Infrastructure

Field of Dreams Becoming More Than a Field for Rural Iowa Town

In the middle of a sea of cornfields in rural Iowa lies a spot that instantly sparks nostalgia in baseball fans everywhere -- the site of a 1989 hit movie Field of Dreams which coined the phrase “If you build it, he will come.”

And they do come. The iconic site in Dyersville, Iowa, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and received international attention as the site of a Major League Baseball game earlier this summer.

September 22, 2021

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Elevate Ventures Leverages EDA Grant, Exceeds Expectations

An EDA grant to Indianapolis-based venture development firm Elevate Ventures has provided free entrepreneurship training to more than 500 entrepreneurs from across Indiana since 2019 – more than twice what was projected.

September 15, 2021

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

With EDA Support, Washington State Gives a Green Light to the Blue Economy

As home to the fifth largest seaport in the United States and a maritime industry valued at $38 billion, Washington state may not seem like a place that needs additional resources to support maritime-directed economic development. But four-year-old Seattle-based nonprofit Washington Maritime Blue is helping fill a very specific gap in the region’s economic landscape.

September 8, 2021

Workforce Development

Hitting the Ground Running: Assistant Secretary Castillo Visits West Virginia and Colorado on First Week in Office

Assistant Secretary Alejandra Castillo hit the ground running after being sworn in on August 13, visiting West Virginia and Colorado during her first week in office.

August 31, 2021

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs

The Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) was founded in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2018. It was created as a business generator, designed to inspire and support local African-American entrepreneurs as they innovate, create jobs and build wealth.

Today, the Center supports over 120 companies, representing more than 500 individual jobs. Their stakeholders represent a variety of industries, including technology, education, consulting and film/media.

August 26, 2021

Economic Development Integration

EDA’s Economic Integrator Catalyzes Interagency Investments in San Diego

Nestled between Balboa Park and the San Diego International Airport, Maple Canyon is a unique green space that buffers business with nature inside San Diego’s sprawling, urban core. When flooding hit the canyon in 2017, a vast ecosystem of interdependent commercial enterprises, transportation networks, and natural habitats was impacted.

Frances Sakaguchi, a Regional Economic Development Integrator (EDI) with the Seattle Regional Office (SRO), was contacted about a project that could impact economic development more than a mile from the source.

August 25, 2021

Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Workforce Development

Houston Makerspace Transforming Surrounding Neighborhood

The East End of Houston has a long history of early industry. Now, that landscape is shifting, transforming into a core of innovation and entrepreneurship.

That change is boosted by the new East End Maker Hub. The 300,000 square foot facility is being called the largest innovation maker hub in the state of Texas and will serve as a community fabrication space and incubator hub with workforce training and apprenticeship programs.

August 4, 2021

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

EDA Helps Vermont Entrepreneurs Take First Steps in the Business World

Lyndonville is a rural Vermont community, once described by Boston Magazine as one of the fifteen “best small towns” in New England. It has a population of approximately 1,200 and is home to the 5th Battalion of the Vermont State Guard.

July 12, 2021

Disaster

After Reoccurring Flooding, Moberly, Missouri, Business Owners to See Relief

Running a small business can be challenging. Owners often wear multiple hats, performing customer service and human resources, conducting bookkeeping, and providing maintenance and sanitation. Business owners in downtown Moberly, Missouri have an extra layer of stress worrying that each time it rains, their business could flood again. A 2019 disaster supplemental grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is helping to change all that.

May 12, 2021

Small Business/RLF

Wisconsin Flower Shop Blooms Thanks to EDA-Funded Revolving Loan Fund

As the coronavirus pandemic kept families and friends apart, sending flowers became an appealing option to show loved ones that they were missed.

May 7, 2021

Small Business/RLF

EDA and Feed the Hunger Help Stabilize Market Access for Hawaii’s Small Farmers

The coronavirus pandemic hit Hawaii’s tourist economy like the surf at Pe’ahi; almost overnight, visitor arrivals plummeted more than 99 percent.¹ But the impact of the disaster was felt far beyond the normally crowded beaches and mega-resorts of Waikiki and Wailea.

May 5, 2021

Disaster

EDA Supports Mendocino County’s Independent Retailers Transition to Digital Economy

Straddling a winding section of California’s “Lost Coast,” Mendocino County is a picturesque, semi-rural region known for its dozens of wineries and microbreweries, as well as a stunning natural landscape that makes it a popular weekend destination for residents of nearby San Francisco.

April 21, 2021