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Articles by Ross Baird
Opportunity Zones have quietly become America’s most effective housing program
America is facing a major housing shortage. Experts say we’re short about 7 million homes. While many government programs try to help by offering rent subsidies or putting limits on rent increases, the real problem is that we aren’t building enough housing to meet demand. Opportunity Zones weren’t originally designed to solve this specific problem. They were created in 2017 as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to encourage broad private investment in struggling communities.
Opinion - Opportunity Zones have quietly become America’s most effective housing program
America is facing a major housing shortage. Experts say we’re . While many government programs try to help by offering rent subsidies or putting limits on rent increases, the real problem is that we aren’t building enough housing to meet demand. Opportunity Zones weren’t originally designed to solve this specific problem. They were created in 2017 as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to encourage broad private investment in struggling communities.
Opportunity Zones: A path forward
Opportunity Zones (OZs) have emerged as a significant tool in driving investment into underdeveloped areas, offering a compelling case for their continuation and expansion. Since their inception in 2017, OZs have attracted nearly $100 billion in private capital, according to the Economic Innovation Group (EIG). These investments have catalyzed the creation of more than 500,000 jobs, demonstrating their efficacy as a tool for economic development.
A Unique Opportunity On Housing
The Philadelphia Citizen practices solutions-based journalism. We don’t just report on the challenges our city faces, we report the potential solutions to those challenges. In this story: Opportunity Zones (OZs) are a significant tool in driving investment into underdeveloped areas. Since their inception in 2017, OZs have attracted nearly $100 billion in private capital and catalyzed the creation of more than 500,000 jobs.
The 2017 Opportunity Zone Law Could Boost Housing under Trump
As states, cities, metropolitan areas and rural communities wrestle with the implications of the 2024 elections, Opportunity Zones have emerged as a core pillar of what might come next in housing and economic development. Opportunity Zones emerged as a little-known provision of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
High Temperature CO2 Capture Performance and Kinetic Analysis of Novel Potassium Stannate
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
GMI - Guitar & Music Institute Online Guitar Lessons
CHORD MELODY JAZZ GUITAR COURSE The Chord Melody Jazz Guitar Course From GMI If you are looking to learn chord melody jazz guitar then this is the course for you! This is being labelled a course but actually, each and every lesson provided here is a self contained course in itself. You will find a growing range of solo jazz […] PENTATONIC SCALES GUITAR COURSE Getting into playing riffs and solos is the number one reason why so many people pick up the guitar.
ADVANCING GUITAR
Are You A Member Of Amazon Prime? Watch The Advancing Guitar Course On Any Device in full crisp HD 1080. Straight into the content – It’s Better On Prime! No products found. Lessons 1 – Open String Scales In Five Keys Length: 11 minutesComplexity: Standard ABOUT THIS LESSON: This lesson introduces you to five major keys in open position on the guitar neck. The keys addressed are C Major, D Major, G Major, A Major and E Major.
The US Delivery Crisis
With the signing of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the playing field now shifts quickly from members of Congress to networks of public, private and civic leaders in communities across the country. Passing laws is one thing. Deploying federal resources in ways that actually drive systemic and transformative change is another. The hidden story, unreported to date, is that the US faces a major delivery crisis.
Financing the Inclusive City Post Pandemic: Lessons from Jane Jacobs
With the reopening of the United States fully underway and the Biden Administration aggressively pursuing seismic investments in economic and energy restructuring, it is now urgent to think clearly about how to design and deliver an inclusive recovery.
Bridging Wall Street and Main Street: Innovative Ways to Support Small Businesses
While Wall Street is booming, Main Street in America is just barely scraping by after a year of lockdowns and suppressed demand. According to estimates from Opportunity Insights, the number of small businesses currently open across the country has decreased by 32.2% compared to before the pandemic. In order for entrepreneurs and businesses to recover — and to have a recovery that provides fair opportunity for all — we need innovation in how we finance our country’s local businesses.
