Our team of researchers from across the country continues to update the Economic Opportunity Maps to improve their accuracy and to add more industries. Our research team include faculty from Texas A&M, Iowa State University, University of Wyoming, and Michigan State University.
Check out the new updates at either of the links below!
https://communities.tamu.edu/economic-opportunity-maps/
https://www.canr.msu.edu/economic_development/economic-opportunity-maps/
https://www.energizingentrepreneurs.org/ is a great public resource and I encourage you to check out their website.
One of my favorite of their works from this year is titled “Funding Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Building” and is available here: https://files.constantcontact.com/c84c5a8b001/7c26622a-16dd-40c5-9f09-c2a80b296ba9.pdf
It has specific suggestions for funding and building the entrepreneurial ecosystem in your community! Check it out!
The expansion of ethnic minorities evokes policy debate about their impact on the local economy, driving a need to measure their effects. We employ the confidential US Census data to investigate drivers of local economic performance with emphasis on the role of Latino-owned businesses (LOB) on convergence. The model also includes a number of controls. The model produces direct, indirect, and total impact estimates, and expected values for the non-LOB controls. The estimated total impact of LOB employment on county-level average annual growth rates is significant and positive, but a rurality interaction carries the opposite sign, such that the total impact in rural areas is negative.
Read the full article here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00168-019-00942-x
More information on the following can be found at https://vgyi.tamu.edu/v-g-young-school-for-county-commissioners-court/.
I will be presenting on your entrepreneurial ecosystem and hope to see you there!
V.G. Young School for County Commissioners Court
61st Annual V.G. Young School for County Commissioners Courts
February 19-21, 2019
Hilton ▪ College Station, TX
Conference registration: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/VGYI
See the draft agenda here: https://vgyi.tamu.edu/files/2018/12/2019-JC-Working-Agenda-1-7-19.pdf
The following information is copied from http://www.lonestar.edu/cdi.htm. If you are interested in supporting your community and local businesses, I encourage you to attend this great program!
Never before has the practice of community development been more important than it is today. As the world grows smaller through the increased use of global communications, communities of all sizes are finding their boundaries are expanding beyond their city limits. CDI Texas provides practical, interactive, and comprehensive training designed to meet the needs of economic and community development professionals working in a fast paced environment. CDI Texas builds the capacity of individuals and communities to effectively and positively impact economic and social development.
Participants include community and economic development practitioners, city, county and state officials and community volunteers, non-profit staff and board members, chamber staff, private industry, municipal districts, and academics will find the Institute a valuable learning tool for the development of individual and community leadership skills. Attendees will expand their ability to identify community assets, set goals, encourage collaboration, and respond to a broad range of economic and quality of life issues.
The complete program consists of three, one-week training sessions. In addition to learning from successful practitioners, CDI also offers valuable networking and peer-to-peer learning opportunities. Each CDI site offers the core curriculum courses listed below in addition to other course offerings based on site needs and demographics.
Year 1
Focus is on the foundations of community development and includes group simulations providing participants with a better understanding of the challenges and benefits of a community development approach.
• Asset-Based Community Development
• Community Development Assessments
• Community and Economic Development Practice
• Community Visioning and Strategic Planning
• Team Building
Year 2
Emphasis is placed on the “nuts and bolts” of implementing economic development strategies, including business attraction, expansion and retention, and entrepreneurship. Overview of commercial and industrial development projects and group simulations are learning tools for this course.
• Building Entrepreneurial Communities
• Business Retention and Expansion
• Business Site Selection Process
• Community and Economic Development Finance
• Understanding Community Economies
Year 3
Focus is on implementing the knowledge gained in previous years plus acquiring skills in leadership, marketing and organizing the community development effort.
• Understanding Local Development Organizations
• Marketing Your Community
• Measuring Progress
• Workforce Planning and Development Finance
The Advanced Year focuses on the application of community and economic development principles in a real-world setting. This two-day training is designed for individuals who have completed all three years of CDI as well as for non-CDI alumni working in the field who want to stay current with trends and best practices. Completion of Advanced CDI is recognized by the CDC for education requirements, training, work experience and eligibility criteria for re-certification.
Enhance your career by becoming a Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED). CDI helps prepare you for this nationally-recognized certification offered through the Community Development Council (CDC). Application and eligibility information are available at cdcouncil.com. Pre-registration for the exam is required 45 days in advance. The PCED is optional and not required for CDI attendance.
The cost to attend CDI Texas is $600. The Advanced course is $350 for CDI alumni and $400 for non-CDI participants. Registration fee covers training, participant materials, and breakfast, lunch and refreshment breaks daily. Accommodations and other food costs are the responsibility of the participant. All sessions will be held at the Lone Star Community Building located at 5000 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77381.
Attendance at all sessions is required to earn full credit. If a participant misses more than 10 percent of the course sessions, credit for course completion will not be given. Completion of CDI earns one PCED certification or re-certification point.
A team of researchers have received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create guidelines to better assist rural military veteran business owners.
Dr. Craig Carpenter, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist in College Station, is leading a group looking to identify business entrepreneurship opportunities for rural U.S. military veterans.
Read the full article here: https://today.agrilife.org/2018/08/17/agrilife-extension-economist-leads-rural-military-entrepreneurship-study/
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released a great video explaining how to generate a business report about your potential customers and other businesses like yours for your area or a new market using the Census Business Builder. Check it out below:
See the announcement here (http://www.lonestar.edu/cdi.htm) and read more from them below. I will be attending as an instructor to discuss the nut and bolts of business retention and expansion! Hope to see you there!
Never before has the practice of community development been more important than it is today. As the world grows smaller through the increased use of global communications, communities of all sizes are finding their boundaries are expanding beyond their city limits. CDI Texas provides practical, interactive, and comprehensive training designed to meet the needs of economic and community development professionals working in a fast paced environment. CDI Texas builds the capacity of individuals and communities to effectively and positively impact economic and social development.
Who Should Attend?
Participants include community and economic development practitioners, city, county and state officials and community volunteers, non-profit staff and board members, chamber staff, private industry, municipal districts, and academics will find the Institute a valuable learning tool for the development of individual and community leadership skills. Attendees will expand their ability to identify community assets, set goals, encourage collaboration, and respond to a broad range of economic and quality of life issues.
Last Day to book:
February 11, 2018
Community development and entrepreneurial support activities are becoming increasingly common in Texas and around the country. For example, CDI (Community Development Institute) Texas 2017 will take place March 6-9, 2017. CDI Texas 2017 is presented by Lone Star College in The Woodlands.
From their flyer, “CDI is a national training offered in multiple locations and endorsed by the Community Development Council (CDC). CDC is a nonprofit organization founded to promote the advancement of community development professionals through the accreditation of educational programs, professional certifications, and the development of community volunteer leaders. The program consists of three, four-day training sessions which can be completed in subsequent years at the same site location or by fast tracking to multiple sites within the CDI network in a single year. CDI training is offered at the following locations: CDI Central, CDI Midwest, CDI Northwest and CDI Texas.”
The curriculum is designed to have offerings for most levels of experience with community development and includes three different years in their curriculum.
See the flyer below for more information:
http://www.lonestar.edu/departments/cdi/CDI_Texas_2017.pdf