At Heartland Forward’s flagship event in Bentonville, Arkansas, three communities spotlighted for having the ingredients to thrive
BENTONVILLE, Ark. – At the 2023 Heartland Summit today, Cincinnati, Omaha, Nebraska and Oxford, Mississippi were showcased as secret sauce communities, exhibiting models for towns and cities around the heartland for developing the right playbook to help their communities thrive. Having emerged as a major technology and startup hub with an industry job growth rate of nearly 20% in five years, Cincinnati was selected for its focus on economic growth, diversity and resilience. Omaha was chosen for its focus on job growth and urban core revitalization with an emphasis on strong collaboration between business, philanthropic and public sectors, leading to years of steady economic growth. And Oxford, the smallest community featured this year, was named for its historic growth and its national – and even global – attention as a rich cultural destination.
Today, representatives from all three cities participated in a panel discussion at the Summit held in Bentonville, Ark., to highlight the ingredients making their communities thrive. Moderated by Axios Co-founder Mike Allen, the discussion included General Partner at Lightship Foundation Candice Matthews Brackeen of Cincinnati; Chair of the Greater Omaha Regional Chamber and President and CEO of North End Teleservices, LLC Carmen Tapio of Omaha; and Mayor Robyn Tannehill of Oxford.
“The 2023 Heartland Summit is an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for the unique challenges and opportunities facing the heartland, and it’s always particularly inspiring to hear from those who are seeing success in their own communities,” said Angie Cooper, executive director of Heartland Summit and executive vice president at Heartland Forward.“We were honored to have Candice Matthews Brackeen, Carmen Tapio and Mayor Robyn Tannehill join us on stage and share insights into their cities’ economic growth and achievements and what makes these communities the three we are celebrating as having the secret sauce. We hope their achievements will serve as a path forward for other heartland communities looking to unlock their potential.”
The Heartland Summit, the flagship event of think-and-do tank Heartland Forward is a day-and-a-half event in Bentonville for leaders and experts to discuss challenges, create actionable solutions and strengthen connections in the heartland and across the country. In its third year, the event has brought together approximately 350 policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, business, philanthropy and thought leaders from various sectors, geographies and generations to exchange insights on advancing the heartland.
“I’m proud to be a part of the Heartland Summit, an event dedicated to fostering economic growth and reshaping perceptions of our region,” said Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill. “In Oxford, we make a dedicated effort to cherish and preserve our unique cultural heritage, which has played an important role in becoming one of the fastest growing communities in the state. This is an exciting time for our city, and I’m grateful for the recognition as one of Heartland Forward’s secret sauce communities and the opportunity to share our story and lessons learned with other heartland leaders!”
On the panel, Cincinnati’s myriad successes were highlighted, including being ranked a 2022 top city of startups in the Midwest and being the only Midwestern city in SmartAsset’s top 10 cities for women in tech. Due to the presence of 13 Fortune 1000 companies and leading manufacturers, no other major metropolitan area in the U.S. features a greater concentration of both management and manufacturing operations than Cincinnati. Additionally, US News and World Report ranked Cincinnati #14 in its Best Places to Live for Families because the cost of living requires just 21.61% of the median annual household income, which helps families and individuals keep more money for basic needs and discretionary spending.
“It was an honor to participate in the Heartland Summit today and have the opportunity to represent Cincinnati in this important discussion. Cincinnati’s thriving economy and entrepreneurial spirit have made it a standout in the heartland,” said Candice Matthews Brackeen, founder & CEO of Lightship Capital. “I’m proud to be part of this dynamic community that has the secret sauce other cities and towns can learn from. The Heartland Summit is a testament to the potential that the heartland holds for all of us.”
The panel also spotlighted Omaha’s robust economic base with prominent Fortune 500 companies, including Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific, Peter Kiewit Sons and Mutual of Omaha. Through its tireless focus on economic development, Omaha has outpaced the nation’s economic growth over the past five years in finance and insurance and healthcare and social assistance. It has also fostered a business-friendly environment, with the cost of doing business 12% below the national average, and supported affordable living, with a cost of living 7% below the national average while offering a highly-rated quality of life.
“Fulfillment of North End Teleservices’ mission of creating jobs and changing lives is making an exponential impact in Omaha. Our collective efforts to strengthen and revitalize historically underserved areas in Omaha is ensuring every place and space of Omaha is substantial, accessible, and can be enjoyed by the entire community,” says Carmen Tapio, President and CEO of North End Teleservices. “Omaha’s recognition as a secret sauce community by Heartland Forward is special and represents the fruit of the collective labor and efforts of our many. It shows that our community stakeholders know how to come together to fulfill our shared vision for a bigger and brighter community. It’s an honor to represent my city and organization at the Heartland Summit to share our story and what other heartland communities can learn from our example.”
Leading one of the fastest growing communities in the state, Mayor Tannehill in Oxford focuses on proactive planning for the future, development of affordable workforce housing, supporting local businesses and investing in infrastructure. Mayor Tannehill has been recognized for her service and leadership by numerous organizations, including her selection as a NewDEAL Leader – a national group of pro-growth elected officials championing ideas to grow the economy, expand opportunity for all and make government work better.
“I’m proud to be a part of the Heartland Summit, an event dedicated to fostering economic growth and reshaping perceptions of our region,” said Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill. “In Oxford, we make a dedicated effort to cherish and preserve our unique cultural heritage, which has played an important role in becoming one of the fastest growing communities in the state. This is an exciting time for our city, and I’m grateful for the recognition as one of Heartland Forward’s secret sauce communities and the opportunity to share our story and lessons learned with other heartland leaders!”
A video spotlighting the three secret sauce communities premiered ahead of the panel today. The video can be found HERE.
Contact: Lara Cooper, lara@cstrategies.com
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About Heartland Forward
Heartland Forward is a think and do tank dedicated to being a resource for states and local communities in the middle of the country. We do this by studying broad economic trends and building data-driven and community-tested partnerships, programs and policies to address the needs of the heartland to help change the narrative about the middle of the country and accelerate economic growth.
About the Heartland Summit
The Heartland Summit was co-founded by Olivia and Tom Walton and Steuart Walton in 2018 to kick-start economic growth and help change the narrative about the middle of the country. The Summit is a forum for frank conversation about our shared challenges, creating positive action and strengthening connections.