Agenda

Speakers will provide a welcome and discuss the role of the host institution, the University of Chicago, in addressing challenges and opportunities in America’s cities. Speakers will outline the goals and objectives of the day which are to: facilitate connection, share knowledge, offer action-oriented resources, and unearth questions for further exploration.

Panelists will share reflections on their work and emerging practices in the field. The moderator will highlight challenges that are consistent across cities including those participating in Shared Prosperity Partnership and Southern Cities for Economic Inclusion.

City leaders will deliver brief Ted-talk style presentations capturing their experiences leading transformational equity practice and raising outstanding questions that they hope to resolve through convening solutions workshops.

A central tenant of equitable place-based practice is the promotion of community agency and intentional inclusion of community voices at the decision-making table. This panel will discuss approaches to engaging community, strengthening civic infrastructure, building the capacity of emerging leaders, leveraging data for participatory planning, and ensuring community leadership is driving the design and execution of policies and practice to further equity and inclusion. How do you make sure decision making rooms are representative?

City leaders will deliver brief Ted-talk style presentations capturing their experiences leading transformational equity practice and expanding access to capital in disinvested communities.

Capital is disproportionately concentrated in non-minority, higher income neighborhoods. This discussion will focus on ways to align and expand the flow of capital to make catalytic investments in entrepreneurship, affordable housing, and other drivers of economic growth in disinvested neighborhoods.

Using the Case-Consult model, solutions workshops will provide space for participants to share and receive feedback on a pressing challenge. City teams volunteers will be selected to present local questions and challenges for solution generation. We want attendees to walk away with new skills, perspectives, and a collaborative set of solutions that they can bring back to their communities.

Speakers will provide a welcome, share what is motivating their foundations' place-based efforts to advance equity and economic inclusion, and share their vision and hopes for next steps in the practice.

City leaders will deliver brief Ted-talk style presentations highlighting their experience leveraging federal and state support for economic inclusion and will identify an outstanding question in the practice.

Federal and state priorities can incentivize or constrain economic inclusion and inclusive growth. Panelists will share tools for leveraging federal and local policy as well as share experiences navigating federal and state terrain to further equity initiatives.

City cohort representatives will deliver briefTed-talk style presentations highlighting their experiences engaging the private sector and will identify a question that they hope will be resolved through the course of the discussion.

Panelists will share ways in which they have made the “business case” beyond the usual workforce competitiveness arguments. Private sector speakers will address what inspired them to reformulate their business model toward furthering community investment and what it takes to make the case for reaching the most vulnerable communities. Speakers will share approaches to recruiting the private sector as a partner for mentoring, hiring, and procurement.

Using the Case-Consult model, solutions workshops will provide space for participants to share and receive feedback on a challenge. City teams volunteers will be selected to present local questions and challenges for solution generation. We want attendees to walk away with new skills, perspectives, and a collaborative set of solutions that they can bring back to their communities.