IC100 TURNS 22: WHAT’S NEW?

ICIC understands the power of entrepreneurship to close the wealth gap. So we have made important changes to the Inner City 100 (IC100) award so that we can recognize entrepreneurs in more under-resourced communities across America. And we’re accepting applications right now!

Since 1999, over 1,000 businesses have won the IC100 award. And they have been driving forces of inclusive prosperity in many of our most underserved communities. These businesses have created jobs, generated wealth, and provided residents and surrounding anchor institutions with vital products and services.

Seer Interactive, Philadelphia, PA, Recipient of The Chevron Dorothy A. Terrell Community Impact Award, Rank:42 Four-Year Growth Rate: 144.14%

We’re proud of what IC100 winners have achieved. Going forward, we hope to honor even more entrepreneurs, like CEO of Seer Interactive Wil Reynolds, who are making real differences in their communities. We are excited to announce four key changes to the 2020 award program:

• New Winner Selection Process: Job creation is an important measure of how businesses are driving economic revitalization in their communities. For the first time ever, we will select winners based on percentage revenue growth and number of new jobs added over a four-year period (2015-2019).
• New Geographic Qualifications: Poverty is spreading outside of big cities. In response, we have expanded our definition of an under-resourced community to include large areas of concentrated poverty in suburbs and smaller central cities as well as large cities.
• National Conference on the West Coast: A large number of our past winners are from the West Coast, namely Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Francisco. We are thus moving the National Conference from our home base, Boston, to sunny Los Angeles with the hope to shine a spotlight on the many underserved communities we serve in this region.
• Streamlined Application Process: In response to alumni feedback, we have streamlined the application process and the application itself, so that we keep our entrepreneurs focused on what they do best – creating jobs and bolstering their local economies.

With these four changes, we believe we’re one step closer to our core mission – driving inclusive economic prosperity in under-resourced communities. We hope to see you as one of this year’s IC100 winners!

If you’re interested in nominating or applying for the IC100, visit bit.ly/IC100home or contact Vi Mai at vmai@icic.org or (617) 238-3038.