Among its devastating effects, Hurricane Katrina had a destructive impact on regional employment. The storm, and its aftermath, eliminated more than 190,000 jobs in New Orleans alone. In the months following the disaster, employment rolls fell precipitously and remained stubbornly low, even as investment in the city began to increase. Now, over 10 years later, the New Orleans economy is bouncing back, and a focus on clusters and entrepreneurship are some of the major drivers of the city’s post-Katrina growth. Read More

This fall, small businesses in Greater Boston will have the opportunity to participate in a pioneering program: “Cultivate Small Business,” recently launched by Santander Bank in partnership with ICIC, Commonwealth Kitchen, and Babson College. This initiative will support entrepreneurs and their businesses in the food industry with resources and education to help them sustain and grow. Read More

The 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors, named in honor of late Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, uses a series of open- and closed-ended questions to probe mayors about their top priorities. More than 100 mayors participated in the survey, with responses coming from all over the country. Read More

A better future depends on science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship, but it also depends on harnessing these tools as a way to solve society’s shared problems. Growing jobs and wealth in a community is the goal of nearly all economic development programs, but more can be done to ensure that the public good is given an equal priority when developing regional prosperity strategies. Read More

Small businesses are the engine of America’s prosperity and when they succeed, good jobs are created, economic opportunity is abundant and healthier communities are created. With this in mind, we’ve teamed up with the nation’s largest, nonprofit, integrated health care delivery system, Kaiser Permanente, to support urban businesses in Los Angeles and Oakland so our inner cities can thrive. Read More