National League of Cities Unveils Rebranded City Inclusive Entrepreneurship Program

Rebrand centers mission of CIE program, which helps cities give underrepresented entrepreneurs greater opportunity for economic advancement

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National League of Cities (NLC) today announced the rebrand of its City Innovation Ecosystems program, which provides cities with resources and support they need to put in place more inclusive practices that help entrepreneurs of color achieve greater economic mobility. In order to better reflect its mission and goals, the program will now be known as the City Inclusive Entrepreneurship (CIE) network.

The CIE network, an initiative of NLC, helps cities adopt policies, programs and practices to give underrepresented entrepreneurs more opportunities for economic advancement. City leaders that participate in the program select an area of focus for programs to support economic growth in their communities, including working with startups, creating microlending platforms and helping small businesses raise capital through equity crowdfunding.

“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted inequities that make it harder for all of us to succeed, making the CIE program’s work to drive inclusive, entrepreneurship-led economic growth more important than ever,” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of NLC. “The new City Inclusive Entrepreneurship network centers this mission and we look forward to continuing to support efforts to bring gender and racial equity to local economies for years to come.” 

The new brand emphasizes the CIE network’s efforts to leverage entrepreneurship and small business ownership as a means to reduce income inequality and provide greater financial security. Now in its third year, the network has grown to include more than 175 cities, 200 local partners and $100 million in committed resources.

In November 2021, 60 cities from across the country made a total of 78 commitments as part of their participation in this year’s CIE program. Since then, the network has provided those cities with direct technical assistance, information sharing opportunities and financial support to help bring their goals to life in 2022.

The CIE program is made possible in partnership with and support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. For more information about the program, click here.