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Florida Atlantic University (FAU)’s entrepreneurship ecosystem has worked hard to develop comprehensive support for students and community members—from idea to successful, sustainable company and beyond. In 2020 the ecosystem had a gap: support and resources for post-revenue, second-stage companies with around six employees and their particular set of challenges—the forgotten ventures. FAU was not alone. In fact, many ecosystems do not cater to these important job-and-revenue-generating second-stage companies.

Michael Martella, CEcD, senior economic development project manager for the Town of Gilbert (Ariz.), recently became a Certified Economic Developer. By passing the rigorous, two-part exam, CEcDs prove their comprehensive knowledge of the field and readiness to tackle economic development challenges. What was the most important thing you learned while earning your CEcD? How valuable and strong of a network fellow CEcDs are. During my exam preparation I reached out to numerous CEcDs to gain insight and advice, and they were all so willing to help. How will your CEcD help you in your work? The knowledge I gained and relationships I made while earning my CEcD have already helped me tremendously. I’ve learned new skills, sharpened ...

The Economic Recovery Corps' inaugural cohort of 65 fellows and host organizations gathered in Portland, Oregon, this month to celebrate the program's launch. Learn how this exciting new initiative will impact the future of economic development.

Matt Lorenzen, MPA, CEcD, economic development manager for the City of Wilsonville (Ore.), recently became a Certified Economic Developer. By passing the rigorous, two-part exam, CEcDs prove their comprehensive knowledge of the field and readiness to tackle economic development challenges. What was the most important thing you learned while earning your CEcD? Each course provided new insights, methods, and case studies. It’s hard to name one specific takeaway as the most important. That said, I probably learned the most from the Credit Analysis and Finance course because I hadn’t had a lot of previous experience in that area. Many finance concepts were demystified for me, and that makes me more confident in my day-to-day ...

Melissa Meschke, CEcD, EDP, St. Croix (County, Wis.) Economic Development Corporation’s new executive director, recently became a Certified Economic Developer. By passing the rigorous, two-part exam, CEcDs prove their comprehensive knowledge of the field and readiness to tackle economic development challenges. What was the most important thing you learned while earning your CEcD? Learning about real estate development was the most eye-opening and tends to be the subject that comes up the most in conversation. It was the area that I had the least experience in, so the entire subject was great to dive into. How will your CEcD help you in your work? Much of my background is in entrepreneurship, so the CEcD really helped expand my ...

Casey Verburg, CEcD, MPA, senior economic developer for ElectriCities of NC, recently became a Certified Economic Developer. By passing the rigorous, two-part exam, CEcDs prove their comprehensive knowledge of the field and readiness to tackle economic development challenges. What was the most important thing you learned while earning your CEcD? The world of economic development is constantly changing—from new and emerging industries to diversity initiatives to technology. Building a foundation of the basics of economic development can help practitioners prepare themselves and their communities for the changes. How will your CEcD help you in your work? My CEcD increases my network on a local and global level. Earning my ...

EcoMap Technologies has introduced the PLACE Builder Fellowship as a tribute to the profound legacy of our late CEO Pava LaPere. Just a few days after returning from IEDC's Annual Conference in Dallas in September, Pava's life was tragically cut short. Only 26 years old, Pava was a rising star in the world of ecosystem building and economic development. She built EcoMap from a dorm-room idea to a venture-backed, 30+ employee team located in Baltimore, and was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 in the social impact space. Pava wasn't motivated by accolades or achievements, but rather by EcoMap's mission: making information and opportunities more accessible in any given ecosystem. Pava's passion for place-based initiatives and supporting ...

Vincent Soule, CEcD, deputy director of the Eastern Plains Council of Governments in New Mexico, recently became a Certified Economic Developer. By passing the rigorous, two-part exam, CEcDs prove their comprehensive knowledge of the field and readiness to tackle economic development challenges. What was the most important thing you learned while earning your CEcD? I truly enjoyed learning from the instructors. Their applied knowledge coupled with the course manuals really helped me to grasp the many aspects of economic development. How will your CEcD help you in your work? The knowledge and peer-to-peer information exchange is invaluable and has helped me to develop new and unique approaches to economic development. What advice would ...