W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Post

We have recently brought together a dynamic group of investors for an incredible initiative called Reimagining Opportunities for Investment (ROI) in the South. The focus: creating a sustainable investment ecosystem for undercapitalized communities of color in the Deep South. 📍 A special stop on this journey was the vibrant city of New Orleans, rich in history and culture. Investors delved into its unique blend of African, Native American, Latinx, Asian American and European influences, understanding the need for a collaborative approach to avoid repeating historical disparities. New Orleans is not just a city; it's a hub of entrepreneurial talent and opportunity. However, it faces lingering inequalities. While businesses owned by people of color are on the rise, they receive only 2% of the city's receipts. This inequity underscores the urgent need for collaborative and inclusive investments. The ROI in the South session highlighted key insights from local leaders like Christy Slater, Lamar Gardere and Judy Reese Morse. Their perspectives emphasized the necessity of inclusive economies and nurturing entrepreneurs of color. Looking ahead, ROI in the South will explore sectors like reentry and agriculture, offering more avenues for transformative investments. Key takeaways for investors include the importance of playing the long game, leveraging community strengths and fostering inclusive growth. Learn more here: https://wkkf.co/kflg

Discover how Downtown Tulsa is sidestepping the "urban doom loop!" 🌆 By fostering economic development, promoting entrepreneurship, and investing in community initiatives, Downtown Tulsa aims to ensure its urban landscape thrives while avoiding the pitfalls faced by other cities like St. Louis. 📰 Dive into the Tulsa World's full article for an in-depth look at the city's initiatives and the challenges it's overcoming. https://bit.ly/3ybMEdF

🚀 Dundee’s Growth Engine – Public and Private Sector Partnerships 🚀 Dundee's journey to prosperity relies on harnessing the deep operational knowledge of the private sector. By fostering collaboration, we can leverage this first-hand experience to innovate, drive economic growth, and implement practical solutions that benefit our community every day. Private sector leaders bring invaluable insights from their day-to-day operations: 💡 Understanding industry-specific challenges and opportunities 💡Implementing effective strategies for business growth and sustainability 💡Bringing a solution-based mindset to the table – thinking outside the box The public sector enables us to integrate these insights into broader initiatives across Dundee. Together, we can break down barriers, foster collaboration, and pave the way for a resilient and thriving city. 🌟 Let's unite efforts to shape Dundee's success story through impactful public-private partnerships. Together, we can achieve remarkable outcomes that benefit our future and out people🌟 Drop me a message or an email to find out more: [email protected] #DundeeProsperity #PublicPrivatePartnership #CommunityGrowth #Innovation #Collaboration Dundee Adult Employability Service Discover Work Dundee City Council Dundee and Angus College Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce Erin Johnson carol M. Allan Millar Robin Presswood John Alexander Steven Rome Blackadders Black Sheep Coffee Lindsay Darroch lynne short Alison Henderson Wendy McCartney Robertson Group Derek Stewart Eric Duncan Graeme Ross Wattie Milne Graeme Millar James Williamson Gaynor Sullivan MCIM Marc Lorente Michelle De Almeida Clark Boles - CBO Associates Jamie McBrearty Jamie Duffy Jamie Kirk Luigi Capuano Goska Kidd Manny Baber Eddie Wighton Yvonne Douglas Jimmy Urquhart Adam Taylor Andrew Cheape

Last week LEAD and the Lake 100 collaborated to host an “Economic Development Playbook” Luncheon which brought together 150+ community stakeholders to hear from economic development expert Gray Swoope (President/CEO VisionFirst Advisors & former FL Secretary of Commerce) as well as a panel discussion on economic growth in Lake County that included Griff Salmon (VisionFirst) and Dr. Richard Levey (Levey Consulting). Many thanks to our luncheon sponsor Bella Collina and to speaker sponsor Optimus Energy! Key Insights: • Growth vs. Development: Grey Swoope specified refined & intentional growth, as opposed to growth simply for growth’s sake. • Community Choice: Richard Levey stressed each city/municipality’s role in choosing how they wish to grow. • Industry Selection: Griff Salmon advised targeting industries suitable for the local area and potential investment in such. • Urgency for Action: Grey Swoope declared now is the time for Lake County's advancement. • Team Effort & Patience: Acknowledgment that economic development requires collaboration and time. • Take away: Commitment to shaping Lake County's growth with strategic, community-aligned development. #EconomicGrowth #LakeCounty #CommunityDevelopment #SustainableGrowth #Lake100 #ThankYou #BellaCollina #OptimusEnergy #VisionFirstAdvisors #LeveyConsulting #leadinglake Optimus Energy Solutions Bella Collina Lake County of Florida View more photos here: https://lnkd.in/dxdR8xM8

