We envision an economy that distributes wealth equitably and provides opportunities for all to prosper. We work to build this future by creating good jobs, sustainable communities, new wealth, useful research, and innovative policy. As an affiliated center of the Kenan Institute, we provide consulting services to businesses, governments, and large non-profit organizations in order to create good jobs and wealth in economically distressed communities. We produce research and new data to better understand why the economy benefits some more than others. We host unique convenings for community leaders, business leaders, academics, practitioners, and others to learn, share, build and connect. We also work with policymakers at all levels to create an economy that distributes wealth equitably and provides opportunities for all communities and individuals to prosper. CREATE operates six programs: NCGrowth; AICER; Black Communities: A Conference for Collaboration; Homegrown Tools; SmartUp; and CREATE Prosperity Research Network.
2021 Highlights
We had our most successful fundraising year yet, with more than $2.8MM announced in 2021! New grants include $2 Million from the Truist Foundation; $325,016 from EDA CARES Act funding; $149,947 from USDA North Carolina; $145,757 from USDA South Carolina; $197,404 from the Golden Leaf Foundation. We also received $23,000 in gifts and other support.
We launched a new program called Anchor Institutions Create Economic Resilience (AICER). Like much of our work, AICER will create new jobs, wealth and businesses in economically distressed places. However, AICER takes a demand side approach by helping large anchor institutions radically increase the proportion of procurement spending with firms that are minority-owned, rural, and/or local in COVID-impacted communities.
We hosted the 3rd Black Communities Conferencewhich featured more than 40 plenary speakers, films, booktalks, collab sessions, and more than 400 attendees from across the US, Africa, Caribbean, and Europe. The conference also resulted in Mark Little (CREATE’s Executive Director), and Karla Slocum (UNC Associate Dean-Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) being recognized with an engaged partnership award from the Provost’s office. In partnership with the NC African American Heritage Commission and the Conservation Trust for NC, we hosted a webinar on Black Placemaking for the Culture.
We ramped up our policy work in multiple dimensions this year. CREATE staff have begun meeting regularly with US Congressional offices in North and South Carolina; members of the NC general assembly; and other policymakers to bring targeted insights to pending legislation. Our faculty director, Maryann Feldman, presented at the inaugural meeting of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) on “Strengthening US Science & Technology Global Leadership for the 21st Century.” And Little was selected to serve in the inaugural cohort of Policy Scholars for E Pluribus Unum, which seeks to advance public policy that addresses racial equity and systemic racism in America.
CREATE staff continue to go above and beyond, winning awards and board appointments. Carolyn Fryberger, Assistant Director of Economic Development, won the Kenan Flagler Business School’s prestigious Weatherspoon Award, and was appointed to the board of UNC Rural. Jessica Wilkinson, Economic Development Manager, won the UNC-Chapel Hill Employee Forum’s Professional Excellence Award. Kellye Whitaker, SmartUp SC Project Manager, was appointed to the Colleton County Planning Commission, Palmetto Goodwill Excel Center Board of Directors, and the Charleston Chamber of Commerce One Region Strategic Thinking Group. Nicole Outlaw was awarded the Kenan-Flagler Dean’s Performance Award. In addition, our team was featured in a variety of media outlets including Rice Magazine, American Institute of Physics, PBS NC, WRAL Techwire, Triangle Business Journal, WPTF, The Well, Walterboro Live.
Given the success we had in fundraising this year, and plans for continued growth and expansion, we will hire 1-2 new core staff members and double our number of projects for next year. This funding will also support continued expansion of our geographic footprint both within and beyond the Carolinas. We will deepen our SmartUp work in Eastern North Carolina where we have a lot of partnerships we plan to further build upon. Within both our economic development and AICER work, we plan to expand partnerships with indigenous communities. We hope to expand our work in Southwestern NC in partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee and Western Carolina University. We will add more anchor institution partners to our AICER program, broadening the geographic scope beyond the Carolinas, and also convene the AICER Partners network, and develop a vendor readiness workshop. Our programmatic plans for South Carolina is to expand our work to include more much needed hands-on technical support to rural farmers and small business owners in distressed areas across the state. We are building strong relationships with the NC Board of Governors and General Assembly with the plan to support policy change that ultimately creates shared economic prosperity. Next year we look forward to resuming in-person convenings, with the first planned for Pembroke in Spring 2022 in partnership with UNC-Pembroke’s Business School and the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub. We will also expand analyst partnerships with new schools, including Clemson, College of Charleston, Claflin, NC A&T, Vanderbilt University, and others.
A Look at the Year in Pictures
*all CREATE meetings follow the CDC guidance around COVID protocols at the time of the meetings.
With funding from USDA Rural Development and the Truist Foundation, NCGrowth-SmartUp South Carolina is providing technical assistance to six rural businesses located in Colleton, Hampton, and Dorchester counties – all located in distressed areas of the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The cohort–which includes Sweetgrass Roots Learning Farm, Bowman Vinyard, SS Hamilton Tree Farm, Tucker Adult Daycare, FreedomAir HVAC, and Peculiar Pig Farm–convened in August 2021 to kick-off the program and share with each other the challenges they are currently facing as business owners in the Region.
NCGrowth Analyst, Michael English, and Director of Mt. Olive Chamber of Commerce, Julie Beck tour downtown Mount Olive during a site visit.
Members of the University of Mount Olive Special Taskforce for Economic Development participate in a focus group session led by NCGrowth analyst, Michael English.
NC Lead Fellow, Zane Carroll, Central Downtown Business Group Director, Robin Davis, Town Administrator, Scott Howard, and NCGrowth Analyst, Lance Gloss discuss Norwood’s economic development plans in a spacious and beautiful town-owned building.
Stakeholders from the Pembroke community (including Chancellor Cummings, VC of Finance Teachey, and Mayor Cummings) gather to plan for AICER implementation at UNC Pembroke.
