NGIN is a practitioner-led organization designed to invent and deliver products that drive more prosperous and inclusive regions. Read more...
The Greater Chatham Initiative
The Greater Chatham Initiative is developing and driving the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to revitalize the Chatham, Auburn Gresham, Avalon Park and Greater Grand Crossing neighborhoods on Chicago’s south side. Read more...
Neighborhood Business Planning
This training presents the rationale and structure of a new approach to comprehensive neighborhood economic development: ”neighborhood business planning.” Read more...
Chicagoland FOOD
The Chicago region's food and beverage cluster organization, driving inclusive economic growth by serving as a hub for the Chicagoland food & beverage industry Read more...
Chicago TREND
Chicago TREND combines innovative predictive analytics, deal brokering and financial products to support “retail on the leading edge” of emerging neighborhood markets. Read more...
Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network and the future of food
February 20, 2018
An industry profile of the Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network highlights the history and progress of the world’s first inclusive cluster organization, in which RW Ventures, LLC played a key…
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Transformative Economies: Emerging Practices for Aligning Growth and Inclusion
December 18, 2017
Economic development professionals are beginning to think differently about how they create stronger neighborhoods, cities, and regional economies. They are applying an asset- and market-based development framework, which entails “growing…
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Greater Chatham Initiative
June 12, 2016
This document is the culmination of an innovative, two-year effort to develop an integrated and mutually reinforcing set of strategies and initiatives to drive growth in four contiguous Chicago neighborhoods:…
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NeighborWorks NBP Training
February 12, 2016
Originally developed as a two-day training for HUD Choice Neighborhood program grantees, this presentation was delivered to grantees from NeighborWorks America’s Catalytic Grant Program. The training presents the rationale and…
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Market-Based Development to Win the War on Poverty
June 12, 2015
Prepared for the Chicago Federal Executive Board, this presentation assesses the nation’s progress over the last 50 years and suggests a new framework for winning the “War on Poverty.” Finding…
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Inclusive Regional Economic Growth
November 12, 2014
This slide deck, presented at the 2014 CEOs for Cities National Meeting, highlights the economic imperative, and offers a framework, approach, analysis and examples for better achieving both prosperity and…
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Linking Regional Economic Clusters with Targeted Urban Places in Indianapolis
August 12, 2014
This set of documents reflects recommendations for leveraging urban industrial corridors in Indianapolis, Indiana in ways that support high-growth-potential regional clusters. The project was undertaken by RW Ventures in partnership…
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Strategic Development Scenarios for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s University Avenue Site
July 25, 2014
This presentation, delivered to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s leadership team, provides a set of strategic redevelopment scenarios for a 31-acre site the foundation owns in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of…
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Inclusive Regional Economic Growth Framing Paper
June 11, 2014
Developed for the June 2014 Convening on Inclusive Regional Economic Growth at the Ford Foundation, this framing paper captures findings from interviews of attendees and other leading practitioners to provide…
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Economic Place-making: How to Develop a “Neighborhood Business Plan”
May 15, 2014
Developed as part of a two-day training for planning and implementation grantees from HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods program, this presentation walks through the logic and structure of a new approach to…
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Partnering for Prosperity
April 17, 2014
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, accepting the recommendations of her Council of Economic Advisors, adopted Partnering for Prosperity: An Economic Growth Action Agenda for Cook County, a report developed…
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Economic growth must be more inclusive
January 5, 2014
As part of a Chicago Tribune series on the region’s biggest challenges in 2014, Bob Weissbourd argued for the importance of achieving inclusive economic growth, and identified strategies for better…
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Partnering for Prosperity: An Economic Growth Action Agenda for Cook County
April 1, 2013
Prepared for Cook County by its Council of Economic Advisors, Metropolis Strategies and RW Ventures, this Action Agenda begins by addressing Cook County’s role in the regional economy, in light…
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Regions Charting New Directions: Metropolitan Business Planning
June 21, 2012
These three presentations outline the key drivers of economic growth in the next economy, articulate the concept of “metro-economics” and describe the approach of Metropolitan Business Planning. The first two…
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A Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs
March 17, 2012
The plan was developed at the request of Mayor Rahm Emanuel by World Business Chicago and a team of consultants, including RW Ventures. It begins with an overview of the…
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The City that NetWorks: Transforming Society and Economy through Digital Excellence
May 27, 2007
This report, prepared for the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Bridging the Digital Divide, outlines a comprehensive plan for achieving universal digital excellence, as vital to the future of a global…
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Into the Economic Mainstream
August 6, 2006
This paper and related presentation, prepared for Opportunity Finance Network and CFED, introduce a new framework for bipartisan economic development policies, centered on the idea of “inclusionary growth”.
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Strengthening Communities for Regional Prosperity
July 17, 2006
The increasing attention paid to the region as a key unit of economic activity has given rise to powerful new economic development strategies. By focusing on economic rather than political…
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Seeing the Forest and the Trees
May 6, 2005
This presentation, prepared for CEOs for Cities’ annual meeting, explores some of the key findings that have emerged from the literature on the role of cities in the national economy…