Economic Development Projects

What actually increases economic mobility in distressed neighborhoods? New research from Opportunity Insights on the $17B HOPE VI program provides a clear answer: integration matters more than infrastructure. Revitalization significantly improved long-term outcomes for children—higher earnings, more college attendance, lower incarceration. Adults saw little income change. The difference? Social exposure. Neighborhoods that connected low-income children to broader, more economically diverse networks produced lasting gains. Projects located in deeply isolated areas showed little impact—even with new buildings. That distinction is critical. For city leaders and housing practitioners, the implications are practical: ➡️ Mixed-income housing works best when adjacent to stronger neighborhoods. ➡️ Zoning reform is foundational—high-opportunity areas must allow housing growth. ➡️ Transit (especially flexible bus systems) expands daily economic access. ➡️ Early childhood investment multiplies long-term returns. ➡️ Housing programs are most effective when paired with social support and network-building. Perhaps most importantly: integration can generate large gains for low-income children without reducing outcomes for higher-income peers. Revitalization is not just about physical renewal. It is about expanding access to opportunity networks. For cities facing fiscal strain, this is not only a social equity strategy—it is a long-term economic growth strategy. The takeaway is straightforward: If we want to improve mobility, we must reduce isolation. The Brookings Institution had an excellent panel on this. If anyone wants to watch, ask in the comments. For those working on the issue, how are you adapting your programs to incorporate these findings? #relationships #community #neighborhood #equity #inequality Purpose Built Communities Placemaking Education Cormac Russell Frances Kraft Vanessa Elias Usha Srinivasan Jennifer Prophete Kara Revel Jarzynski Kevin Ervin Kelley, AIA Lory Warren Noah Baskett Matt Abrams Anna Scott Ethan Kent John B. Carol Naughton Sarah Strimmenos Ben Lewis Tim Tompkins Aaron Kuecker Aaron Hurst Tim Soerens Sam Pressler Tracy Hadden Loh David Erickson Robert Steuteville Shawn Duncan Mollie Johnson Lenore Skenazy Katie Delp Carol Naughton

₹77,080 Crores allocated by the Government of India for startups and manufacturing in 2025. Yet most founders are still chasing VC money. I work with startups daily, and it surprises me how many don't even know these schemes exist. Here's what's available right now The Big Picture: → Deep Tech & Startup Fund: ₹30,000 Cr → MSME Budget Outlay: ₹23,168 Cr → Startup India Fund of Funds: ₹10,000 Cr → PLI Electronics & IT: ₹9,000 Cr → PLI Auto Components: ₹2,819 Cr → PLI Textiles: ₹1,148 Cr → Startup India Seed Fund: ₹945 Cr This is just the major allocations - there's more buried in smaller schemes. Let me break down what you can actually access based on your stage [1] For Early Stage Startups: 👉🏼 Startup India Seed Fund: Up to ₹50L per startup 👉🏼 SAMRIDH Scheme: Up to ₹40L grants 👉🏼 Atal Innovation Mission: Up to ₹15L for prototypes Most founders think these are too small. But remember, this is non-dilutive capital that can get you to revenue stage. [2] For Revenue Stage Companies: 👉🏼 CGTMSE: Up to ₹2 Cr collateral-free loans 👉🏼 Stand-Up India: ₹10L to ₹1 Cr for SC/ST/Women entrepreneurs 👉🏼 Multiplier Grants: Up to ₹10 Cr for R&D projects This is where it gets interesting. Revenue-stage companies have the best shot at accessing larger amounts. [3] For Manufacturing: 👉🏼 PLI schemes across 14+ sectors 👉🏼 Significant incentives for domestic production 👉🏼 Focus on electronics, auto, textiles If you're in manufacturing, you're literally sitting on a goldmine of incentives. The challenge? Most founders don't know how to navigate the application process. Here's where to start: - Startup India Portal [https://lnkd.in/gBdAH52D] - myScheme Portal [myscheme.gov.in] - SIDBI Portal [sidbi.in] - AIM Portal [aim.gov.in] - MeitY Startup Hub [msh.meity.gov.in] What you actually need: ✓ DPIIT registration for startups ✓ Proper documentation ✓ Clear business plan ✓ Compliance records ✓ Incubator partnerships (for some schemes) I've seen founders spend months preparing pitch decks for VCs, but won't spend a week getting their documentation ready for government schemes. The reality is Government funding is often cheaper, comes with less dilution, and has better terms than VC money. But it requires patience and proper documentation. #startupfunding #manufacturing #debtfunding

