What's New at ICIC
ICIC's National Conference
For more than 25 years, ICIC has worked with and celebrated high-growth small businesses in under-resourced communities that are economic catalysts for their neighborhoods. This year's virtual National Conference brings together our dynamic network of program participants, alumni, and collaborators to celebrate the extraordinary entrepreneurs in our community
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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, are likely to be hit the hardest, so we launched a resource center for our community.
LEARN MOREThe 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.
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
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.
Events
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Blog
President-elect Biden’s Community Development Agenda
By Howard Wial, Senior Vice President and Director of Research, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, November 2020 The development of under-resourced communities and communities of color is a moral and economic imperative. It is a moral imperative because systemic racism and concentrated poverty impede the ability of community members to ... Read More