Economic Development

A New Library Resource for Solving Problems and Pursuing Passions Location: Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee Number of branches: 21 Launch of NPL Means Business: 2021   OVERVIEW: Nashville is booming, and the ripples affect everyone. These include the public library system, which serves the city and surrounding Davidson County. Planners expect the metro area to grow by 140,000 people in the next 20 years, up from 700,000 today. Its residents are predominantly English-speaking, with…

The Benefits of Keeping the Ice House Model Running in the Background   Location: Fresno, California Number of employees: 11 Small businesses and entrepreneurs served in 2021: 360 Number of members: 511      OVERVIEW: The Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce engages, educates, and empowers small business owners and entrepreneurs of color. They provide technical assistance to start, scale, or restart a business and help them access capital. Some of its programs are very intentional…

A Cincinnati Nonprofit Instills a Sense of Usefulness to Help End the Cycle of Poverty   Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Number of employees: 2 Clients served annually: 150-210 Launch of the Ice House curriculum: 2015   OVERVIEW: Cincinnati has a reputation as a powerhouse in terms of Fortune 500 company headquarters, an up-and-coming destination for startups. The metro area also faces ongoing challenges with equity and opportunity for all its residents. The Greater Cincinnati Microenterprise Initiative…

Shifting the Culture within a Municipal Government Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico City population: 565,000 Number of municipal employees: 5,800 Participants in the Entrepreneurial Mindset Program: 895   OVERVIEW: Albuquerque and its sister community, Rio Rancho, anchor one of the fastest-growing regions in the Southwest. The metro area’s population (916,528 residents in 2020) is diverse, with many Spanish speakers, English speakers, and Native American communities. The region’s largest employers include the U.S. Air Force, Sandia National…

Location: North Omaha, Nebraska Launch date: 2019 Graduation rate: 86% Participants who have completed the program: 18 Formerly incarcerated: 20% Past participants who serve as social models: 60% Microgrants awarded: 25  Business revenue generated: $1.5 million OVERVIEW: In North Omaha, as in many inner-city communities across the United States, residents tend to spend their disposable income elsewhere. There’s little sense of economic cooperation, and entrepreneurial skill sets often manifest in unhealthy behaviors. Pastor Myron Pierce…

Overview NC IDEATM is a private foundation that supports the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the economic potential of entrepreneurs in North Carolina. It partners with organizations throughout the state to empower North Carolinians to achieve their entrepreneurial potential. Its programs include: NC IDEA LABS, helping founders refine their business model and learn about their customers NC IDEA MICRO, offering small, project-based grants to young companies NC IDEA SEED, providing grant funding to advance startups NC IDEA…

Location: Hamilton, Bermuda Number of employees: 14 People trained in the Ice House Model: 300 Overview In its early days, the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) helped small businesses with financial support and loan guarantees. It focused on customers who couldn’t access or didn’t qualify for bank financing. Now, 40 years later, BEDC has changed the types of products it offers in response to the needs of the island’s small and medium-sized businesses. “It’s no…

  Location: Roanoke, Virginia Service area: Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida  Services provided: Financial support for water projects, housing rehabilitation, training, technical assistance, and more to individuals, businesses, and municipalities Revenue in 2019: $6.14 million Founding date: 1969 Overview The belief that “water is life” is the foundation for SERCAP’s work of improving health outcomes by providing clean drinking water and safe wastewater disposal in low-income communities.  But behind that…

Overview By connecting entrepreneurs and small business owners with expertise, education, and economic resources, NetWork Kansas promotes an entrepreneurial environment throughout the state. Its initiatives to build assets and infrastructure include matching loans and educational courses.  Also, a network of Entrepreneurship (E-) Communities that help local residents start and grow businesses. The network has grown to 66 E-Communities. Over the past 14 years, they have been established in the state’s 105 counties, providing $21.5 million…