Sharing my piece from today's cover page of the Chicago Tribune Opinion section about a vision for the future of urban revitalization based on my experience from public service in Chicago. I address the widely-discussed decline of traditional downtowns post-pandemic as well as neighborhood disinvestment and provide three streets in Chicago that offer hopeful case studies for the future of cities: - South Cottage Grove Ave: The Discover customer care center employing 1,000+ in an abandoned big box retail store that is now generating significant economic activity in the neighborhood. The power of Corporate America bringing jobs to a disinvested neighborhood is a lesson I hope others will learn from and that can be repeated widely across Chicago and other cities to decrease the unemployment rates of disinvested neighborhoods. - LaSalle Street: One of the largest office-to-residential conversion projects in the country is taking place which will convert 1.6 million square feet of unused office space into a mix of apartments, restaurants, shops and workspace...over 1,000 new residential units of which 300 will be affordable. - State Street: Leaning into the experience economy, Sundays on State (along with festivals such as Suenos, Lolla, NASCAR) show the power of transforming public spaces into new amenities for residents and visitors alike. As I mention in the article: "What excites me is this: Each project made real progress, strengthening the forces that attract and retain people in urban areas. These initiatives created jobs, added housing and fostered connections when they were needed most. They were made possible through collaboration among city leaders, communities and private companies, which focused on welcoming more people to share in Chicago’s prosperity and potential. I’m excited that the spirit behind these projects echoes globally. You will find inspiration and opportunity on every block, in every neighborhood, in every city. It’s powered by the same energy that, throughout history, has spurred us to build ports and rail yards that helped us trade goods, roadways that connected our neighborhoods and skyscrapers that raised our sights and sense of possibility. Today, that energy continues to remake our cities in an image of today’s world — more dynamic, more interconnected, more inclusive. So ignore the clickbait. The story of cities today isn’t one of demise. It’s about rebirth." https://lnkd.in/gXyiixSk

Dr. Farrah Gray | The Economics of a Colony, Not a Community For over a century, Black people have been told they are “poor,” yet every outside group—White, Asian, Arab, Jewish, and Hispanic—builds thriving businesses in Black neighborhoods. If these areas were truly without wealth, why would so many outsiders plant their economic roots there and protect their own communities from Black business ownership? The answer is older than America itself. The problem is not poverty. It is extraction. Black people spend $1.7 trillion a year—more than the GDP of many nations—yet less than two cents of every dollar circulates back into Black hands. This is not a community; this is a colony. Colonies are designed for one purpose: resource removal. The people pay taxes, but the wealth leaves. The labor builds cities, but the ownership is elsewhere. For generations, every major ethnic group has built its first economic foundation inside Black neighborhoods—funding their own schools, businesses, real estate, and industry—with our dollars, not theirs. The solution lies in what Booker T. Washington called the rise of “Captains of Industry”—Black builders, Black manufacturers, Black entrepreneurs, Black institutions, and Black employers who reclaim economic power by creating sectors, not just businesses. It is no longer enough to boycott. It is time to own. It is time to build the industries that employ our people, feed our families, and anchor our future. Dr. Farrah Gray asked the question clearly: If others can build their wealth off Black spending, why can’t Black people build wealth for themselves? The video simply reveals what history, data, and ancestral memory already taught—liberation begins when ownership returns home.

