Celebrate With Us
Established in 1995, TIP Strategies has spent 30 years partnering with communities, turning insights into strategies that shape tomorrow. We are honored to have a network of clients, partners, and colleagues who have shared this journey with us. Join us as we celebrate our progress and look forward to the future.
Hear from Our Clients
Over the past three decades, we’ve had the opportunity to work alongside some of the most innovative and creative minds in economic, workforce, and community development. TIP has completed more than 600 engagements for over 425 organizations, creating many long-standing client relationships. While we wish we could feature everyone, the following profiles highlight the breadth and depth of our work.
We invited several clients to share why they chose TIP for their project and what outcomes stood out most. Below is a selection of their responses.
Gordy Kacala
Former Executive Director
We interviewed seven finalists for [our] strategic planning initiative in 2001. It was clear that TIP’s approach was unique, collaborative, and action-oriented. The resulting plan set the stage for the next generation of collaboration among the public and private sectors in achieving positive economic development outcomes in Racine County, Wisconsin. The real goal of strategic planning is standing the test of time. The 2024 RCEDC Annual Report includes the latest iteration of the TIP-assisted strategic plan that covers 2024 to 2026.
Learn more about our work in Racine County.
Yvonne “Bonnie” Gonzalez
Former CEO
In 2005, [TIP] helped Workforce Solutions position itself as a strategic partner to business and industry by identifying current and future workforce challenges in the Rio Grande Valley…. [The industry cluster analysis] guided investment decisions for many years. After the success of that analysis, the four-county region came together with community colleges and private sector partners to create a regional plan with assistance from TIP. That detailed report stood as the guide for future planning that, to this day, continues in the RGV.
Learn more about our work for Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Bob Perkins
Executive Director
TIP worked with the Delaware Business Roundtable to produce a statewide “Growth Agenda,” which recommended establishing a public-private partnership to replace the State’s Economic Development Office….The track record of the newly created Delaware Prosperity Partnership over the past seven years has been outstanding, in large part due to the involvement of the business community as a decision-making stakeholder.
Learn more about our work for the Delaware Business Roundtable.
Laurie Radke
President & CEO
Collectively with the guidance of TIP, we convened our community and developed a living document—our strategic plan—that serves as a guide to unite change agents in the Greater Green Bay area to take action and make a difference. Impact, Impact, Impact!
Learn more about our work in Greater Green Bay.
Gilberto Salinas
Executive Director & CEO
Two words: Tracye McDaniel. The TIP-led strategic planning process helped in streamlining our operations, building buy-in for our vision, and executing targeted goals and objectives, all of which allowed us to recruit and deliver on projects. TIP is the best in the business.
Learn more about our work in Brownsville.
David Eckmann, EdD
President & CEO
[TIP] delivered a robust economic development strategic plan that helped us to better understand short- and long-term threats and how we address them…. Today, because of the plan and execution thereof, our downtown is in a renaissance, we are building the outdoor recreation mecca for Wisconsin, and we are creating a new innovation center in the historic Powerhouse building.
Learn more about our work in Wausau.
Merle Johnson
Executive Director
TIP facilitated two immersive market visits that provided on-the-ground insights. These experiences allowed us to bring back actionable knowledge that has directly informed our local strategies and decision-making. As we continue to pursue our goals and objectives, we will measure our outcomes on the insights we gathered from those market visits.
Learn more about our work in Charleston.
Phedra Redifer
Executive Director
TIP was instrumental in developing the strategic plan for the Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas Workforce Development Board. The depth and breadth of TIP staff knowledge and experience is unparalleled. We received expert management and quality product from Tom and his team. TIP made us feel as if we were its only client.
Learn more about our work for Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas.
Ellen Cutter, AICP
Chief Economic Development Officer
[F]our years into implementation [of the TIP-authored Allen County Together], we are on track or ahead of schedule for many 10-year goals including attracting $1 billion of private investment at Riverfront Fort Wayne, constructing new dormitories to accommodate 2,500 additional students, and expanding access to capital for under-represented residents and entrepreneurs by $25 million. More importantly, ACT has given us the framework to keep partners aligned and focused on results.
Learn more about our work in Fort Wayne-Allen County.
Brian Henson
Director of the Trent Lott National Center
Aligning universities around a subject area, such as innovation, can be a challenging task, but TIP worked closely with [a consortium of Mississippi research] universities, as well as industry stakeholders, to bring forth synergies that, when acted upon, will provide a paradigm shift for the future of Mississippi.
Learn more about our work with Mississippi research universities.
Carlos Guzman
Director, Economic Opportunity & Development
TIP provides actionable recommendations. In addition, they always find ways to engage stakeholders and ensure that the final deliverable has community buy-in. I was able to use the strategic plan [that TIP created] to fund organizational priorities. The plan allowed us to maximize resources, as I was able to move the organization away from initiatives that no longer aligned with our long-term goals.
Learn more about our work in Fort Bend County.
Explore Insights
As part of our 30-year celebration, we’ve asked each of our principals to share their thoughts on how the economic development field has evolved and where it’s headed. This four-part State of series explores a different topic each quarter in 2025, highlighting issues that matter to our clients and colleagues. Click below to view the blog posts.
See Our Evolution
From our founding to the present day, TIP has helped clients respond to emerging trends, craft bold strategies, and shape tomorrow’s economy. The following timeline showcases the milestones that have positioned us as a trusted leader in the field.
Have a memory you’d like to share? We would love to hear from you!
TIP’s growing network drives new opportunities, rapidly expanding its services and client base. Requests from Invest in Texas Alliance members help shape the firm’s early economic development strategic planning practice. Lead generation activities on behalf of Texas communities also prompt requests for assistance from international organizations including the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, the Industrial Development Board of Northern Ireland, the Canadian consulate, and the Canary Islands.
Following its first strategic planning engagement for a workforce board in 2004, TIP expands its talent-focused offerings. The firm adds value to workforce and training organizations in understanding employer needs and creating demand-driven workforce systems.
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund enlisted TIP to quantify the economic impact of raising educational attainment rates in the Hispanic community and align their scholars’ educational pursuits with high-demand occupations. Other foundation-driven projects followed including JP Morgan Chase-funded work in Houston, Tampa Bay, the state of Delaware, and the Texas-Mexico border (El Paso).
The COVID-19 pandemic sharpens the firm’s focus on recovery and resilience that began after the Great Recession (2007-2009). TIP transitions quickly to a hybrid approach and is able to play an impactful role for its clients at a time of disruption and uncertainty.