Challenge Jackson County, Mississippi—one of the leading industrial centers along the Gulf Coast—has shown remarkable resiliency in the face of numerous challenges to its economic stability, including major storm events and economic upheavals associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The leadership’s commitment to economic growth has paid dividends, as evidenced by […]
Challenge Cross-border trade plays an essential role in the economy of the ten states that fall along both sides of the US-Mexico border. As growing anti-trade sentiment in the US threatened long-standing global trade agreements, including NAFTA, The Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together (MATT) Foundation commissioned a study in 2017
Challenge A rural community just outside the orbit of St. Louis, Iron County was negatively impacted by the breach of the Taum Sauk Reservoir in December 2005. Despite receiving settlement monies in 2011, County leaders struggled to implement a coordinated response to the area’s challenges which included stagnant population trends,
Challenge Comprised of three cities in two countries (El Paso, Texas; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua), the Borderplex region offers a number of advantages for business and talent. To promote these advantages—which include a young and diverse population, a multi-modal transportation network, six international ports of entry,
Challenge Faced with more than three decades of stagnant population trends and lagging income and educational attainment, Muskogee, Oklahoma, was at a crossroads. Despite the area’s many assets, which included a strong base of private and public sector employers, desirable market access, and a committed group of leaders, Muskogee failed
Challenge Long-standing efforts to create a more equitable workforce development system in Detroit and Southeast Michigan shifted drastically as national discussions about social justice and racial equity issues intensified in the Trump era. The shift brought increased leadership, capacity, and support from the public and private sectors for transforming the
Challenge In mid-2010 the Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) received a grant from the US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to determine the feasibility of developing wet-lab space for life-sciences companies in Austin. The ATI study was intended to estimate the demand for wet-lab space in Austin, determine best
Challenge In addition to administering the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship Program, the College Success Foundation (CSF) is charged with oversight of the Washington State Opportunity Expansion (WSOE) program. As part of this effort—which evaluates proposals from colleges and universities to increase the production of four-year degrees in high-demand fields—CSF sought
Challenge Established in 1975, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is the nation’s largest nonprofit dedicated to increasing college graduation rates among Latinx families in the US. In addition to its dedicated scholarship fund, the organization operates a broad range of outreach and education programs in support of this goal, including
Challenge Following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010—the largest maritime oil spill in US history—the state of Mississippi was awarded $750 million to help offset economic damages in coastal communities. In 2018, the Mississippi legislature passed a law (Senate Bill 2002) committing 75 percent of the remaining BP
