Webinar
About the Session
Strong partnerships are essential to successful business retention and expansion efforts, bringing together economic development organizations, local governments, educational institutions, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders around shared economic goals.
This on-demand webinar explores practical strategies for building and sustaining cross-sector partnerships that strengthen local businesses, support workforce development, encourage entrepreneurship, and contribute to long-term economic growth. Participants will learn how communities can move beyond traditional organizational boundaries to develop partnerships that leverage local resources, expertise, relationships, and capacity. The session highlights lessons and examples from the New Growth Innovation Network’s Economic Partnership Alliance, including insights gathered from work with 24 communities across the country. Participants will also be introduced to NGIN’s Economic Partnership Alliance Playbook, which provides practical tools, case studies, and frameworks that economic development professionals can adapt to strengthen partnerships in their own communities.
Designed with business retention and expansion practitioners in mind, this webinar provides actionable ideas for creating stronger networks of partners that can respond to business needs and support more resilient local economies.
About the Speakers
Swati Ghosh
Swati Ghosh is Vice President of Insights and Innovations at New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN), where she leads research, learning, technical assistance, and innovation initiatives focused on inclusive economic development. Previously, she served as Senior Director of Research at the International Economic Development Council and has extensive experience developing strategies related to entrepreneurship, workforce development, inclusive growth, economic recovery and diversification, and organizational capacity building. Ghosh holds a Master of Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Urban Planning from the School of Planning & Architecture in India, and she serves as a board member and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Work and Economy.
Cuevas Peacock
Cuevas Peacock, PCED, is a Senior Advisor with New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN), where his work focuses on strategies that strengthen community capacity, economic mobility, and inclusive local economic development. His work with NGIN has included advancing economic mobility for lower- and middle-income workers and residents, strengthening cross-sector partnerships, and exploring strategies that help communities attract and direct investment while building lasting local prosperity. He is also an author and contributor to NGIN research and practitioner resources addressing economic mobility, community investment, shared ownership, and community wealth building.
