February 03, 2025

159: Breaking the Poverty Cycle with Mary Cacioppi

29 minutes

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, Mary Cacioppi brings her 22 years of combined experience in community development, economic development, and poverty reduction to discuss her groundbreaking approach to economic development. As the founder/CEO of Bridges to Prosperity Northern Illinois and a national consultant for aha! Process, Mary explains how understanding the root causes of poverty and implementing strategic poverty reduction initiatives can transform communities and create sustainable economic growth across a five-county area.

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Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers

Start using the term "attainable housing" instead of "affordable housing" to reduce stigma and increase acceptance

Conduct a community risk assessment to identify key areas needing attention

Evaluate your community's commitment to poverty reduction using the TRE Institute assessment tool

Create systems for tracking and measuring the utilization of community services

Build collaborative frameworks with other community organizations to avoid duplicate services

Reframe poverty reduction conversations as "upward mobility" when working with elected officials

Assess which community programs are underutilized and need better promotion

Develop strategic plans that integrate poverty reduction with economic development

Focus on creating system-wide changes rather than isolated programs

Engage business community leaders in poverty reduction conversations

Special Guest: Mary Cacioppi.

Links:

Mary Cacioppi | LinkedIn

Economic Development That Benefits Everyone: Poverty Reduction Is a Key Strategy by Mary Cacioppi

National Consulting Work — Bridges to Prosperity Northern IL

Bridges to Prosperity Northern IL

aha! Process - Poverty Reduction Professional Development and Solutions

...more

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