ED Now

State energy offices (SEOs) play a vital role in fostering local energy entrepreneurship and innovation through targeted programs and policies. It's important for SEOs to understand the current local energy ecosystem—including existing businesses, workforce capabilities, research institutions, funding sources, community partnerships, and market dynamics—to enable this cohesion to thrive.

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.

IEDC's Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program recognizes organizational excellence in the areas of internal and external operations, structures, and procedures. This series profiles recently accredited AEDOs, putting some of economic development's highest-performing organizations in the spotlight. In this edition we hear from former IEDC board member John Sternlicht, CEcD, FM, HLM, who heads the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County, Washington—a North American tulip capital.

Katherine Long, EDP, small business and information manager for Ponca City (Okla.) Development Authority (PCDA), is part of the third cohort of certified Entrepreneurship Development Professionals. IEDC’s EDP credential is designed to build capacity for those supporting entrepreneurship in their communities, and demonstrates the skills and expertise to lead communities through entrepreneurship-led economic development (ELED). Why did you decide to pursue the EDP credential? Working with startups and small businesses has always been a passion for me, even before joining the PCDA staff in 2006. Our executive director encouraged me to pursue the EDP credential during the pandemic, and I am so glad that I did. Going through the EDP ...

IEDC’s 2023 Economic Future Forum will be held next month in Calgary. A few of our conference speakers and sponsors shared some economic development projects and initiatives happening in Alberta.

Heidi Knoblauch, PhD, EDP, interim director of Empire (N.Y.) State Development’s Division of Science, Technology, and Innovation, is part of the third cohort of certified Entrepreneurship Development Professionals. IEDC’s EDP credential is designed to build capacity for those supporting entrepreneurship in their communities, and demonstrates the skills and expertise to lead communities through entrepreneurship-led economic development (ELED). Why did you decide to pursue the EDP credential? I wanted to understand how economic developers outside of New York State are thinking about entrepreneurship-led economic development. Specifically, I wanted to learn how other economic developers are thinking about measuring innovation ...

Dell Gines, CEcD, PhD, will be joining IEDC as vice president of partnerships, advisory services, and thought leadership effective March 6. Gines’ work in economic development and entrepreneurship at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City is renowned, and he brings a collaborative spirit to this important role. Gines is a national thought leader in economic development and entrepreneurial ecosystem building. At the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City his specific focus has been on communities of color and small, economically distressed rural communities. He has authored six guides and one e-book on the subject. His most notable work is a 2018 research report on Black women-owned startups which has been cited by PBS, Forbes, Black ...

Dianna Cameron, EDP, economic development management analyst and business ombudsman for the City of Sierra Vista (Ariz.), is part of the third cohort of certified Entrepreneurship Development Professionals. IEDC’s EDP credential is designed to build capacity for those supporting entrepreneurship in their communities, and demonstrates the skills and expertise to lead communities through entrepreneurship-led economic development (ELED). Why did you decide to pursue the EDP credential? The EDP courses were a great fit to provide additional information, insight, and best practices to guide us in the creation of a formalized entrepreneurship-led economic development program. It was absolutely worthwhile to complete this credential while ...