Through more than two decades of research and practice, ICIC has recognized the importance of small businesses in growing urban economies, revitalizing inner city neighborhoods and creating jobs and wealth for inner city residents. Encouragingly, small businesses continue to grow and hire new employees across the U.S. Read More

Three Brothers Bakery has deep roots. Before it was a “Houston institution,” employing 65 people at 3 locations in one of America’s most diverse cities, it was a small bakery run by the Jucker family in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Poland. When World War II spread throughout Europe, the family was sent to Nazi concentration camps. On May 8, 1945, Sigmund Jucker woke to find that the camp’s SS soldiers had fled. He cut through the surrounding wire fence, leading himself and the other prisoners to freedom. Read More

During his election campaign, President Donald Trump promised the American people he’d slash federal spending and roll back duplicative programs. So when his administration released its proposed 2018 budget last month, it came as no surprise that cuts had been made. But it was the extent of those cuts – and the programs affected by those cuts – that sent shockwaves through the nation. Read More

Martha De La Torre, founder and CEO of El Clasificado, a Spanish-language weekly, is the kind of person who embodies ICIC’s enthusiasm for entrepreneurship. Recently named one of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Women of Influence, her success has stemmed from dedication to her business model, her employees, and her community. Read More

The city of Lima, Ohio has a long industrial legacy. In the 1920s, Lima thrived with strong demand for its steel. The city was also a hub of innovation, producing most notably the “Lima A-1,” which became the prototype for the modern steam locomotive. By 1930, the city was home to an estimated 93 industrial companies that collectively employed more than 8,000 local residents. Read More