Mission & History
The Entrepreneurial Development Institute (TEDI) is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1991. Our mission is to serve as a catalyst for permanent social change, economic development, and community empowerment.
TEDI was founded on the premise that entrepreneurial education is an outstanding addition to young people’s traditional academic training.
Our primary goal was to educate and equip youth and their families with the necessary skills and resources to become full stakeholders in the economic and social revitalization of their communities.
Initiated as an operating program in Washington, DC, TEDI quickly expanded to 16 U.S. cities and three international sites. From 1991 to 1997, TEDI provided entrepreneurial training to over 30,000 youth.
Through capacity building, training, and programming, TEDI assisted young people, ages 7 to 21, in their personal, professional, academic and social development.
Moreover, TEDI provided youth entrepreneurs with direct access to start-up grants, business loans and ongoing technical support from business leaders and mentors.
In 1997, TEDI decided to phase out of direct service. To this end, TEDI provided support for affiliate and satellite offices to become independent, community-based organizations. In addition, we created the first business incubator for youth enterprise in DC.
Now & Future
Over ten years later, TEDI is still serving as a catalyst for social and economic empowerment. We provide fiscal sponsorship for many emerging activists and social entrepreneurs, particularly leaders of color.
TEDI provides access to our charitable tax status, along with technical assistance in the areas of business planning and organizational growth. Sample projects include popandpolitics.com and Change the Game.
In addition, TEDI provides staff training, curriculum development and technical assistance to schools and community-based organizations interested in starting and/or managing a youth enterprise-training program throughout the United States.
Each year we receive several requests for assistance. All requests are screened and selected partners receive technical assistance and program materials.
TEDI does not charge a fee for its technical support but does require local groups to pay for reproduction of the TEDI curriculum, workbooks and casebooks – at cost.
Today, TEDI maintains a presence in Washington, DC. We actively continue to serve as a catalyst for permanent social and economic change, particularly in historically marginalized communities, through training, technical assistance, program support and curriculum development.
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About Melissa
Melissa Bradley is Founder and Managing Director of New Capitalist™. In this role, she has facilitated over $20MM in private equity transactions for seed-stage companies and generated an average of 20 percent return on behalf of investors.
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