellow. At the same time, LEAF would like to welcome its three newest team members!  Nathan Hixson, our former Director of…

James Razsa, Co-founder and CEO of Democracy Brewing shares how Impact Investing contributed to his dream of opening a democratically-owned brewery The LEAF team has been attending so many engaging and informative events these past few months and we’d like…

Customers viewing the selection of goods and foods inside Boston Public Market This month LEAF partnered with Coastal Enterprises Inc. (CEI) to provide financing for the Boston Public Market at Haymarket Station. The Market, which opened in 2015, is an…

Participants at the gathering in Worcester shared a light breakfast before the first activity The LEAF team has been attending so many engaging and informative events these past few months and we’d like to share our takeaways with you! This…

A customer reaches for avocados inside Mello’s Supermarket in Lawrence Last month, NBC Boston did a report about how where you live can have a huge impact on your health. For example, food deserts in low-income areas can contribute to…