by Tyler Hale
Leaders in politics, urban development, banking, business, and the nonprofit realm gathered in Little Rock today to tackle domestic economic policy during a conference held at the Clinton Presidential Center.
Headlined by former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the conference focused on community revitalization in cities and rural, underserved communities, attracting capital in community finance, and spurring entrepreneurial growth. The conference, entitled “Economic Inclusion and Growth: The Way Forward,” brought a wide range of leaders to discuss how government and other institutions can work together to create domestic economic policy that results in income growth.
In an introduction to the conference, Gov. Asa Hutchinson highlighted the 25thanniversary of the Community Development Financial Institutions (CFDI) Fund, which was signed under Clinton’s presidential administration. According to Hutchinson, Clinton’s administration heavily focused on the economic issues discussed during the conference – particularly urban and rural revitalization.
“This focus on urban and rural development was one of the hallmarks of President Bill Clinton’s administration and resulted in income growth at all levels, including for middle-class families and led to declining disparities between racial groups in wealth and poverty,” Hutchinson writes. “This year’s conference’s, Economic Inclusion and Growth: The Way Forward, focuses on the evolution and success of CDFIs, and includes discussions about how the important work of these institutions can be further scaled to increase their impact across the United States.”
There were five panel discussions during the conference, in addition to the opening and closing conversations. The first panel was titled “From the Origin: Creation of CDFIs and Their Catalytic Impact,” and the second panel was “Revitalizing America’s Cities.” During the third panel, which was moderated by Hillary Clinton, the panelists discussed “Financial Inclusion and Supporting Underserved Communities.” The fourth and fifth panels focused on capital and entrepreneurs – the fourth panel was “The Investors’ Perspective: Attracting More Capital to Community Finance,” and the fifth panel was titled “Supporting Entrepreneurial Growth.”
See the full conference and discussion here:
Economic Inclusion and Growth: The Way Forward
TUNE IN: On November 20, President Bill Clinton and former Secretary Hillary Clinton will host “Economic Inclusion and Growth: The Way Forward,” a conference on domestic economic policy at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock. The conference will bring together leaders and bipartisan representatives from state and local municipalities, nonprofits, and the philanthropic and private sectors to discuss the evolution and successes of Community Development Financial Institutions, proven approaches for urban and rural economic revitalization, supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses and how to further economic growth in underserved communities.
Posted by Clinton Presidential Center on Wednesday, November 20, 2019
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