Blueprint Local and LISC are using Opportunity Zones to bridge divisions, beginning in the Southeast
As we move beyond a difficult election cycle, it is time to focus on an ambitious community investment agenda that has a meaningful impact on development and growth across the country. Programs like Opportunity Zones, which have enjoyed bi-partisan support, offer a chance to bridge political, geographical and financial gaps in order to catalyze opportunity for millions of people.
Saving small businesses requires saving local communities
Saving small businesses requires saving local communities. Drexel’s Metro Finance Director with some ways to do that May. 01, 2020 Weeks ago, as the extent of Covid-19’s effects on the economy were becoming a reality, we wrote that the sequencing and deployment of small business relief would be “messy and chaotic” rather than “linear”.
SBA program helping small businesses navigate and recover from COVID-19 crisis
Millions of jobs and small businesses are being threatened by the COVID-19 health crisis and the subsequent economic crisis it is causing. While accessing the Small Business Administration (SBA) program can be challenging, the resources can be of great benefit for small business owners and entrepreneurs during this unprecedented time.
A guide to helping small businesses navigate and recover from the COVID-19 crisis
Millions of jobs and small businesses are being threatened by the COVID-19 health crisis and the subsequent economic crisis it is causing. While the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Congress have attempted to use the SBA loan program to help America’s businesses, accessing the program can be confusing and challenging for entrepreneurs – especially those small business owners who either are not aware that resources exist, or once they do, may have difficulty navigating bureaucracy.
How small businesses can survive and recover from coronavirus shock
In the first of a series on cities and the economic response to coronavirus, Drexel's Nowak Metro Lab Director zeroes in on Main Street businesses that are living on the brink Mar. 20, 2020 The public health system in the United States, suffering from budget and staffing cuts precipitated by the Great Recession and current administration’s decisions, does not have the capacity to address the coronavirus crisis.
Towards A New System of Community Wealth - Nowak Metro Finance Lab
Towards A New System of Community Wealth By Ross Baird, Bruce Katz, Jihae Lee and Daniel Palmer Full Report: Towards a New System of Community Wealth [PDF] The United States is witnessing a quiet revolution in its approach to the revitalization of distressed urban communities. Most urban neighborhoods, even those blocks away from reviving downtowns and robust waterfronts and university areas, have high poverty, low social mobility, a lack of entrepreneurial activity, and major wealth disparities.
How to win at revitalizing underserved communities on a local and national level
Drexel’s Metro Finance Lab director says the U.S. could be on the brink of a radical shift in how underserved communities are revitalized—and he’s released a blueprint for how to get there Oct. 31, 2019 On Sunday, the Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drexel University, Accelerator for America and Blueprint Local released Towards a New System of Community Wealth, a new paper by the two of us, Jihae Lee and Daniel Palmer.
The Philadelphia Citizen
18 months into the controversial Opportunity Zone tax incentive for distressed neighborhoods, some hopeful lessons...and some remaining questions Jul. 26, 2019 Eighteen months have passed since the Opportunity Zone incentive created a renewed focus on investing in America’s economically distressed neighborhoods.
Silicon Valley's Unchecked Arrogance
Illustrations by Kyle Fewell L ast month, Y-Combinator, Silicon Valley's blue-chip startup fund, announced a request for proposal to study a universal basic income. Sam Altman, the President of Y-Combinator, wrote in a separate essay that in the future, we will have a "smaller and smaller number of people creating more and more of the wealth.
Silicon Valley's Unchecked Arrogance
L ast month, Y-Combinator, Silicon Valley's blue-chip startup fund, announced a request for proposal to study a universal basic income. Sam Altman, the President of Y-Combinator, wrote in a separate essay that in the future, we will have a "smaller and smaller number of people creating more and more of the wealth.
