Inclusive Competitiveness: America’s 21st century economic blueprint
Inclusive Competitiveness: America’s 21st Century Economic Blueprint By Mike Green Inclusive Competitiveness is the No. 1 economic concern of the American people. The Census is predicting a mid-century shift in the racial demographics of the nation that will result in a non-white majority of the population. This demographic shift has significant political and economic ramifications. The Republican and Democratic Parties are both gearing up now... Read More
Saving America’s Black Boys Launches National Campaign
Saving America’s Black Boys Launches at SXSWedu in Austin, Texas on March 4, 2013. QUESTION: How is it possible that across every economic development district in the nation Black Americans uniformly produce paltry percentages of business revenue, create few jobs and have virtually no net worth? DATA: The total number of Black-owned businesses in America was 1.9 million in 2007 (Census, BLS) with a total revenue production of LESS than 1%... Read More
Saving America’s Black Boys Launches at SXSWedu
Saving America’s Black Boys Launches at SXSWedu By Mike Green Feb. 27, 2013 South by Southwest (SXSW) is a massive conference where collaboration is king, and big ideas emerge. It is the innovation and technology platform where Twitter and Foursquare were launched. Starting in early March, more than 3,000 reporters from around the globe will descend upon Austin, Texas, America’s fastest growing city and one of the nation’s major hubs of... Read More
Forbes highlights Holifield’s ‘Inclusive Competitiveness’
Forbes highlights Holifield’s ‘Inclusive Competitiveness’ Johnathan Holifield is America’s only Vice President of Inclusive Competitiveness. Holifield holds that distinction at Nortech, a tech-based economic development powerhouse covering 21 counties in Northeast Ohio. Nortech is leading the nation in establishing models for technology and economic inclusion frameworks that discover, invest in and cultivate all of the region’s... Read More
Mike Green gives keynote at Tabor 100 Gala in Seattle: Building An Inclusive Innovation Economy
Mike Green was invited by Ollie Garrett, the executive director of Tabor 100 in Seattle, to give the keynote address at its annual gala fundraiser. The elite of Seattle’s political landscape attended the sold-out venue at the Washington State Convention Center on Sept. 15, 2012. A standing ovation followed Mike’s 27-min speech. See Mike’s presentation below, which accompanied his speech. See Mike Green... Read More
America21 Co-hosts Closing the Wealth Gap, Sept. 19
America21 will co-host a forum on Closing the Wealth Gap on Sept. 19, 2012 in Washington D.C. at B’s Restaurant in Union Station from 4 pm to 8 pm. See the slides below for more information. Limited seating. Get your tickets here while they last. Share this: Read More
ICIC Asks the Expert: America21 Co-Founder Johnathan Holifield, VP of Inclusive Competitiveness at Nortech
In this Ask the Expert Q&A, Johnathan Holifield, Esq., co-founder of The America 21 Project and Vice President of Inclusive Competitiveness for NorTech, explains why it is imperative to include minorities in the Innovation Economy. This approach to inclusion is similar to ICIC’s (Initiative for a Competitive Inner City) regional equity work — which advocates for regional approaches that deliberately include strategies for inner... Read More
America21 highlighted in Forbes by Nortech CEO
INCLUSION: The Missing Link in Economic Competitiveness By Rebecca O. Bagley President and CEO, Nortech Aug. 15, 2012 (See original column in Forbes) As I continue to engage with companies, universities, government leaders, investors and economic development practitioners in Ohio and across the country, I can’t help but notice the lack of diversity in high growth technology sectors. How can the U.S. reach its full potential as a global leader... Read More
Fusion of Inclusion: Philanthropy’s Role
PolicyBridge released its most recent research report earlier this summer titled, “The Fusion of Inclusion.” The findings suggest the Northeast Ohio region’s economic competitiveness is threatened due to the low participation of minorities in the fast-growing technology sector. Fusion of Inclusion Executive Summary: Much analysis and action have centered on reinvigorating Northeast Ohio’s economy. Economic development organizations, policymakers,... Read More
‘SMASH’ing Silicon Valley’s Biases
In 2003, Freada and Mitch Kapor attended a fundraiser at the Phillips Academy in Andover, MA, for (MS)2, a program that brought 100 disadvantaged African American, Latino, and Native American students from select public schools across the U.S. to the highly elite prep school for the summer. The program, which had changed the lives of hundreds of children, showed the students what they could achieve if they worked hard. Given the program’s results,... Read More
Mike Green to deliver keynote at Tabor 100 Business Gala
On Sept. 15 the Titans of tech in the Pacific Northwest will participate in an annual gathering of minority and majority business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, educators and elected leaders who will assemble to support Tabor 100. The Washington State convention Center in Seattle is the venue for this incredible demonstration of collaborative support. Tabor 100 is an association of entrepreneurs and business advocates who are committed to economic... Read More
America21 – BDPA host Innovation Summit in Baltimore (Success!)