If you care about community and you love wine, we have a great combo for you! Bernie Mazyck is going to talk with us about Community Economic Development (#CED for short). Think of the Economic Development buckets like this: 1) Traditional Economic Development are the folks doing the great work building industrial parks, fielding questions from site selectors, and helping businesses understand regulations and incentives. Think: Attraction and Retention. 2) High Growth Economic Development focuses on businesses that can grow quickly, establish new headquarters, incubate, help with venture capital and angel investment. 3) Community Economic Development focuses on the people and places that the overall economy has passed by, or skipped over. Could be a downtown, could be a low-income neighborhood, could be groups of people who have not shared in the relative successes of their community. All three of these are important. But some people are more drawn to work on one area. If you are interested in learning more about CED, we have a great opportunity to hear from the leader of South Carolina's CED efforts. You'll also get to enjoy some local wine afterward and network with others who are interested in CED. Part of CED is supporting locally-owned, independent businesses, so let's support a local winery! Register Here: https://lnkd.in/eJVbtVPf #communityeconomicdevelopment Village Launch Start:ME Spartanburg Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Dawn C. Deck #CDFI Latorrie Geer CommunityWorks

Utah’s business scene is top-notch — literally. The state has been ranked as the No. 1 economy in the country, along with fostering the best business-building ecosystem. At Utah Valley BusinessQ, our corporate partners have years of expertise in that ecosystem. Here are a few of the reasons they’re excited about what’s happening on the (Silicon) Slopes. Andrew K. Smith | Savory Fund Janae E. Moss | RBM Building Services Curtis Blair | Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce #siliconslopes #utahvalleybusiness #businessadvice #besteconomy

Requesting #MediaSupport to Help Spread Awareness About #HauntedTexas - A Vision for #Change and #EconomicRevival I am writing to you as the #founder of Haunted Texas, a project with a vision that extends beyond entertainment. In the heart of Texas, we’re pioneering an initiative with the potential to match, or even surpass, the #economicimpact of renowned #festivals like South by Southwest (SXSW). In 2023, #SXSW had a record-breaking economic impact of $380 million in #Austin. This staggering figure is a testament to the potential of large-scale events in driving significant #economicgrowth. Haunted Texas aims to tap into this immense potential. Our mission is to create a #themepark that is not just a destination for thrills but a platform for societal change and #environmentalsustainability. Haunted Texas stands as a beacon of hope and resilience, emerging from personal adversities and a deep-seated desire to make a difference. This venture is more than a business; it’s a personal crusade against the injustices and systemic failures I’ve witnessed and experienced throughout my life. It’s an embodiment of turning pain into purpose, of transforming silent struggles into a loud call for action. With the projected growth and appeal, Haunted Texas has the capacity to generate substantial revenue, potentially rivaling events like SXSW. This financial success isn’t just about profit; it’s about creating a #sustainablemodel to fund and support initiatives that address the gaps left by existing systems. From educational programs to environmental conservation efforts, Haunted Texas could be a vital source of funding for projects that #heal, #educate, and #empower. The #media plays a crucial role in this journey. Your coverage can shed light on this unique venture, helping to gather the support and attention it needs to thrive. You have the power to amplify our message, to highlight a story of transformation and hope, and to showcase how innovation can lead to meaningful social and #economicchange. Haunted Texas is more than an idea; it’s a potential economic powerhouse with a heart. It’s a commitment to standing in the gap for the broken, the overlooked, and the underserved. I invite you to be a part of this journey, to help tell this story, and to join us in making a lasting impact. #Thankyou for considering my request. I am eager to discuss this further and am available for any interviews or additional information you may require.

