Business Development

For more information about the JEDI Office, contact JEDI Coordinator Rita Veleta.

Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Office

The JEDI Office works to directly address systemic inequities and barriers to entry for New Mexican business owners and entrepreneurs in EDD by supporting and creates programming and business tools to aid the growth of socially and economically disadvantaged businesses.

The JEDI Office is committed to:

help businesses connect to services, resources, and financing options
assist business owners as they navigate working with state government
support and advocate for businesses that generally fall through the cracks
promote growth for businesses interested in film, outdoor recreation, and science and technology

The FY25 JEDI Grant is now open for applications

Apply by October 30, 2024.

The JEDI Office, in its mission to directly address systemic inequities and barriers to entry for New Mexican business owners and entrepreneurs in EDD, is seeking applications from community organizations, nonprofits, and for-profit businesses. Grants will support programming and business tools to aid the growth of socially and economically disadvantaged businesses and entrepreneurs.

The JEDI Vision

To create a space where all New Mexican business owners, regardless of background and affiliation, can comfortably access the resources and services they need to create thriving business and economic mobility.

What is Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and What Does it Look Like in Practice?

Justice: Seeking to remove barriers and inequities that inhibit economic mobility.

Fair treatment of all people in EDD’s programming, resources, incentives, and services to promote equitable opportunities and outcomes for all.

Equity: Providing the level of resources and assistance necessary that give everyone the opportunity to participate from the same starting line.

Acknowledging the challenges, needs, histories, and identities of each individual to whom EDD provides needed assistance and resources to ensure business owners and entrepreneurs have equitable access to opportunities.

Diversity: A culmination of individuals that come from a multitude of identities, including but not limited to age, socioeconomic status, race, gender, location, cultural backgrounds, and more.

Recognizing and acknowledging differences and diverse representation as valued assets is a critical step to increasing equitable economic opportunities.

Inclusion: Honoring the perspective of everyone within our community. Creating a space where people feel welcome and comfortable enough to be part of the creation and implementation of the systems they participate in.

Not limited to diversity and quantitative representation, inclusion involves encouraging authentic and empowered participation by all New Mexicans and deliberately creating space for belonging and full access to opportunities.