Across the heartland, a wave of economic growth is underway, and Heartland Forward is working to ensure communities of all sizes are positioned to capitalize on it. Larger cities often have the research staff, data systems and market analysis needed to make a sharp, well-supported case to investors. Smaller towns, with the same ambition but fewer resources to build that kind of evidence base, can find it harder to translate local momentum into the specific, data-backed story that attracts capital. Good data is the backbone of good decision-making, and closing the gap is central to how Heartland Forward’s Center for Investment Readiness (CIR) works.

Together, the 20 heartland states make up the third largest economy in the world. Currently, the heartland receives 10% of all venture capital investment nationwide, 29% of fixed capital lending and only 3-7% of philanthropic dollars are distributed to rural communities. CIR was built to help close some of these gaps, giving communities the evidence base they need to compete for investment on the strength of their own numbers. 

CIR is a dedicated hub for research and strategic program development within Heartland Forward, designed to strengthen investor confidence and support new and thriving businesses across the region. The center has committed to advising 30 heartland communities by 2030—a commitment that began this pilot year with 10 partner communities. Each completed 10 weeks of training with Heartland Forward’s research team, and received a custom, interactive data dashboard that pulls community-level economic data into a single view, giving local leaders access to unique data, allowing them to benchmark their community against peers and track change over time. 

Below, representatives from each of the 10 inaugural CIR communities describe how they have put that data to work.

Chattanooga, Tennessee

“As Chattanooga’s tech and entrepreneurial economy has grown alongside our manufacturing roots, we’ve needed sharper tools to know where to direct that momentum next,” said Dr. Andrew Hudson, Director of Workforce Strategy, City of Chattanooga. “Access to reliable, community-level data facilitates the alignment of our partners around clear priorities and smart investments that continue Chattanooga’s growth as a regional leader.”

Enid, Oklahoma

“Enid is a community with a strong heritage and an even bigger vision for the future,” said Dr. Marcie Mack, Executive Director of the Enid Regional Development Alliance. “The Center for Investment Readiness gives us the data and strategic insight to tell our story, demonstrate why Enid is ready for what’s next, and position our community for the next generation of opportunity.”

Hutchinson, Kansas

“When we embarked on a plan to expand the affordable housing stock, we needed to provide data to lawmakers in the statehouse to allow affordable housing to be built through a partnership with the Kansas Department of Corrections and Hutchinson Community College. This bill not only will create new workforce partnerships, but will solve challenges in infill housing and workforce training,”said Debra Teufel, President and CEO of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce. “Heartland Forward’s Center for Investment Readiness dashboard gave us the data we needed to change hearts and minds, and the result speaks for itself, a new pilot program has been written into Kansas law as a direct result of that partnership.”

Iowa City, Iowa

“The Iowa City area’s economy grew faster than almost any similarly sized metro in the heartland over the past year,” said Nancy Bird, President and CEO of Greater Iowa City, Inc. “The CIR dashboard lets us see exactly where that growth is coming from, what advantages we may have, and builds upon our work aligning partners and sharing our regional opportunities.”

Southwest Missouri 

“Rural health care access is one of the biggest challenges facing Southwest Missouri, and decisions about where federal dollars should go to maximize health outcomes need to be grounded in real evidence,” said Amy Kauffman, Executive Director of MOKAN Partnership “The Center for Investment Readiness dashboard is helping our health care leaders, like Freeman Health System, secure Rural health transformation grants and act strategically.”

Lawrenceburg, Tennessee

“Lawrenceburg is a small town with a big work ethic, and like a lot of rural communities, we are always looking for a competitive advantage,” said Ryan Egly, President and CEO of the Lawrence County Chamber. “Having reliable, up-to-date data behind our planning has changed how confidently we can pursue new investment and position our community for growth.” 

Mount Sterling (Brown County), Illinois

“Brown County has all the elements of the heartland small town charm, but that size can also mean fewer resources to build a data-driven case for investment,” said Dan Teefey,  President of the Tracy Family Foundation. “Having access to reliable, comparative data has given our community a stronger voice when we talk about what Mount Sterling has to offer.”

Perry, Oklahoma

“Perry has always been a proud manufacturing hub, and we want the next generation of employers to see that legacy as a launching pad,” said Nate Read, City Manager of Perry, Oklahoma.”The Center for Investment Readiness gives us the tools to build upon that legacy and attract new industries.”

Rockford, Illinois

“Rockford’s manufacturing and aerospace roots run deep, but attracting outside investors takes more than a good story, it takes numbers,” said Angela Kay Larson, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce. “Having consistent, community-level data has strengthened the pitches that we make for new investment and continued to position Rockford and the region as a heartland anchor for precision manufacturing in the aerospace and defense industries.”

Wausau, Wisconsin

“Attracting workers to Wausau means telling our story that this is a great place to raise a family, with abundant access to outdoor recreation and strong health care nearby,” said Renae Krings, Senior Director, Greater Wausau Prosperity Partnership. “The Center for Investment Readiness dashboard helped us find the numbers to back that up and shape our talent attraction strategy around it.”

These 10 communities are the first of the 30 that the Center for Investment Readiness has committed to supporting by 2030. A program core to Heartland Forward’s work, CIR works across the organization’s core focus areas of regional competitiveness, talent pipeline and health and wellness. As CIR continues to grow, Heartland Forward will keep building the shared evidence base that helps local leaders across the region compete for capital on the strength of their own numbers and accelerate economic growth across the middle of the country.

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Learn More

Building Investment Readiness: The Center for Investment Readiness works with heartland communities to strengthen the data behind their case for capital, with a commitment to advise 30 communities by 2030.

Connecting Leaders: The Heartland Summit brings together economic development professionals, policymakers, and investors from across the region.