🚀 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 🚀 Starting up is tough. But you are not alone. The Indian government has many schemes to help you grow fast and stay strong. 1. 𝐃𝐏𝐈𝐈𝐓 & Startup India • Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) – Up to ₹20 L for proof of concept. Up to ₹50 L to scale. • Fund of Funds (@FFS) – ₹10,000 Cr corpus for VC funds. • Tax Holiday – 100% income-tax exemption for 3 years. • Angel Tax Exemption – No tax on fair‑value investments. • Fast‑track Exit – Close down in 90 days under IBC. 2. Department of Science, Technology and Innovation DST (Science & Tech) • Nidhi Prayas – ₹10 L for early prototypes. • nidhi eir dst goi – ₹20–30 K/month stipend for aspiring founders. • Seed Support – ₹25 L via incubators. • TBI & Accelerator – Soft loans or equity for growth. 3. MeitY Startup Hub (Electronics & IT) • TIDE 2.0 – Grants ₹4–7 L (ideation) and ₹7 L (PoC). • Samridhi Skilling Centre – ₹40 L matching fund plus mentor support. • GENESIS – Up to ₹1 Cr for deep‑tech in Tier II/III cities. 4. @𝐌𝐒𝐌𝐄 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 • Incubation – ₹15 L per idea; ₹1 Cr to incubators. • Aspire NZ Seed Fund (Aspire) & PMEGP – Seed funds and subsidy‑linked loans up to ₹25 L. • CGTMSE-India – Collateral‑free loans up to ₹2 Cr (75–85% guarantee). 5. DBT – Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) (Biotech) • BIG – ₹50 L grant for biotech PoC. • SBIRI & BIPP – ≥₹1 Cr grants/loans for SME R&D. • 74 Bio‑incubators – Labs, mentors, equipment. 6. NITI Aayog (AIM & WEP) • Atal Incubation Centre- BIMTECH Centres – Grants + infrastructure. • Atal New India Challenges – Funds for public‑sector solutions. • Women Entrepreneurship Platform – Networking + funding for women. 7. 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢 & 𝐑𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 • RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubator, IIT (BHU)‑RAFTAAR – ₹25 L for agri‑startups. • Agri‑Clinics – Training + finance. • Pmfme Scheme & SAMPADA – ₹10 L grants for food processing. 8. 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 & 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 • iDEX – Up to ₹1.5 Cr for defence innovations. • TDF – Up to ₹10 Cr for indigenisation. 9. 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 & 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 • Swadesh Darshan & PRASHAD – Boost homestays, guides, apps. • Tourism Hackathons – Pitch ideas on heritage tech. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 "𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐏𝐃𝐅" 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐏𝐃𝐅 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 👉 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬: 1. Get DPIIT recognition. 2. Pick schemes that fit your stage. 3. Connect with incubators. 4. Apply early. - 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟏𝟕 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 - https://lnkd.in/dnAZwnqC Join my #WhatsApp Channel for live updates: https://lnkd.in/dzf-Gu2M Follow Utkarsh Mishra | Tag a @founder | #Grants2025 Tag a founder friend who must know this. Let’s build in India, for India! 🇮🇳 #StartupIndia #GovtSchemes #Entrepreneurs #Innovation #MakeInIndia

