What's New at ICIC

Now Accepting Applications and Nominations for the ICCC Program!

Inner City Capital Connections is a 40-hour tuition-free leadership training designed to help small businesses in under-resourced communities build capacity for sustained growth and survive COVID-19's economic impact. Nominations and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The program provides Spanish interpreting services in select markets.

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Now Accepting Applications and Nominations for the Inner City 100 Award

Every year since 1999, we’ve identified and celebrated 100 of the fastest-growing firms in urban, under-resourced communities. The Inner City 100 awards are unveiled at our National Conference which is held in December. Initial application deadline is Sunday, June 6, 2021.

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The New Face of Under-Resourced Communities

Our comprehensive, two-year research project is a first-of-its-kind study of concentrated poverty in America. The report ranks 450 American cities according to the level of economic disadvantage in their under-resourced communities.

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Small Business Resource Center: COVID-19 Crisis

As news about COVID-19 continues to evolve, we remain committed to supporting small businesses and driving inclusive economic prosperity. We know that small businesses, especially those in under-resourced communities, have been hit the hardest, so we launched a resource center for our community.

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The Authority on Inner Cities

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. inner city economies and the businesses that thrive there.

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Work with ICIC

Inner cities 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 inner cities.

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

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Support ICIC

Whether supporting one of our high-impact urban business programs or the entire organization, our partners know they are choosing to support an organization dedicated to transforming inner cities 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

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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.

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Events

05-19-21

Leading in Turbulent Times: Strategies for Small Businesses to Survive and Thrive

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected small businesses tremendously over the last year. Led by Harvard Business School Professor Lynda Applegate, the conversation will include a panel discussion with four 2020 Inner City 100 (IC100) award-winning entrepreneurs on business approaches each took to not only survive during the challenges of the past year, but also innovate through the crisis to ultimately thrive. The discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A.

Blog

05-10-21

Doing Well and Doing Good: 2020 Inner City 100 Winner Cube Care grows as an industry and community leader

As a BIPOC, woman, and immigrant, Susana Robledo faced many systemic challenges on her path to entrepreneurship. Yet, the Founder and CEO of Miami-based Cube Care, did not allow those challenges to deter her determination to succeed. Susana was driven to create a business that not only prospered financially, but ... Read More