Business & Civic Leadership

National Network for Action: The Inner City Economic Forum

ICIC’s core belief is that private sector engagement is the key to promoting economic prosperity in America’s inner cities. The Inner City Economic Forum (Forum) is an example of how ICIC works to catalyze this activity by convening national leaders and influencers who work to drive ideas into action. The Forum is a group of individuals collaborating, sharing best practices, dissecting issues and root causes, and taking action or convincing others to take action.

Today, the Forum’s network represents a diverse community: banks and public pension funds; real-estate developers and private equity providers; Mayors and economic development professionals; Fortune 1000 businesses and inner city businesses; CDCs, not-for-profits, and foundations with a community development agenda; and researchers and academics focused on bridging information asymmetries.

For all of these diverse leaders, the Forum provides the country’s only platform to tackle the business-led revitalization of America’s urban core. Learn more.

Annual Summit of Leaders

Each year, the Forum hosts the Summit, an annual working meeting of a select group of 150-200 national business and civic leaders focused on advancing the economies of inner cities. The Forum's Summit is the only national convening on business-led inner city economic development in America.

The annual Summit event provides a premier opportunity to meet a diverse leadership group and build relationships with like-minded professionals. At the Summit, Forum members learn what is working and where challenges remain, through cutting edge research and discourse around new insights and ideas. It is structured as a highly participatory, agenda-setting meeting that allows corporate and government leaders to collaborate and develop implementable plans for economic and business development in the inner city.