Return on Sustainability Investment 🌎 Businesses increasingly recognize the importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. However, quantifying the financial impact of these sustainability efforts remains a challenge. The Center for Sustainable Business at NYU Stern has introduced the Return on Sustainability Investment (ROSI) methodology to address this issue, providing a clear linkage between sustainability strategies and financial performance. ROSI is designed to integrate sustainability into the core business strategy, enhancing decision-making and accounting processes. It helps companies measure the full spectrum of costs and benefits associated with their sustainability efforts, including intangible assets, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of their impact on financial performance. For corporate management, the adoption of ROSI leads to enhanced business performance across social, environmental, and financial dimensions. It encourages embedding sustainability into everyday business operations and strategic planning, leading to improved operational efficiencies and competitive advantage. Investors benefit from the ROSI methodology by gaining a deeper understanding of ESG data and its implications for financial valuation. It aids in identifying where relative value exists in corporate strategies and investments, enhancing the integration of sustainability considerations into investment decisions. The framework not only supports better stakeholder engagement and media relations but also drives revenue growth and profitability through informed, sustainable practices. Companies that implement ROSI are positioned to achieve higher corporate valuations and contribute positively to societal impact. #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #climatechange #climateaction #investment

African exporters don't need more "capacity building." We need shared cold storage, regional quality labs, and trade finance cooperatives. Here's the blueprint. I've sat through enough donor-funded workshops on "building export capacity." I stopped attending. They always focus on training farmers—beekeeping techniques, organic practices, cooperative management. Please don't DM/invite me to these events. That's fine. But it's not the bottleneck. Accelerators fund useless programs without writing cheques. NGOs fund outdated trainings. Donors fund studies that no one is reading. Governments fund conferences for the elites and cameras. But nobody's funding the boring, essential infrastructure that would 10x African export capacity. Here's what actually limits African superfoods exports: 1. No Shared Cold Storage Honey, moringa, hibiscus—these products need temperature-controlled storage to maintain quality. Most cooperatives can't afford private cold storage facilities ($50,000-$150,000 investment). So products degrade. Quality drops. Buyers reject shipments. Solution: Regional cold storage hubs shared by multiple cooperatives—managed by aggregators or trade associations, accessible at per-kg rates. 2. No Accessible Quality Labs Western buyers need lab reports. But ISO-accredited labs are concentrated in Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Accra—urban centers far from production regions. Farmers in rural Tanzania or DRC can't easily access testing. Solution: Mobile lab units or regional satellite facilities offering affordable batch testing ($200-500 instead of $2,000-5,000). Fund through trade development programs. 3. No Trade Finance for SMEs Exporters face brutal cash flow: farmers need payment at harvest, but buyers pay Net 30-90 days after delivery. Banks won't lend without collateral. Microfinance charges 18-30% interest. Solution: Trade finance cooperatives or guarantee funds specifically for agricultural exports—offering 6-8% interest with receivables as collateral. 4. No Aggregation Coordination Platforms Buyers need 5 tons of moringa. No single cooperative can supply that. But if 15 cooperatives coordinated through a digital platform, they could collectively fulfill orders. Solution: Digital aggregation platforms (think Uber for agricultural supply)—matching buyer demand with distributed producer capacity in real-time. 5. No Shared Compliance Infrastructure Organic certifications cost $12,000 per cooperative. But if 10 cooperatives pool resources and certify through a regional body, per-cooperative cost drops to $3,000-4,000. Solution: Certification consortiums where cooperatives share audit costs, documentation systems, and renewal fees. At Lubembo Co., we're building some of this privately—shared storage in Bandundu (DRC), lab relationships for affordable testing in Nairobi, aggregation coordination across cooperatives. But we're one company. This needs systemic investment. #TradeInfrastructure #AfricanExports #Lubembo #Invest

As a champion of A/NZ SMEs, it’s great to see New Zealand’s Budget 2025 include initiatives designed to support local small and medium sized businesses.    Some of the highlights for Kiwi business owners include: ▪️ Investment Boost – Businesses can now deduct 20% of a new asset’s value this year, on top of standard depreciation. Perfect for those investing in new technology or equipment.  ▪️ Export growth support – $83.75m total invested over four years to deepen international trade ties, particularly with key partners in Asia, boosting trade potential for the 25% of SMEs and 67% of mid-sized NZ businesses already exporting.  ▪️ Workforce skills uplift – New incentives to drive participation in STEM tertiary education will help encourage more locals into technology careers.  Invest NZ – Funding was announced for the new agency to help innovative businesses attract foreign capital and scale.    More details can be found on the MYOB Blog: https://lnkd.in/gyDxKvvv

