NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Opportunity Finance Network, the nation's leading investment intermediary and network of community development financial institutions (CDFIs), recognized St. Paul-based Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) with the Outstanding CDFI Award and Andrew Crosson of Invest Appalachia with the Rising Star Award at The Opportunity Honors Award Ceremony and Reception Thursday at the 42nd annual OFN Conference in New Orleans.

"LEDC and Andrew Crosson represent the very best of community development finance: leaders who see what their communities need and act with urgency, imagination, and resolve," said OFN President and CEO Harold Pettigrew. "When fear and disruption threatened small businesses across the Twin Cities, LEDC moved quickly to protect livelihoods and keep neighborhoods intact. And under Andrew's leadership, Invest Appalachia has built partnerships that are bringing new capital and possibility to communities across the region. Their work reminds us that opportunity is not self-executing. It takes trusted institutions and determined leaders willing to build it."

The Outstanding CDFI Award recognizes a CDFI that has gone above and beyond over the last 18 months in serving its communities and advancing the CDFI industry.

Natural disasters and public health crises often trigger emergency relief efforts, but from late 2025 through early 2026, businesses across Minneapolis-St. Paul faced unexpected community disruptions that caused sudden revenue losses, threatening their survival. In just three weeks, LEDC launched the Emergency Business Relief Fund and raised $1.2 million that helped small businesses stay open, preserve jobs, and continue serving their communities.

When Andrew Crosson became Invest Appalachia's founding CEO, he came to the role without formal training in finance or investments, but with a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Appalachian communities.

Under his leadership, Invest Appalachia has deployed over $40.5 million in blended financing for underserved communities across the region, with a majority deployed in partnership with other CDFIs, including Woodland Community Lenders, Fahe, Mountain Association, Mountain BizWorks, and Partner Community Capital.  His innovative use of catalytic capital has also leveraged more than $86 million in repayable financing, demonstrating how blended finance can help unlock investment in rural communities.

LEARN MORE: The Opportunity Honors | Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) | Invest Appalachia 

About Opportunity Finance Network

Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) is the nation's leading network and intermediary focused on community development investment, managing more than $1 billion in total assets and a membership of nearly 500 community development financial institutions (CDFIs), which includes community development loan funds, credit unions, green banks, banks, minority depository institutions, and venture capital funds. Our network of CDFIs works to ensure communities left behind by mainstream finance have access to affordable, responsible financial products and services, with a deep focus on serving rural, urban, and Native communities across the United States. OFN is a trusted investment partner to the public, private, and philanthropic sectors – foundations, corporations, banks, government agencies, and others – and, for more than 40 years, has helped partners invest in communities to catalyze change and create economic opportunities for all.

Since its founding in 1986, OFN members have originated more than $136 billion in cumulative financing, helping to create or maintain nearly 3.8 million jobs, start or expand nearly 1.2 million businesses and microenterprises, and support the development or rehabilitation of nearly 3 million housing units and nearly 16,000 community facility projects.