Metropolitan Economic Development Association

Helping Underserved Entrepreneurs Succeed!

At MEDA, our commitment is to be a catalyst that fosters economic equity and supports a more inclusive future for underserved entrepreneurs. We provide free assistance to small business owners, empowering them to grow and scale their businesses to new heights and thrive in today's competitive environment.

Our support for small businesses is focused on three crucial areas: 

• Customized Business Consulting, 
• Access to Capital, 
• and Connections to peers, partners, and contract opportunities. 

MEDA provides access to these crucial business services to more 600 clients a year, who hire over 1,100 additional employees throughout the region, but especially in low-income neighborhoods. 

MEDA was founded in 1971 by a group of Minnesota corporate executives who saw the social unrest in the Twin Cities. They wanted to provide a sustainable solution to poverty, crime and unemployment that would create a pathway to business ownership and thereby create economic stability and generational wealth, particularly in communities of color.

MEDA has a proven track record of helping underserved entrepreneurs grow and become sustainable. Since our inception, MEDA has financed over 25,000 businesses and launched over 500 businesses. Meet some our clients and hear their stories that demonstrate how perseverance plus MEDA yields dreams come true. 

Your support is vital in helping us create a ripple effect of positive change that will touch lives and communities for generations to come.