What's New at ICIC
The 2025 Alumni Gift Guide is Here!
ICIC is delighted to share our annual Alumni Holiday Gift Guide, featuring incredible products and services from alumni and current participants of ICIC programs. Find the perfect gifts to celebrate the season while supporting small businesses across North America. Every purchase helps strengthen communities and champion economic growth. Happy shopping!
Explore Gifts
Unlock Your Business Potential
From executive education to capital readiness, ICIC gives entrepreneurs the tools to scale profitably and sustainably. Discover the program designed for your journey.
Start Here
Fuel the Future of Small Business
As part of our Year of Innovation, this campaign invites you to become co-architects of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem by investing in proven programs that break barriers and spark lasting impact.
invest today
Intuit More with AI Tour
ICIC and Intuit have partnered to launch the More with AI Tour, a nationwide roadshow to educate small and mid-market businesses about the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI). The tour includes six in-person events held across the U.S. that will provide small and mid-market businesses with actionable insights and hands-on experience on a range of small business AI tools from Intuit and other companies.
Register Learn More
AI in Business Report
ICIC’s latest research report, “AI in Business: How Small Business Owners Are Learning, Using, and Navigating Challenges with AI Tools,” explores the opportunities and challenges that artificial intelligence (AI) presents for small businesses across the United States. The report delivers data-driven recommendations to help businesses, educators, and policymakers address the barriers to AI use by small businesses and ensure that AI adoption is both effective and inclusive.
View Report Webinar Replay
Structural Barriers to Small Business Success
Explore our interactive tool, created in partnership with Small Business Majority, that illustrates how structural racism affects the small business landscape in the U.S.
View the tool webinar replay
Racial Equity in America's New Industrial Transformation
ICIC recently published "Racial Equity in America's New Industrial Transformation," a first-of-its-kind report that details the impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act on Black- and Hispanic-owned manufacturers. This pivotal study maps out the current landscape and charts a course for significant change to ensure that the benefits of America's industrial renewal are equitably shared.
read the report webinar replayThe Authority on Inclusive Economic Prosperity
Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (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. under-resourced economies and the businesses that thrive there.
Learn More About ICIC
Work with ICIC
Underserved communities 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 under-resourced communities.
ICIC delivers the knowledge and the know-how to achieve sustainable economic and job growth.
Support ICIC
Whether supporting one of our high-impact small business programs or the entire organization, our partners know they are choosing to support an organization dedicated to transforming under-resourced communities 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
Blog
New Clarity and Opportunity Through the Amazon A&E Program
ICIC’s ICCC program, in partnership with Amazon and Arctaris Impact Investors, recently marked the completion of the 2025 Amazon Accelerate and Empower Program at a capstone event hosted by Miles College. Forty four small businesses from across the Delta Region completed the ten week curriculum, gaining tools to strengthen procurement readiness, refine strategy, and expand capacity. Among them was Active Energy Services, a veteran owned, woman owned Tennessee contractor whose leaders, Tena and Rich Everett, credit the program with sharpening their vision and elevating their operations. Through expert led instruction, one to one coaching, and a collaborative cohort experience, they refined their messaging, strengthened internal processes, and identified new opportunities for growth. The capstone showcased the progress of every participating firm, underscoring the program’s value for business owners seeking structure, clarity, and high level guidance as they scale their business. Read More
ICIC drives inclusive economic prosperity in under-resourced communities through innovative research and programs to create jobs, income, and wealth for local residents.
Contact
PO Box 191297
Roxbury MA 02119
Phone: 617-238-1740
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