June 2, 2025
The Upjohn Institute’s Policies for Place initiative brought together practitioners, policymakers and researchers on how to develop coordinated, inclusive strategies to create good jobs. A partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the daylong convening was held at Grand Valley State University’s Seidman Center in Grand Rapids.
Drawing on lessons from Grand Rapids, participants explored how decision-making, targeted development, talent pipelines, and support strategies could lead to more effective partnerships between the public and private sector in creating good jobs.
A series of themes emerged from the panels and small group discussions, including:
- Bringing business leaders closer to the community and strengthen local presence to increase investment, engagement, and shared responsibility.
- Rejecting zero-sum thinking and embracing the idea that expanding opportunity strengthens the whole community.
- Prioritizing long-term thinking and moving beyond short-term incentives by investing in strategies that reflect the future workforce and evolving demographics.
- Developing strategies that steer away from nostalgic and exclusive decision making to prioritize authentic community member engagement.
The Policies for Place initiative will release a report detailing lessons learned from the convening later this year.