Nurturing and Supporting both Main-Street and Home-based Businesses.
The Lancaster Avenue 21st Century Business Association, CDC (LA21) was founded in Philadelphia in 2008 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that serves over 20 blocks along Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia, as well as being a city-wide business resource.
We are a CDC (Community Development Corporation) business association representing businesses and organizations along the Lancaster Avenue corridor, a rich cultural, historic, and business hub. We are also a Registered Community Organization (RCO) representing Lancaster Avenue. Serving as an RCO allows us to engage our community with all zoning, land use and community development on and around Lancaster Avenue.
Our mission is to provide the training, resources, and environment to help new and established small businesses address the difficulties of starting, maintaining, and navigating the necessary changes needed to foster successful business growth and economic betterment of the Lancaster Avenue corridor and the city of Philadelphia.
LA21-CDC By the Numbers
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LA21 Funders & Partners
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LA21 News
May office hours impact report
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 — As part of our monthly Open Office Hours Series, LA21-CDC hosted a workshop on “Leveraging Lending to Grow Your Business”. Attendees gathered for an informative and engaging evening focused on smart financial strategies for business...
Impact Report for June’s Open Office Hours event
On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, LA21 hosted its monthly Open Office Hours event, welcoming over 20 small business owners to learn about the Philadelphia Small Business Catalyst Fund. Leslie Acosta from the Philadelphia Department of Commerce led the session, providing a...
Impact Report for Scale-Up Your Business-Spanish Cohort
LA21 is proud to announce the launch of our first Scale-Up Your Business cohort offered entirely in Spanish! This exciting new group began in June 2025 through its partnership with Greenline Access Capital to better support Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs in the...