August 2019 Newsletter
ACCELERATOR IS PUTTING BOOTS ON THE GROUND ALL OVER AMERICA — LITERALLY.
OK, we weren't "on the ground" when we met with Austin Mayor Steve Adler and a delegation from Capital Metro, Austin's regional public transportation provider. Accelerator Senior Advisor Yusef Robb and I met with them in Los Angeles to discuss our work on local infrastructure measures. But we put our boots on the conference table — Yusef proudly showed his new friends from Texas his fancy footwear from Austin's own Heritage Boots!
In the couple of weeks since our last update, the Accelerator has been on the move and on the ground in Lansing and Detroit, MI; Chicago, IL; Birmingham, AL; and Waterloo, IA; and we also convened our Spark grant cohort in Los Angeles:
MICHIGAN
The Accelerator partnered with the Michigan Municipal League to meet with Mayors and leaders from the state's "Urban Core Cities" -- Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Bay City, Dearborn, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Muskegon, Pontiac, and Saginaw. We discussed our Opportunity Zone initiative and shared our toolkit. We are excited to have already formed partnerships with some of these cities that will result in Investment Prospectuses and, ultimately, inclusive investments that change people's lives.
Thank you to Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, pictured above.
And a special welcome to our new Advisory Council Member, Lansing Mayor Andy Schor! Mayor Schor has been a tremendous supporter in our work and we are excited to have him on board supporting cities across America.
CHICAGO
In partnership with Advisory Council Member and Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia, the Accelerator led an economic development workshop and is working with the Illinois Medical District -- the largest urban medical district in the country, generating over $3.4 billion in economic opportunity annually -- to create an Investment Prospectus.
OPPORTUNITY ALABAMA IMPACT TRACKING SUMMIT
Our ongoing partnership with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth was highlighted at the inaugural Opportunity Alabama Impact Tracking Summit, where Mastercard's data-sharing tools were demonstrated. Opportunity Alabama is leading the way to a national model to collect and share data to ensure Opportunity Zone investments truly benefit the people who live in them.
CALIFORNIA SPARK PROGRAM
In partnership with the Energy Foundation, we gathered our cohort of California Spark grant cities to help them most effectively leverage their Opportunity Zones.
In addition to developing Investment Prospectuses, we are working with Stockton, Coachella, and SLATE-Z (South Los Angeles' Promise Zone) on community engagement, capacity building, and attracting inclusive clean-energy investments.
Special thanks to Andrew Petrisin from WSP, Angela Huang from HUD, and to the Irvine Foundation, Citi Ventures, and Good Food Purchasing for contributing to this convening.
WATERLOO, IA
Just last week we were in Waterloo, IA to meet with officials and see the work that they are continuing to do with Opportunity Zones. We are excited to work closer with Mayor Quentin Hart and his great city! Stay tuned for more from Waterloo in the coming weeks.
LOOKING AHEAD
Erie Homecoming 2019
August 19-20, 2019
Erie, PA
We are excited to partner with the Erie Regional Chamber & Growth Partnership to host Erie Homecoming 2019, where we will be leading interactive discussions and conducting workshops on Opportunity Zones and inclusive investing.
Oklahoma City Advisory Council Meeting
September 5-6, 2019
Oklahoma City, OK
The Accelerator will host its second Advisory Council meeting of the year in Oklahoma City, OK.
Investor Summit
October 30, 2019
Dayton, OH
NEWS
Watch Accelerator Advisory Council Chair Mayor Eric Garcetti and Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth President and Founder Shamina Singh discuss Opportunity Zones with Forbes and the opportunity we must seize to drive inclusive development. And see what famous musical artist is already making a difference in Opportunity Zones!
JOB OPENING
Accelerator for America has partnered with FUSE Corps to bring a fellow to the City of Fresno to maximize their Opportunity Zones.
We are looking for an amazing mid-career professional to spend one year in Fresno collaborating with local stakeholders including the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation to oversee the creation of the region’s Investment Prospectus along with the first round of investment deals.
Check it out, share, and apply now!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT...
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