ICIC

ICIC Icon

What's New at ICIC

Unlock Your Business Potential

From executive education to capital readiness, ICIC gives entrepreneurs the tools to scale profitably and sustainably. Discover the program designed for your journey.

Start Here

Fuel the Future of Small Business

As part of our Year of Innovation, this campaign invites you to become co-architects of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem by investing in proven programs that break barriers and spark lasting impact.

invest today

Intuit More with AI Tour

ICIC and Intuit have partnered to launch the More with AI Tour, a nationwide roadshow to educate small and mid-market businesses about the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI). The tour includes six in-person events held across the U.S. that will provide small and mid-market businesses with actionable insights and hands-on experience on a range of small business AI tools from Intuit and other companies.

Register Learn More

AI in Business Report

ICIC’s latest research report, “AI in Business: How Small Business Owners Are Learning, Using, and Navigating Challenges with AI Tools,” explores the opportunities and challenges that artificial intelligence (AI) presents for small businesses across the United States. The report delivers data-driven recommendations to help businesses, educators, and policymakers address the barriers to AI use by small businesses and ensure that AI adoption is both effective and inclusive.

View Report Webinar Replay

Meet the 2024 IC100 Award Winners!

Since 1999, ICIC has identified and celebrated the 100 fastest-growing businesses in under-resourced communities across the nation. The 2024 winners were unveiled in December at ICIC's Virtual 30th Anniversary Celebration. View the list to learn more about these incredible businesses.

View List

Structural Barriers to Small Business Success

Explore our interactive tool, created in partnership with Small Business Majority, that illustrates how structural racism affects the small business landscape in the U.S.

View the tool webinar replay

Racial Equity in America's New Industrial Transformation

ICIC recently published "Racial Equity in America's New Industrial Transformation," a first-of-its-kind report that details the impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act on Black- and Hispanic-owned manufacturers. This pivotal study maps out the current landscape and charts a course for significant change to ensure that the benefits of America's industrial renewal are equitably shared.

read the report webinar replay

Our 2024 Impact Report is Here!

We are thrilled to unveil our 2024 Impact Report themed “What’s Your Why?” This year’s report encapsulates our core mission: to drive economic growth in under-resourced communities by empowering small businesses and promoting sustainable, equitable development. We invite you to delve into the inspiring narratives of resilience, innovation, and determination shared by our program participants, funding partners, and ecosystem allies, showcasing the profound impact of our collective efforts.

Impact Report

The Authority on Inclusive Economic Prosperity

Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) drives inclusive economic prosperity in under-resourced communities through innovative research and programs to create jobs, income, and wealth for local residents.

Founded in 1994 by Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City is a national nonprofit research and advisory organization and the leading authority on U.S. under-resourced economies and the businesses that thrive there.

Learn More

Learn More About ICIC

Work with ICIC

Underserved communities are rich with opportunity. We help business, government and philanthropic leaders leverage local assets to transform communities. Our research team has helped to shape economic development strategies in more than twenty under-resourced communities.

ICIC delivers the knowledge and the know-how to achieve sustainable economic and job growth.

Learn More

Support ICIC

Whether supporting one of our high-impact small business programs or the entire organization, our partners know they are choosing to support an organization dedicated to transforming under-resourced communities across the country. Our partners include Bank of America, Chevron, Kaiser Permanente, various foundations and individual donors.

Learn how you can support ICIC’s work

Learn More

What is an Inner City?

Inner cities are distressed urban and suburban areas of concentrated poverty and low income. Inner city residents represent 14% of the population—that’s 45 million people. Of U.S. residents living in poverty, 31 percent live in inner cities.

View Research


Events

10-09-25

MAP Information Session

Join us for a vibrant small business mixer in a city near you.

View More


Blog

09-30-25

Talk With It: The Pro Tip to Smarter AI Output

ICIC

Discover a fresh perspective on getting the most out of AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. Instead of treating your chatbot like a tool, think of it as a brilliant, tireless intern. The key to unlocking its potential is giving it clear, detailed instructions. That’s where prompt engineering comes in. Dobbin Bookman, Director of AI Initiatives at ICIC, outlines five essential elements: Clarity, Context, Tone, Structure, and Specificity. These help transform vague requests into strategic results. He also shares sample prompts tailored to different industries, making it easy to adapt ideas to your own business needs. If you're ready to level up your AI game, read the full blog to start prompting like a pro.
Read More


ICIC Icon

ICIC drives inclusive economic prosperity in under-resourced communities through innovative research and programs to create jobs, income, and wealth for local residents.

Contact

PO Box 191297
Roxbury MA 02119
Phone: 617-238-1740

Stay Connected

Sign up for our mailings and stay up-to-date on all research, commentary, and news related to ICIC as we continue to drive inclusive economic prosperity in America’s under-resourced communities.

Sign Up

© 2025 ICIC. All rights reserved.

Terms of Use    Privacy Policy