What does it take for community ownership to move beyond individual projects and become a lasting force for neighborhood development? This blog explores how practitioners and researchers are building the ecosystems, relationships, and infrastructure needed to help communities shape, own, and benefit from local investment over the long term.

How can hospitals, HBCUs, and faith-based institutions use their economic power to create lasting community wealth? This blog explores how anchor institutions are aligning hiring, procurement, investment, and land use strategies with local priorities to drive long-term economic opportunity and shared prosperity.

Why do so many communities have to prove they are investment-ready before they can access the capital they need to grow? This blog explores how catalytic capital is helping entrepreneurs, institutions, and communities overcome traditional financing barriers by bringing more flexible, patient, and risk-tolerant investment approaches to places often overlooked by conventional markets.

NGIN’s newest report examines how communities engage with technology-based economic development initiatives and explores what it takes to ensure innovation investments create benefits that extend beyond traditional innovation ecosystems. Drawing on research conducted in two NSF Engines regions, it highlights approaches to regional engagement and broad-based outcomes.

Economic development professionals often spend significant time chasing growth: recruiting employers, attracting investment, securing grants, and competing for the next major project. Yet a question raised repeatedly during Cityscapes 2026 challenged a core assumption underlying much of that work: What if the real challenge isn't attracting wealth—but keeping it? 

Talk of artificial intelligence was everywhere at Cityscapes Summit 2026, even in sessions where it wasn't the topic on the agenda. Yet what stood out most was not technology itself. The deeper conversation was about power, participation, and preparedness.

At Cityscapes 2026, practitioners explored how communities can move beyond attracting investment to building the power and capacity needed to shape where capital flows and who benefits.

New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) is partnering with RTI International to support the development and delivery of a national community of practice.

Join NGIN February 2nd, 2026 for an interactive expert conversation on guaranteed income and baby bonds—our first event collaboration with Accelerator for America.

Looking back on a year of purpose, partnership, and possibility.

Written by NGIN Advisor Beka Burton, this article takes a closer look at the lessons and perspectives gathered during NGIN’s recent immersive learning trip to Cincinnati.

Over four days, delegates explored the interconnected fabric of Cincinnati’s economy to kick off the 12-month SCALE program.

Eight coalitions join NGIN’s SCALE program to drive community-driven commercial real estate development and build community wealth in cities across the U.S.

Cleveland’s visionary leadership in economic innovation took center stage as Mayor Justin M. Bibb was honored with the Luminary Award for Economic Excellence by New Growth Innovation Network

New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) and Accelerator for America (AFA) are partnering to expand resources for Small and Midsized Cities (SMCs) to help drive transformative change at the local level.

Explore the different types of Economic Mobility: Intragenerational and Intergenerational.

Want to implement an economic mobility strategy in your own community? Check out this step-by-step guide.

Learn about Economic Mobility and how it impacts your community.

Do you think you have what it takes to be an NGIN-eer? We are hiring for 2 new roles, Advisor and Analyst. Applications open now until this Friday, January 31, 2025.  

This quarter, the NGIN team voted to watch the documentary “Raising the Floor,” which follows the people of Chelsea, Massachusetts, and their innovative policy to support community members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our discussion of the film allowed us as a team to further refine and understand “What is inclusive economic development?” and how guaranteed income programs fit within this model.