Regional Economic Recovery Initiative

Launched in March 2020 in response to the growing global social and economic impact, the goal of the Regional Economic Recovery Initiative is to better understand Texas communities and provide evidence-based recommendations for next steps for community planning.


This responsive initiative includes:

  • Regional Economic Recovery ResearchExtensive quantitative and qualitative research across 80 Texas and Louisiana communities this summer. 
  • The State of THE STATE OF TEXAS Report – a compilation of various research on the economic impact of COVID19 on Texas plus context and trends. 
  • REGIONAL XLR8 – Convening 150 leaders from 58 communities across all five regions of Texas over September to October 2020 for a new type of “accelerator” that helps communities rethink recovery, take strategic action, and build resilience.
  • 2nd George Kozmetsky Memorial Student Challenge – Competition from October to November for diverse student teams to address community economic development issues linked with the summer Economic Recovery Research and impetus from REGIONAL XLR8 community leaders.

For more information on the IC2 Institute and how to support our efforts, please contact Dr. Greg Pogue, Deputy Director, IC2 Institute.