Opportunity Zones (OZs) have been a major focus for economic developers and investors nationwide. While OZ 1.0 showed mixed results, OZ 2.0 offers a permanent, more transparent framework for implementation. Communities that align priorities, build readiness, and coordinate investment now will be best positioned to capture private capital and deliver meaningful economic and community outcomes.
Across 30 years of engagements, TIP has learned that strategy only matters when it drives visible movement. President Tracye McDaniel examines how communities translate plans into visible progress through strong governance, real-time measurement, and adaptive tools. Her insights underscore why implementation now distinguishes regions that merely prepare for the future from those actively building it.
In 2014, Chester County launched VISTA 2025, a 10-year economic development strategy developed with TIP Strategies to guide growth while preserving the county’s character. We recently connected with Mike Grigalonis, President & COO of the Chester County Economic Development Council, to discuss how the plan’s goals have taken shape over the past decade.
Resilience depends on more than infrastructure. It requires strong places that connect people and support local enterprise. TIP’s projects in Texas and Florida illustrate how placemaking strategies preserve identity, enhance business recovery, and attract new investment. Communities that weave placemaking into their planning are better prepared to withstand disruption and sustain long-term economic growth.
Economic development teams often face the challenge of implementing strategic plans with limited capacity. As a practical innovation, AI agents represent a promising shift in meeting that challenge. They represent a novel approach to how work gets done through a clear and phased approach.
In October 2023, Tom Stellman and Alexis Angelo were part of a panel on the intersection of economic development and philanthropy at Philanthropy Southwest’s 75th Annual Conference, held in the Lost Pines region outside of Austin. In her latest post, Alexis summarizes the panel, which featured our work for the City of Muskogee Foundation, and shares her takeaways from the event.
While generative AI may not be a singular historical moment, it is a significant one in the longer arc of technological change. TIP managing partner Jon Roberts considers the implications of generative AI and offers actions that economic developers can take to both mitigate the challenges and leverage the opportunities facing their local economies and workforces.
In early June, Jenn Todd-Goynes attended CNU31 in Charlotte, North Carolina. As a member of the Congress for New Urbanism, Jenn is passionate about the role of the built environment and about creating people-centered places. In her recent blog post, she discusses two themes from the conference that have broad implications for community and economic developers.
Command-and-control leadership no longer works. In a rapidly changing world, economic development organizations face numerous obstacles to sustainable growth. TIP president Tracye McDaniel shares her insights about connected leadership—what it is and how it can be effectively harnessed by economic developers. Rooted in inclusivity, connected leadership can better position organizations and communities for resilience today and tomorrow.
Harnessing the Power of Connected Leadership for Inclusive Economic Development Read More
TIP’s ongoing work with the International Economic Development Council as part of its Equitable Economic Development Playbook Initiative highlights the pivotal role economic developers can play in addressing economic inequality. Mishka Parkins’s post describes the Equity Action Plans created by the five organizations that participated in the initiative’s 2022 cohort.