The Street Corner Answer
Intensely local investments rescued a Louisville neighborhood from the brink. Could it be a new way to think about economic development? Mar. 14, 2019 The national conversation around Opportunity Zones is shining a spotlight on a much more important development in places across America: a complete re-thinking of economic development, community development, and broadly, how America as a society is trying to create wealth in all its communities—especially the ones that have been left behind.
#BigIdeas2019: Welcome the New Community Institution
Published on December 17, 2018December 17, 2018 • 1,286 Likes • 39 Comments Bruce KatzInfluencerFollow Director, Nowak Metro Finance Lab By Bruce Katz and Ross Baird Since its founding, the United States has distinguished itself through what Alexis de Tocqueville called “the art of association.” In the infancy of the United States, de Tocqueville was astonished that unlike other countries (which deferred to government and existing power structures to solve problems), Americans independently...
How a Bernie Sanders-Backed Venture Capitalist Won in Md.
Last week Ben Jealous soundly beat Rushern Baker, an establishment, party-backed candidate, for the Democratic nomination for governor of Maryland. He did this in a state where Bernie Sanders, whom Jealous supported, lost to his establishment opponent, Hillary Clinton, by 28 percentage points in 2016. Jealous was an early supporter of Sanders’ presidential run, and Sanders joined him on the campaign trail during the gubernatorial primary’s final days.
Why Are We So at Good Finding the Next LeBron but Not the Next Einstein?
Professional sports searches the world for stars. We are hit-or-miss about every other sort of talent. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. This week, as sports fans everywhere watch the NCAA men's basketball Final Four, we'll be speculating about the NBA stars of tomorrow as a tournament worth billions of dollars entertains us today.
8 of the best books on innovation
“Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.” Sir Francis Bacon Thursday marks the 21st World Book Day; a moment to celebrate reading in all its thought-provoking glory. Although the UK event generally focuses on encouraging young people to read, the day itself was originally designed to pay tribute to authors and publishing, while encouraging everyone, old and young, to pick up a book.
The Voice of Entrepreneurs is Needed Now
The Voice of Entrepreneurs is Needed Now Stop us if you’ve heard this before: a promising bi-partisan economic incentive program created in Washington, D.C., requires state and local guidance. Five years go by, and we wonder why this once-promising opportunity didn’t live up to expectations.
Leveling the Investment Playing Field
To truly change the world, entrepreneurship has to include everyone. Technology pioneer Freada Kapor Klein recently told me: “We can’t close gaps to access and opportunity without having our entrepreneurs come from the communities we are trying to serve. Lived experience is essential in creating successful businesses.” Unfortunately, today, we’re leaving nearly half the entrepreneurs in the world off the playing field.
Overcoming the ‘Original Sin’ of Impact Investing: New Approaches to Liquidity
(Editor's note: Some of impact investing's most intriguing innovations in term sheets and financing structures are coming from Village Capital, a seed-stage impact fund and accelerator that has supported more than 300 entrepreneurs worldwide. Ross Baird is Vilcap's executive director. Reposted with permission.) Last week, my friend Paul Hudnut posted a follow-up from a conversation we had around what Paul calls the “original sin” of impact investing: liquidity.
Silicon Valley’s Unchecked Arrogance
Illustrations by Kyle Fewell Last month, Y-Combinator, Silicon Valley’s blue-chip startup fund, announced a request for proposal to study a universal basic income. Sam Altman, the President of Y-Combinator, wrote in a separate essay that in the future, we will have a “smaller and smaller number of people creating more and more of the wealth.
3 alternative funding models that could help Heartland startups
The Dow Jones may be at an all-time high, but entrepreneurial activity in the United States is close to a 40-year low. According to the Kauffman Foundation’s 2017 State of Entrepreneurship report, many startups face serious barriers because they are run by women or people of color. Geography also plays a part. According to the Economic Innovation Group, 50 percent of firms created since the great recession were built in just 5 (large, wealthy) counties. Why?
