MSU EDA University Center for

Regional Economic Innovation

E-Update | March 2024

Mark your calendars for this year's Innovate Michigan! Summit! Join us for a day of connection and collaboration as we bring together an array of professionals and innovators. Don't miss this opportunity to expand your network, forge partnerships, and exchange ideas to better our communities. Learn more about the projects that will be presented at the summit here.

We would also like to hear from you AND your networks! Help the MSU EDA University Center for Regional Economic Innovation (REI) develop equitable economic development project ideas for 2025. Your innovate idea submission could be broad or focused and anonymous if you choose. Your topical project ideas will inform our 2025 call for proposals that are most likely to create or retain jobs and/or businesses in economically distressed communities and regions of Michigan. 

We look forward to seeing you all at the Summit! If you have any questions, please email REI Coordinator, Jenan Jondy, directly at [email protected].

Community Benefit Planning

The MSU Center of Community Engagement and Economic Development (CCED) is pleased to announce that the Spring 2024 Thinkers and Doers event will be held in person and virtually on Thursday, March 28th, at 4:30 p.m. The theme of this spring’s event is Community Benefit Planning! We have three expert panelists from a range of disciplines arranged to participate in the event.

Community benefit plans (CBPs) are agreements negotiated between a neighborhood and a developer that is seeking public financial support for their development. CBPs are designed to identify a community’s needs and priorities for a proposed development and are one method to incorporate equitable development outcomes. CBPs can create a way for a community to be more engaged with developers which can influence the development process and result in specific benefits to a targeted community (Draklellis & Richardson, 2023).

We highly encourage you to attend in person! However, if you are unable to join us in person, you may register to attend through Zoom! To register, simply click here! 

Please circulate the event’s information and flyer to those in your networks who you think may be interested in participating in this year’s event! We’d love to have a dynamic, interactive Q & A session after our panelists speak, and your help in drawing interested community members will be a great service to ensuring a successful event.