Mahoning County commissioners announced today that they will be committing $1 million of support for Valley Vision 2050, an aggressive strategy to increase economic prosperity and improve the quality of life across the Mahoning County. The funds will enable leadership from five organizations—Western Reserve Port Authority, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, the Youngstown Foundation, Eastgate Regional Council of Governments and Valley Partners—to bring together multiple stakeholders in various industries to address issues pertaining to economic development, housing, quality of life and support for our arts and culture industries at a time the Valley is on the cusp of what is being termed a generational opportunity for growth. Outcomes for the plan created by Ernst & Young include our becoming a more competitive region in economic development; investing in our quality of life to attract more people to live, learn, work and play in the Valley; growing the tax base; reducing equity gaps in household income, educational attainment and health outcomes between zip codes; and becoming proactive in preparing sites for business development.

What story is being sold about Denver? Ednium started the Denver Deep Dive because we learned that alumni weren’t aware or have access to the systems that help run our city. For nine months, we engaged with the community and learned how Denver's systems are interconnected. The Denver Deep Dive stood out by taking participants to unique city locations: The Denver City & County Building, Comal Heritage (a local food incubator), the CSU Spur Campus, Moline at Stapleton Apartments (an affordable housing community), the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Building, Manual High School, and Gary Community Ventures. We covered nine topics: 1️⃣ Denver’s History  2️⃣ Education 3️⃣ Economic Development 4️⃣ Housing 5️⃣ Environment 6️⃣ Transportation  7️⃣ Gastronomy 8️⃣ City Politics 9️⃣ Arts & Culture We learned the importance of curiosity and looking beyond the surface of the stories about Denver. Before the modern Denver we know today, indigenous people lived on this land. The phrase, “We did not cross the border, the border crossed us,” reflects how people became Americans overnight by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo after the Mexican-American War. In our city politics session we discovered the feedback gap between community needs and the people whose job it is to address and solve those needs. In our housing session, it was shocking to hear that originally HOAs were created to upkeep the image of a residential community. City residents are legally obligated to pay HOA dues, but overtime HOAs have become a burdensome fee rather than providing tangible value to residents. We also learned that affordable housing can be built to match the quality of other apartment complexes. Thank you to everyone who participated in our first Denver Deep Dive. Your curiosity made this program a success! Thank you to all the guest speakers for sharing valuable lessons. We envision a future where homegrown talent holds leadership roles throughout the city. With the Denver Deep Dive, we are one step closer to that future. #EdniumAlumni #EducationLeadership #HomegrownTalent  #HomegrownAwards 

One of my big take-aways from this morning's The Right Place, Inc. Investor Exchange event: we need to always remember that development dollars are mobile. Real estate investors (aka potential backers of local development projects) have the whole country (as well as international opportunities) at their disposal. The funding necessary to make a much-needed housing project viable in Greater Grand Rapids could just as easily be deployed in Florida, Texas or North Carolina if the financial returns are more attractive there. Just because a project "can pencil" here, doesn't mean it can move forward without help to attract this crucial funding. Especially now with traditional financing as expensive as it is. It was certainly a beautiful morning for about 200 of our closest West Michigan friends at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. With a focus on regional development opportunities and trends, we heard from Randy Thelen why and how PLACE MATTERS 😁 in our communities, the many place-focused initiatives we're leading as an organization along with many collaborators, and highlighted our above-target progress on our strategic metrics. Brad Thomas of Progressive AE - our event sponsor - further emphasized place as an essential component of prosperity across our many sectors of West Michigan, and made an exciting announcement about his firm's branding and presence! The highlight of the morning was a candid, deep-dive panel discussion with Ben Smith of Heritage Development, Rachel Michaud of The Gillespie Group and Ryan Talbot of Talbot Development about the opportunities and challenges in the real estate development ecosystem in our area. While there's a lot of reason for optimism and tons of positive momentum, there are still headwinds out there to be sure. Huge thanks for their insights this morning, and investments in our region! Kudos to my big boss-man Tim Mroz for his expert moderation and setting the stage for discussion! Lots of fantastic connections, conversations and introductions made, which is a major value-add of these events. #placematters #greatergrandrapids #westmichigan #communitydevelopment #realestateinvestment #collaboration