Core Collaborators and Current Projects
Entrepreneurship Research
The Kean EDA Center is a core partner on an Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation research grant to uncover the factors impacting the resilience of black entrepreneurs to exogenous shocks, such as COVID-19 and gentrification, and identify policy interventions that will enhance black entrepreneurial resilience. The research team is actively seeking partners for implementing policies that improve the resilience of black entrepreneurs.
Want to know more? Dr. Saran Nurse is Kean University’s lead researcher on entrepreneurship issues and a close partner of the Kean EDA Center. See some of her publications here. Contact us to learn more about how we are implementing this research.
Center for Urban Industry
The Center for Urban Industry (CUI) is a partnership of the Kean US EDA University Center, the School for Public Architecture (SPA), and Vertical Urban Factory. The mission of CUI is to provide research, design, use, and development assistance to public entities to re-develop industrial infrastructure into multi-purpose assets that meet the community’s needs. CUI seeks to position itself as the eminent entity in New Jersey for supporting communities seeking to re-develop their industrial infrastructure to suit uses that raise a community’s economic, social, and environmental standards.
CUI is presently working on a project with the City of Trenton, NJ, to provide recommendations on changes to industrial redevelopment area plans and facilitate the re-development of critical industrial properties within the redevelopment areas we are working on.
Want to know more? See one of the first publications of the Center for Urban Industry, a student-generated report about community conditions and historical development initiatives in Trenton. Contact us to learn more about how we are implementing this research.
Social Entrepreneurship
The Kean US EDA University Center focuses on social entrepreneurship - business ventures benefitting people and the planet while generating a profit. A non-profit is not the only way to benefit your community positively; you can benefit your community and profit from your business activities. This approach differs from traditional entrepreneurship in preparing, operating, and discussing your business. The Kean US EDA University Center helps people understand social enterprise and shift their business activities or launch new ones with social enterprise values.
Contact us to learn more about our Social Enterprise Labs, short courses designed to prepare you for social enterprise. People who complete Social Enterprise Labs can receive free 1 on 1 consulting.
Measuring Economic Inclusion
In partnership with BCT Partners, a management consulting firm based in Newark, NJ, the Kean EDA Center has developed the economic inclusion index. The economic inclusion index is a composite measure communicating how various community characteristics and economic development activities come together to impact people's ability to participate in the economy and experience quality of life. We utilize a browser-based web application to communicate information about the economic inclusion index and work with our partners to identify specific neighborhood investments to advance economic inclusion and high quality of life.
Contact us to learn more about the economic inclusion index and how we are putting it to work.
Assessment, Business, and Childcare Practices Program
The Kean EDA Center is partnering with Kean’s College of Business and Public Management and the Center for the Positive Development of Urban Children to support Family Childcare Providers (FCPs) in developing their business and early childhood education skills. The Bank of America Foundation provides funding for this program.
FCPs are home-based childcare providers for infants through middle school age who provide affordable, family-focused childcare to diverse and low-income communities. There has been a steep drop in the availability of this type of childcare, which has impacted labor force participation in some communities. We seek to strengthen the viability of this type of business and combine business mentorship with professional development in culturally responsive childcare practices, which allows businesses to serve and provide quality education to a wide range of clients.
Contact us to learn more.
Supporting the New Jersey Urban Mayors’ Policy Center
One of the most important partners of the Kean US EDA University Center is the New Jersey Urban Mayor’s Policy Center, supporting the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association. The Kean US EDA University Center is a thought partner and data resource for the activities of the Urban Mayors’ Policy Center, assisting in the development of economic and workforce development and entrepreneurship initiatives and providing critical information about the local and regional economies of the cities served by the Urban Mayors’ Policy Center.
Contact us to learn more about how Kean University can support the data needs of local and state governments.