Village Capital in 2017: Betting big on ideas in blind spots
“Clarence Bethea doesn’t have the standard background for a tech entrepreneur.” That was the first line of a recent profile on our portfolio company Upsie, and a good tagline for the types of investments we try to make at Village Capital: entrepreneurs who might otherwise be overlooked by traditional early-stage investors.
The Real Lesson From the Virginia Governor's Race | RealClearPolitics
Democrat Ralph Northam has become Virginia’s new governor by a decisive margin, prompting headlines such as “Democrats Learn How to Win.” On its surface, it looks like the race was a Washington insider’s dream: a rebuke of Republican politics and a resurgence of the Democratic Party. But the county-by-county totals tell a more nuanced story. In Nelson County, just a 15-minute drive west of Charlottesville, Republican Ed Gillespie won by just four votes.
Dear Silicon Valley: America’s fallen out of love with you
Dear Silicon Valley, You used to be the envy of the world. Over the last decade I’ve seen countless cities try to become you, from . At last year’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit on Stanford’s campus, hundreds of entrepreneurs from Mongolia to South Sudan came to listen to President Obama and Mark Zuckerberg and get a touch of your magic fairy dust. The American Dream — anyone with an idea, a garage and a good work ethic can build a great company — might as well have been born in your backyard.
Dear Silicon Valley: America’s fallen out of love with you
You used to be the envy of the world. Over the last decade I’ve seen countless cities try to become you, from the Silicon Savannah to the Silicon Bayou. At last year’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit on Stanford's campus, hundreds of entrepreneurs from Mongolia to South Sudan came to listen to President Obama and Mark Zuckerberg and get a touch of your magic fairy dust.
Look Out, World! We’re Reemerging! – The Development Set
We’re excited to announce that The Development Set, along with our sister publication Bright, will relaunch in just a few weeks as BRIGHT Magazine, a digital publication that will explore education, global health, international development, and social impact in the style that brought you to us in the first place. Since we dipped out in July, we at Honeyguide Media (the nonprofit that publishes BRIGHT) have been hard at work sharpening our reason for being.
Why the most important IPO of the century happened today
This “Berkshire Hathaway for the little guy” could help entrepreneurs build lasting companies This morning, I was on the floor of the NYSE promoting my new book, The Innovation Blind Spot. In the book, I talk about how we use a “one size fits all” structure of venture capital to support new companies. Incredibly, the way we finance the dreams of today’s entrepreneurs uses a structure that originated in 19th century whaling. (more information on that here).
The Innovation Blind Spot: Why We Back the Wrong Ideas-and What to Do About It
The Innovation Blind Spot: Why We Back the Wrong Ideas-and What to Do About It by Ross Baird Our innovation economy is broken. But there’s good news: The ideas that will solve our problems are hiding in plain sight. While big companies in the American economy have never been more successful, entrepreneurial activity is near a 30-year low. More businesses are dying than starting every day.
Silicon Valley's 'blind spots' are costing venture capitalists huge opportunities
In 1991, ten-year-old Jerry Nemorin and his family escaped civil war in Haiti and resettled in Florida. Jerry’s first experience with the US financial system was when his mum tried to buy a car. Twenty-five years later, Jerry still remembers the sign above the auto lot: “BUY HERE, PAY HERE.” Jerry’s mum was an immigrant and didn’t have any credit, so she took out a loan directly from the shop.
Silicon Valley's blind spots are costing venture capitalists huge opportunities
In 1991, ten-year-old Jerry Nemorin and his family escaped civil war in Haiti and resettled in Florida. Jerry’s first experience with the US financial system was when his mom tried to buy a car. Twenty-five years later, Jerry still remembers the sign above the auto lot: “BUY HERE, PAY HERE.” Jerry’s mom was an immigrant and didn’t have any credit, so she took out a loan directly from the shop.
