The Institute of Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) and Main Street America (MSA) will hold a webinar on February 10, 2022 from 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. to discuss how communities can use a portion of their federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations to support small business growth and development.

Undeniably, ARPA represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for communities to fundamentally refocus their economic development strategies. This webinar will outline numerous ideas for using ARPA money to cultivate and support small businesses, including:

• Buying commercial property and transferring ownership to a community land trust to provide affordable space for small businesses;
• Improving small business procurement policies and practices;
• Cultivating small-scale manufacturing and filling gaps in local and regional supply chains;
• Closing the racial entrepreneurship gap;
• Creating a local restaurant delivery service; and
• Investing in infrastructure improvements that help small businesses operate more effectively

Speakers will include:

• Dionne Baux, Vice President of Urban Development, Main Street America
• Timothy Bishop, Economic Development Director, City of La Grande, Oregon
• Maggie Elliott, Executive Director, Believe in Bristol
• Mathew Hill, Executive Director, Brunswick Downtown Development Authority
• Paola Santana, CEO, GLASS
• Stacy Mitchell, Co-Director, Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Conversation will be moderated by:

• Kelly Humrichouser, Director of Government Relations, Main Street America
• Kennedy Smith, Senior Researcher for the Institute of Local Self-Reliance and former director of the National Main Street Center

Photo Credit: Discover Bristol