Neighborhood Economics Gathering

It wasn’t a conference, it was more than a gathering, not sure how to describe the confluence of activities… but last week leaders from around the country came together in Indianapolis to talk policy, action, economics, advocacy, faith, and much, much more. The event was called Neighborhood Economics and was a design lab, think tank, networking group, and everyone from philanthropists and funders to community organizers sat together to work on solutions to pressing community issues.

The South Bend region was well represented; including our Executive Director Sam Centellas, as well as Willow Wetherall with DTSB, Elias Crimm with Ownership Matters, and Mike Keen with Thrive Michiana. It is refreshing to know that other communities are facing similar challenges, and it was empowering to sit side by side with other organizations and individuals who are engaging in the work of solving those challenges.

The learning, connections, and ideas generated last week will power us as we continue to build equitable solutions that will create access to the capital needed for community development projects that will allow our community to thrive. We also had tours of local projects in Indy helping small businesses to thrive, we met and worked with leaders of thriving affordable housing developments around the country. All great ideas and examples to bring home to South Bend, to impact our work, and our community.

Thank you to the organizers… we are looking forward to the next iteration of this design lab and count on us to continue pushing for change.

Want to get involved in our work? Message us and get engaged.