Many of today’s cities, while sharing a great deal in common with cities of the past, have taken a number of bold, new moves to evolve the way they serve their residents. While technology has had a significant influence on this change, we are also seeing it emerge...

Editor’s Note: Kim Louis is the Forward Cities Westmoreland County Project Manager in Pittsburgh, PA.On October 5 in New Kensington, Westmoreland County, PA, a few dozen people came together to explore the potential and possibility that comes with, as the local mayor...

Anchor Institutions’ Contributions to Building Inclusive Small Business Ecosystems was jointly developed by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and Forward Cities with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

In my last blog, I talked about the definition and evaluation of two key elements of an entrepreneurial ecosystem – entrepreneurs and entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs). While those two elements represent integral parts of the ecosystem, simply measuring each individual entrepreneur’s or organization’s success provides an incomplete picture of the viability and inclusivity of the ecosystem at the area-level.

Who do you picture when you hear the word “entrepreneur?” Do you imagine a 20 something plugging away on their computer coding for an app? Maybe you envision your local coffee shop owner who wants to create space for community members to connect over a good cup of joe. As Forward Cities journeys with communities to develop equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems, one thing we are learning is that our collective imagination around entrepreneurship will have to expand.

Our Research team asked the participants to go out of their way and take an additional three surveys over the course of the two days, because we saw an opportunity to set a new standard about how we can capture the impact of city visits like these. Kudos to the twenty, who stuck with us through all the questions of the pre and post-event surveys; you hold the record for the highest response rate of any of our survey instruments ever launched.

Reflections on measurement and definitions for evaluation - Part 1 By Stacey Williams, PhD, MPH - Director of Evaluation, Forward Cities  Inclusive Innovation Innovation is a hallmark of a vibrant society and is often most visible in the form of entrepreneurship. In...

Our team is always looking for ways to highlight the great work happening around the country. Every day, our communities face new challenges that are met head-on by leaders and entrepreneurs aiming to make a difference. Their work inspires ours! Here is a selection of...

Written by Christopher Gergen, CEO of Forward Cities: This June, 220 city and community leaders from 25 cities came to Durham, NC for a conversation about inclusive innovation and economic development. It marked an important moment. It was the first national...