UPDATE: SUCCESS!! Thanks to a tremendous effort by the BDPA and our partners, NAMDE and DiversiTech, about 80 attendees engaged in a historic gathering that served as a catalyst for developing a framework of collaboration and ongoing partnership with America21. We’re running hard and working now to prepare for our upcoming National STEM Summit in early October (details coming soon) with NIH, NASA and a host of others, which will include our... Read More
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Economist Agrees with America21
Joseph Stiglitz, the Pulizer Prize-winning economist and author of “The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future,” agrees with America21 data and describes for Jon Stewart, host of the Daily Show, the economic landscape that underscores the message that America21 has consistently offered to the American public. Stiglitz says: “Inequality has become one of the major problems facing our country.” “We... Read More
America21 Responds: Minorities Missing in Tech Fields
A new study produced by local urban think tank Policy Bridge says there is a growing threat to regional competitiveness in Northeast Ohio: The dearth of blacks and Hispanics in emerging technology businesses. On the next Sound of Ideas, we’ll talk about regional efforts to fix that, concentrating on entrepreneurship, engagement, employment and education. (see video below) Guests: * Gregory L. Brown, executive director, Policy... Read More
America21′s Mike Green featured in Oregon Business Mag
In the past decade, much of the new wealth creation and job growth in the United States has occurred in the startup technology sectors. “But those types of innovations and market disruptions are not happening across black America,” says Green, who is also a part-time blogger. The reasons “are systemic, historical and institutional, and someone has to address it.” Programs that try to alleviate the economic inequities plaguing African-American... Read More
Former NFL Player Sees Competitive Role for Black Press
INCLUDED BELOW ARTICLE: July 5, 2012 Ideastream interview with Johnathan Holifield on the “new economy” and the lack of significant minority participation. Interview based on PolicyBridge’s new report on the economy in Northeast Ohio, “Fusion of Inclusion.” * * * Former NFL Player Sees Competitive Role for Black Press Johnathan Holifield may no longer be taking hand-offs for the Cincinnati Bengals but this retired... Read More
Holifield joins Nortech as VP of Inclusive Competitiveness
NorTech Adds Economic Inclusion Expert to Leadership Team CLEVELAND, OH – June 25, 2012 – NorTech, a nonprofit technology-based economic development organization serving 21 counties in Northeast Ohio, today announced that Johnathan M. Holifield, Esq. has been named Vice President of Inclusive Competitiveness. In this role, Mr. Holifield is responsible for leveraging existing efforts within Northeast Ohio’s innovation ecosystem and leading... Read More
America21 influences new PolicyBridge inclusion report
(Excerpt from article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 26, 2012. See full article at the Cleveland Plain Dealer) “The Fusion of Inclusion,” a report on minority participation in high-tech industries released Monday by PolicyBridge, warns that blacks and Hispanics are nearly invisible in Northeast Ohio’s new economy and that their “underperformance” in advanced industries threatens the region’s economic competitiveness. At... Read More
America21 brings ‘Inclusive Competitiveness’ to Detroit
Johnathan Holifield, Chief Strategist, Evangelist and Co-founder of The America21 Project spoke to a gathering of leaders at Global Detroit on May 10, underscoring the importance of “Inclusive Competitiveness” as a core policy through which regional competitiveness will be achieved in the 21st century global innovation economy. Holifield is a highly sought-after Cleveland-based attorney, consultant, speaker and former NFL player... Read More
America21 to deliver message of ‘Inclusive Competitiveness’ Strategies to Global Detroit, TechTown
Global Detroit, TechTown and Detroit Innovation Economy Leaders set to hear the Law and Economic Strategy of Inclusive Competitiveness May 8, 2012 For Immediate Release: CLEVELAND — On May 10, Global Detroit will host an important presentation and discussion in Detroit. In partnership with TechTown, the event seeks to ignite new thought, advocacy, policy and investment to increase diversity and inclusion in Metro Detroit’s Innovation Economy. Inclusive... Read More
