TDF Foundation’s Mission

To reach entrepreneurs through sustainable and innovative projects that provide the necessary tools for success.

 

• Promote access to capital for small businesses in order to enhance competition
• Stimulate the development of new technology
• Promote employment
• Promote education/training

Targeting Emerging Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses

The foundation reaches the entrepreneur and small businesses through a diverse mix of projects, giving entrepreneurs an edge and small businesses the resources required to succeed.

• Education / Training
• Scholarships
• Small Business Development
• Sponsorships

Through partnerships with established public and private organizations that share our mission, TDF has identified the needs of the entrepreneur, developing innovative programs/training to address these areas and insuring program sustainability to providing support to the entrepreneur as their business grows.

 

Learn more about our portfolio of projects:

 

Alaska Marketplace:
www.alaskamarketplace.org

The Alaska Marketplace is modeled after the World Bank’s highly successful Development Marketplace. The Development Marketplace has inspired entrepreneur’s world-wide to solve local and national economic problems in their countries. The Alaska Marketplace is the first business development marketplace of its kind in the United States.

In 2004 TDF began a partnership with the Alaska Federation of Natives to launch this ground breaking and innovative, private-public collaboration to stimulate entrepreneurial business development. The Alaska Marketplace gave entrepreneurs whose voices were usually ignored, an opportunity to put forward their business ideas and compete for seed funding. Providing business education and support for burgeoning entrepreneur in Alaska. it created a venue where innovators and funding sources could meet, network and create sustainable businesses in rural Alaska.

Year 1 of the Alaska Marketplace found forty-eight entrepreneurs competing for business seed funding. Twenty-two winners were selected and received awards ranging from $8,000 to $50,000. The twenty-six runners up each received $1,000. British Petroleum provided the award pool of $500,000. The winners also received twelve months of mentoring to assist in the implementation and development of their businesses.

Year 2 of the Marketplace was launched in May 2007 and over one hundred-seventy entrepreneurs submitted business idea applications to the marketplace. Sixty-five applications were invited to write business plans and compete for over $700,000 in seeding funding this October.

This unique model is stimulating economic development in rural Alaska, creating entrepreneurs, businesses and job were only dreams existed.

TDF is a principal partner in the development, implementation and management of this project.


National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF)

Broadcast Leadership Training Program (BLT):
www.nabef.org

The Broadcast Leadership Training Program is a ten-month MBA program for broadcast executives and entrepreneurs in the broadcast industry. The program was created by NABEF seven years ago to teach talented business professionals in the broadcast industry, particularly women and minorities, the fundamentals of purchasing, owning and operating radio and television stations. BLT offers fellowships to women and minorities who meet the programs eligibility requirements. Over 67% of the students receive fellowships. Since the program’s inception over one hundred-twenty five participants have graduated from the program and gone on to advancing their careers and/or by becoming station owners.

TDF sponsors a BLT fellow and is an active member of the program faculty.


National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship:
www.nfte.com

NFTE was founded in 1987 as a dropout prevention and academic performance improvement program for high school students from low income communities. The award-winning NFTE “mini-MBA” curriculum uses entrepreneurship to reinforce math, reading and writing, while developing skills in critical thinking, teamwork, communications and decision-making. NFTE reaches over 14,000 students in the grater Washington, DC area and over 150,000 students nationally. NFTE has recently launched several international programs.

TDF partnered with NFTE to promote entrepreneurship through education and business plan competitions. NFTE and their partners make it possible for high school students from low-income communities to create original business plans and to compete for seed funding for their businesses.


One Economy:
www.one-economy.com

One Economy is a multi-national nonprofit founded in 2000 that uses technology-based strategies to help low income people improve their lives and join the economic mainstream. One Economy maximizes the potential of technology and is breaking down barriers in three main ways:

1) Access - One Economy works with top-of-market partners to facilitate the deployment of broadband into the home of low income individuals.

2) Content –The Beehive, a multilingual website, provides low-income people with information and resources needed to build assets and make more informed decisions.

3) On-the-Ground Partnerships – In select cities One Economy works with local partners to use online content, outreach, broadband access and technology training to help low-income people improve their standard of living.

TDF currently has a partnership project in development with One Economy.


Team Jefferson (DARPA Urban Challenge):

The DARPA Challenge was initiated to mobilize the technical community to accelerate research and development in critical national security technology areas.

Team Jefferson is based in Virginia, in partnership with the University of Virginia Engineering School faculty. The team is developing new technology and re-engineering existing technologies to address today’s national security problems.

Team Jefferson is one of the eighty-nine teams that will participate in the November 3, 2007 urban challenge event. TDF is a Team Jefferson sponsor.


Certificate of Deposit Program:

This program was launched in 2000 with five FDIC-insured minority-owned or operated financial institutions. A $100,000 Certificate of Deposit was placed at each of the five financial institutions.

In 2006 the program was expanded to include the Certificate of Deposit Registry Services (CDARS) network of banks. This phase of the program reaches numerous small community banks and the residents in these communities.

From 2000 – 2007 the program has provided capital to markets that are typically overlooked by other investors. Some certificates have remained at banks for five years providing a consistence source of funding for their communities.


How TDF Foundation meets its mission:

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