Institute Community Development Initiative

This past week, ICDI attended ’s groundbreaking event to celebrate a major milestone—the launch of construction for 25 new affordable rental homes in Southeast Raleigh. Thank you to Southeast Raleigh Promise for your continued leadership and dedication to creating lasting impact in communities. We’re proud to celebrate with you!
HousingEquity CommunityEconomicDevelopment ICDI

Kicking off Cohort 3 of the Developers Capacity Building Program! Yesterday’s Kick-Off Session brought together passionate emerging developers ready to strengthen their skills, build capacity, and advance affordable housing across the Triad. We’re excited for the journey ahead and the community impact to come.

Today’s in-person staff meeting was extra special as we celebrated the birthday of our amazing Community Economic Development Network Director! 🎉 We’re grateful for your leadership and the impact you make every day. Wishing you a year filled with continued impact and success!

The Developers Capacity Building Program (DCBP) is recruiting participants for its third cohort, focused on affordable housing development in the Triad, including Forsyth County and Guilford County.

Designed for emerging developers, the program strengthens business and development capacity through a robust curriculum covering housing development fundamentals, financing, and affordable housing processes, led by experienced industry professionals.

The Kick-Off Session will be held on Monday, January 12, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Interested participants are encouraged to register and attend to learn more and begin building skills that support meaningful community impact. Registration ends on January 6th at 5:30 p.m. or when it reaches full capacity.

Please register here: https://lnkd.in/egt2mNT9.

Join us for the Information Session for the Developers Capacity Building Program on Monday, December 15th from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm via Zoom.
The Developers Capacity Building Program (DCBP) is envisioned to create business and housing development opportunities in Guilford County for emerging and seasoned developers.

The DCBP consists of a robust curriculum regarding the fundamentals of low-to-middle priced housing development projects. The project will be led by housing development and real estate specialists who share their knowledge with participants over the course of the program. The program’s third cohort will focus on affordable housing development in the Triad area of North Carolina (Forsyth County, Guilford County, and surrounding areas).

To register for the Information Session, please go to: https://lnkd.in/e2793W_6.

For additional information, please contact Shoneca Kent, Director of Community Economic Development Initiatives, at [email protected].

We invite you to support your locally owned small businesses this Saturday, November 29th! Every time you shop small, you’re investing in the strength and vitality of your community—so join us in celebrating and uplifting local entrepreneurs this Small Business Saturday.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, the Institute Community Development Initiative and the National Institute of Minority Economic Development extends heartfelt gratitude for your continued partnership and support throughout 2025. Your collaboration has been vital to advancing our shared commitment to economic empowerment and community growth. We deeply appreciate your trust in our work and the progress we’ve achieved together this year. Your insights and engagement strengthen our efforts and guide us as we strive to deliver meaningful, lasting impact.

As you celebrate with loved ones, we hope your Thanksgiving is filled with warmth, joy, and moments of reflection. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside you and look forward to building on our collective successes in 2026.

All Institute offices will be closed from Wednesday, November 26 - Friday, November 28, 2025.

Join the Greensboro Business League for their Difference Makers: Own the Upside: Practical AI for Real Businesses on Thursday, December 4th from 9AM - 12PM at the Greensboro Cultural Arts Center. The link to register can be found here: https://lnkd.in/e6v3GQcd.

Own the Upside: Masterclass with Kelly Marble (Ocean AI) + fireside with NC leaders Doug Speight & Tony Marshall. Practical AI to scale.
Join us for a masterclass with Kelly Marble, National Voice in AI and CEO of Ocean AI, plus a straight-talk fireside chat with North Carolina enterprise leaders Doug Speight (CEO, AxNano) and Tony Marshall (CEO, ISG Cyber).
You’ll see how operators are using AI to cut costs, move faster, and unlock new revenue—without the hype.

Why be in the room
Practical playbooks you can deploy in 48 hours
Real operator wins (and failures) you can learn from
Bring a teammate, leave with a 90-day action plan. Own the upside.

Check out this article from the Charlotte Business Journal!

Building stronger communities through collaboration! National Institute of Minority Economic Development, Institute Community Development Initiative, Institute Capital, Center for Entrepreneurship (WBC Charlotte), and the Center for Strategic Partnerships are working to expand economic opportunity and advance affordable housing solutions in Charlotte and beyond. Their joint efforts are helping turn vision into reality—empowering minority-owned businesses and transforming neighborhoods.

New uptown hub to put focus on minority economic development - Charlotte Business Journal Extensive renovations are underway at the uptown building to make it contemporary and bring it up to current standards.