Monopolies Are Killing America
By Ross Baird and Ben Wrobel Illustration by Katie Edwards for The Development Set When I (Ross) travel to rural parts of the United States, I sometimes stop at the local McDonald’s, which photojournalist Chris Arnade calls “the glue that holds communities together.” I once stopped for coffee at McDonald’s in the town of Orange, Virginia, population 4,700. Five regulars were seated at a semi-circular table, each with a one-dollar unlimited-refill coffee. Others dropped in and out as we spoke.
Monopolies Are Killing America – The Development Set
When I (Ross) travel to rural parts of the United States, I sometimes stop at the local McDonald’s, which photojournalist Chris Arnade calls “the glue that holds communities together.” I once stopped for coffee at McDonald’s in the town of Orange, Virginia, population 4,700. Five regulars were seated at a semi-circular table, each with a one-dollar unlimited-refill coffee. Others dropped in and out as we spoke.
'One size fits all' investing is limiting innovations in East Africa and India
Head over to our on-demand library to view sessions from VB Transform 2023. Register Here If you’ve been reading startup tech blogs and news outlets, you might think it’s an exciting time to be a fintech startup in East Africa and India. There are some notable exits coming out of India, like the 2016 acquisition of Citrus Pay by Naspers’ PayU for $130 million, one of the largest-ever acquisitions for the country’s fintech industry.
'One size fits all' investing is limiting innovations in East Africa and India
If you’ve been reading startup tech blogs and news outlets, you might think it’s an exciting time to be a fintech startup in East Africa and India. There are some notable exits coming out of India, like the 2016 acquisition of Citrus Pay by Naspers’ PayU for $130 million, one of the largest-ever acquisitions for the country’s fintech industry.
Could $1 trillion restore the American Dream?
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation's Zero Barriers movement has forced the conversation around entrepreneurship to become more honest about the real barriers in the way of starting a business, including for minority communities and other demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic segments. The Kauffman Foundation is committed to supporting efforts that remove barriers, level the playing field, and create supportive communities in which entrepreneurs thrive.
How you can help the entrepreneurs you care about succeed: Lessons from 26 Communities worldwide
How you can help the entrepreneurs you care about succeed: Lessons from 26 Communities worldwide Silicon Valley is the envy of the entrepreneurial world, and it deserves to be. It’s a seamless ecosystem for entrepreneurs: if you’re in the Silicon Valley system, and have a great idea, you can find the resources you need to succeed. But in other cities, local leaders have had to create this ecosystem from the ground up.
Silicon Valley’s Unchecked Arrogance – The Development Set
Silicon Valley is, with good reason, the envy of the entrepreneurial world. Brilliant people have created transformative companies?—?and have earned a great living in the process. Facebook and Twitter have given people the ability to express themselves in authoritarian governments; the inventors of the mobile phones have brought information and services to billions; and Google makes the world’s information available to everyone.
Why this investor is ditching Demo Days
I started to realize that Demo Days might be getting stale when an investor at one of our events told me to share the highlights after the pitches were done — he would be out in the hallway with a beer. Another time, an investor said he wanted to quit his job and build a startup that goes to pitch events on behalf of other startups. “I’d make a killing taking a percentage of the prize money!� he told me. “These things are rigged!� Think of a startup pitching for funding.
Why DC is the Best Place for Venture Firm Village Capital
Since 2009, our mission at Village Capital has been to invest in the best early-stage companies solving real-world problems. As a year-end reflection, here are some reasons that I’m glad our home base is here in Washington, D.C.D.C.’s commitment to inclusive entrepreneurshipThe presidential election surprised nearly everyone in this city – even Republicans.
Why Entrepreneurs Are Better Judges of New Ideas than Expert Investors
Seven years ago, we launched Village Capital with the “Creator” in mind. After spending time in the traditional venture capital world (and learning from research by the Kauffman Foundation and others), we realized that the economics of investing in truly new ideas using the traditional venture capital process are, frankly, poor. To re-invent the venture capital process, we would need to look to other innovative models for picking winners; models that had delivered results.
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