One of Municipal Equation's favorite topics to cover is the kind of partnership and idea-sharing that can make success easier for everyone. When the City of Marion learned about a commerce-boosting concept that seemed to work for other cities, they tried it, and it worked for them. When the City of Sanford learned about it from Marion, they tried it, and it worked for them, too. In this instance, it was two cities in separate parts of the state with the initiative to directly trade know-how, and it went so well that Sanford circled back and helped Marion with resources. On this episode, we dig into that idea-sharing, how it started, and how it all worked, joined by leaders from both cities to hear about the GEM program in Marion and the RISE program in Sanford and how they've worked with residents to create a more vibrant local business scene. Marion's GEM program Sanford's RISE program https://www.nclm.org/