Birmingham Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity

The Birmingham Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity (IEO), also called the Mayor's Office of Economic Development (OED), is an administrative department of the City of Birmingham, responsible for workforce recruiting and training as well as small business development. It was created in 2017 under the directorship of Director of Economic Development Josh Carpenter, and has been headed since November 2020 by Griffin Lassiter.

The department has managed the Prosper Birmingham Initiative, the Birmingham Promise initiative, the VITAL Program, and the Birmingham Strong response to the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic. In February 2021 it was announced that the Mayor’s Office of Sports and Entertainment would be merged into the department.

The Department administers the city's "Building Opportunities for Lasting Development" ("BOLD") grants to nonprofit organizations, a program launched in 2018 to help test innovative approaches to economic development.

Directors

• Josh Carpenter, 2017–November 27, 2020
  • Griffin Lassiter (interim), November 27, 2020–January 10, 2021
• Cornell Wesley, January 11, 2021–

BOLD grants

2018

• Jefferson State Community College
• Women's Fund of Greater Birmingham
• Burning Glass Technologies
• IMC Financial Consulting/The Dannon Project
• Pack Health/Lakeshore Foundation
• Birmingham Business Alliance
• Create Birmingham/The Dannon Project
• Jones Valley Urban Farm
• REV Birmingham, $338,000
• Urban Impact, $60,000

2019

• Birmingham Business Alliance, $150,000 to attract and retain talent for expanding businesses.
• Birmingham Business Resource Center, $152,000, for its supplier diversity program.
• Jefferson State Community College, almost $50,000, to implement a program to support single mothers enrolled in information technology programs.
• REV Birmingham, a little over $152,000, to provide technical assistance to women-owned, minority-owned and disadvantaged small businesses.
• Salvation Army, $50,000, to provide educational remediation, training and material support for sustainable employment opportunities.
• Women's Fund of Greater Birmingham, $80,000, to provide programs to increase economic opportunity for women and children
• Adah International, $50,000, to promote creation of a Birmingham World Trade Center.

2020

• Birmingham Business Alliance, $70,000 to promote inclusive procurement practices.
• Birmingham Business Resource Center, $45,000 to help connect Black-owned businesses to financial institutions.
• Bronze Valley, $20,000 to provide technical assistance to minority- and women-owned startups.
• Bush Hills Connections Inc., $39,650 to support microenterprises in the Bush Hills neighborhood.
• Community Care Development Network, $80,000, to provide vocational training and career help to individuals.
• Create Birmingham, $90,000, for its "Create Consults" consulting service for Black- and women-owned businesses.
• TruFund Financial Services, $35,000, for disaster recovery and resilience training for historically-disadvantaged businesses
• Women's Fund of Greater Birmingham, $67,620, to support student parents at Lawson State and Jefferson State Community College.
• Workshops Empowerment Inc., $50,000, for its training program for adults with disabilities.

2022

• Rebirth Community Corporation, $67,000 for its "Reboot: Rebuilding Better" mental health and emotional wellness programs
• Women's Foundation of Alabama, $79,720 for efforts to help women access jobs and overcome financial insecurity
• Urban Impact, $125,500 to provide small business resources and address barriers to growth of disadvantaged businesses
• Ed Farm, $154,975 to conduct a 14-week coding "boot camp", along with child care and mentoring services for participants
• Community Care Development Network, $80,0000 for its "Inspire Education" program providing resources for people transitioning from school, unemployment, or prison into new careers.

2023

• Birmingham Business Alliance, $110,000 to support the city's Legacy Business Program
• Birthwell Partners, $121,806 to hire and train doulas to work with low-resource families
• Diane's Heart, $98,450 to provide financial education and resources for single mothers
• East Lake Initiative, $84,250 to fund the Thrive Together small business program
• Is-Able Ministries, $75,000 to provide support and skills training for people with depression and disabilities
• Ed Farm, $135,200 for IT training for underemployed adults and youth
• The Surge Project, $80,800 for healthcare workforce development training for adults ages 18 to 35

References

• Prickett, Sam (November 21, 2018) "Birmingham Council Approves Funds for Transit Authority, With Conditions." BirminghamWatch
• Prickett, Sam (December 3, 2019) "New Birmingham Bold Funding Approved for Economic Development Projects, From Help for Small Businesses to Job Training for Single Mothers." BirminghamWatch
• "Carpenter to step down from post at city of Birmingham." (November 16, 2020) Birmingham Business Journal
• Garrison, Greg (January 11, 2021) "Birmingham mayor names new director of innovation." The Birmingham News
• Johnson, Roy S. (February 11, 2021) "This man may have the toughest job in Birmingham" The Birmingham News
• Rebman, Stephanie (February 26, 2021) "Birmingham's sports, innovation offices merge." Birmingham Business Journal
• Prickett, Sam (March 2, 2021) "Birmingham Divvies Up $500K in Bold Funding for Nonprofits." BirminghamWatch
• O'Leary, A. J. (December 14, 2022) "City grants close to $1M to wide range of community organizations." Birmingham Business Journal

External links

• Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity at Birminghamal.gov