Following my post last week about the concerning and over simplistic rhetoric from UK Government on planning, citing nature as a blocker rather than an enabler of good, integrated growth, this piece supports the case that business sees green investment, often made upfront, as underpinning economic growth.    PwC surveyed 4,701 chief executives representing every region of the world economy and found that most CEOs see sustainability as an opportunity, not an additional cost.   PwC cites that the trend is being fuelled by growing evidence that green investments boost revenue and improve profit margins, alongside increasing alignment between executive incentives and sustainability metrics. They found that such investments were six times more likely to increase revenue than decrease it. For example, companies transitioning their product portfolios to include climate solutions are seeing faster revenue growth, according to research from Harvard Business School.   Additionally, two-thirds of the CEOs surveyed reported that climate related investments had either reduced costs or had no significant impact on costs. And investors are responding - nearly 70% of respondents to PwC’s Global Investor Survey 2024 agreed that businesses should address sustainability and ESG issues, even if it impacts near-term profitability.   This last point is crucial – investors are taking a longer term view and there's an understanding that aligning climate-friendly investments with long-term business strategies drives stronger financial performance. It’s great to read about this progress within business, and I'm looking forward to delivering the biodiversity keynote at Edie 25 in March to support more businesses to take action on nature alongside climate.   In a world of increasing complexity, the UK Government's reductive rhetoric distracts from the urgency of the issues at hand and risks derailing good, integrated progress on all fronts - environmental, economic, and societal.   Read the piece I reference via edie here: https://lnkd.in/enG-k7hR #Planning #ClimateChange #ESG #Business

From Commodity Player to Value Creator: Decentralised Processing is India’s Big Leap!! India’s agricultural story has always been defined by abundance and scarcity—often at the same time. Our diverse agro-climatic zones and unique seasonal cycles ensure that for most perishables—fruits, vegetables, and horticultural crops—we experience gluts during harvest and shortages a few months later. This structural pattern is not a bug; it’s our natural strength. But unless we harness it strategically, it will continue to translate into price crashes, post-harvest losses, and income volatility for millions of farmers. The solution lies in decentralised value addition through innovation in food technology not just more cold storage or centralized mega-parks. By bringing modern processing, preservation, and packaging closer to production clusters or even farmgate, we can unlock immense value from what today often goes to waste. Imagine small and mid-sized hubs across India that turn surplus tomatoes into paste, mangoes into pulp, onions into dehydrated flakes, jackfruit into ready-to-eat products, or bananas and mangoes into dehydrated bars—right where they are grown. This not only cuts logistical costs and wastage but also creates rural jobs, builds local entrepreneurship, and gives farmers a share in the value chain. Recently, I met an inspiring young food entrepreneur, Varun Raheja founder of Raheja Solar Food Processing, who embodies this decentralised vision. Through innovative solar drying technology, Varun and his team are converting surplus fruits and vegetables at the farm gate into high-value, nutrient-dense, and tasty ready-to-eat products. His approach not only preserves the goodness of fresh produce but also adds shelf life, reduces post-harvest losses, and creates sustainable income streams for farming communities. This kind of frugal yet impactful innovation demonstrates how technology, when designed for local conditions, can transform rural economies and help India leapfrog to the next level of agri-value chains. Globally, high-value agri exports are built on processed and branded products, not raw commodities. While India ranks among the world’s top producers of many perishables, our share in global value-added agri exports remains modest. To transition from a commodity supplier to a high-value agri powerhouse, we must integrate food technology with decentralised infrastructure and market access. The future of Indian agriculture will not be written in APMCs or ports alone—it will be shaped in thousands of decentralised food tech units across the country. That’s how we turn cycles of glut into engines of growth.