As the recipient of the FedEx Champion of Global Entrepreneurship Award, Liaisons Corporation exemplifies the power of purpose-driven entrepreneurship to create lasting economic and community impact. Presented through ICIC’s IC100 Awards, the recognition honors businesses that reflect FedEx’s commitment to global connectivity, diversity, and opportunity creation. Through its work connecting businesses, artists, cultural institutions, and destinations around the world, Liaisons has demonstrated how relationship-driven growth can strengthen both local communities and global partnerships. Founder and CEO Susanne Birbragher’s vision of “building bridges” underscores key lessons in authentic collaboration, inclusive leadership, and the value of culturally grounded experiences in building resilient businesses. Read More

For more than a decade, Regions Bank has been a vital community partner powering ICIC’s Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) program. Together, they’ve kept the program tuition-free, expanded its national reach, and helped growth-minded entrepreneurs turn ideas into jobs and investment. Through this collaboration, ICCC has supported small-business owners from South Florida to St. Louis, across major Southern cities like Atlanta, Nashville, and Birmingham, and throughout markets such as Houston, Indianapolis, Miami, and Dallas.

Regions’ community engagement strategy aligns directly with ICCC’s mission: providing practical education, targeted coaching, access to capital, and a supportive peer network. Each cohort offers a no-cost, 40-hour “mini-MBA,” one-on-one coaching with ICCC experts and Regions associates, and connections to lenders and mentors that sustain growth long after the program ends.

Together, ICIC and Regions Bank are building ecosystems of capital, confidence, and community—helping under-resourced entrepreneurs scale their businesses and strengthen the neighborhoods they serve.

Haydee Gomez's journey from working in a gelato shop to owning her own successful frozen dessert manufacturing company, Bosco Frozen Desserts, is a story of passion, determination, and innovation. After moving from Venezuela to Canada, she discovered her love for gelato and eventually pursued her dream of owning a gelateria. Alongside her brother, Ezequiel, she founded Gelato Gourmet and rapidly expanded the business through hard work and resilience. Despite the challenges posed by the 2020 pandemic, Haydee pivoted the business model and successfully launched Bosco Frozen Desserts, which has since become a renowned local artisan frozen dessert manufacturer. Haydee's commitment to continuous learning and growth led her to participate in Santander's Cultivate Small Business program, providing her with valuable knowledge and resources. Looking ahead, the Gomez siblings are set to introduce a new product line featuring nostalgic flavors inspired by their Venezuelan roots as they continue to innovate and grow Bosco Frozen Desserts. Read More

Regional economic connectivity is an economic, workforce, and community development strategy that focuses on industry clusters that are thriving in the broader region and establishing them within under-resourced communities (URCs). To better understand how well and under which circumstances distressed communities benefit from regional economic connectivity, ICIC and SRI examined geographic patterns of industry cluster employment in 181 metropolitan areas using a combination of data analysis and case study evidence. The result of this study is the new report Regional Economic Connectivity: A Strategy to Build Opportunity in Distressed Communities. Findings in the report indicate that URC economic connectivity is more prevalent in small and medium-sized metropolitan areas, suburban URCs, clusters that are highly specialized regionally, manufacturing-based clusters, clusters with low educational requirements for entry-level workers, and lower-wage clusters. The report also indicates a significant opportunity for economic developers and their partners to target asset development and other strategic investments to grow regionally strong clusters in URCs. Read More

Steve Grossman, CEO of ICIC, shared an inspirational journey during the kickoff of ICIC’s Annual Conference in Miami on December 12, 2023. Josue Velney, CEO of Velney Development, LLC, a participant in the 2023 Boston ICCC cohort, is a former Marine turned real estate developer, who exemplifies ICIC's mission of fostering inclusive economic prosperity and job creation in under-resourced communities. Josue’s military background influences his leadership in real estate and the challenges he and other entrepreneurs navigate, including high interest rates and societal issues. ICIC's conference theme, "Reflect, Reunite, Renew," reflects Josue's commitment to community renewal. The collective strength and potential within under-resourced communities, highlighted through entrepreneurial journeys such as Josue’s inspire a shared vision of economic empowerment and sustainable growth. Read the full article to learn about Josue Velney's impactful role and resilience. Read More