Economic Opportunity Accelerators
Accelerator for America’s Economic Opportunity Accelerators (“Accelerators”) initiative connects a diverse network of local leaders with the collaborative learning, expert insights, and resources needed to develop and implement innovative solutions that accelerate economic mobility and opportunity in communities throughout the country.
Who We Serve
We serve a growing network of more than 900 local leaders representing 120+ communities, from major metropolitan areas to small cities, across 37 states, all united in improving quality of life for their residents. Amid shifting federal funding priorities in 2025, AFA centered on helping practitioners make informed budget decisions, build stronger cases for policy changes, and target interventions more effectively. AFA partnered with the Urban Institute, Results for America, and Opportunity Insights to present research-backed tools to help local leaders maximize resources.
Foster Peer Connections & Collaborative Learning: Facilitate meaningful peer-to-peer connections and knowledge sharing among a diverse group of local leaders from across the country, committed to accelerating economic mobility through strategic policies and investments in economic and community development, housing, workforce development, and transit and infrastructure.
Elevate Innovative & Impactful Solutions: Identify and share successful approaches, amplify promising practices, and strengthen the collective capacity of the leaders on the ground to develop and implement effective and innovative strategies in their communities.
Deliver Strategic Resources & Support: Provide timely, relevant, and practical information, technical assistance, and funding opportunities (federal, state, local, philanthropic, and private) that enable network participants to drive meaningful local impact.
New Growth Initiative Small And Midsized Cities Hub Partnership
New Growth Innovation Network selected AFA as its strategic outreach partner to support the Small and Midsized Cities (SMC) Hub. The SMC Hub offers technical assistance, programming, and strategic funding opportunities to support economic and community leaders in cities with populations between 30,000 and 500,000 and directly engaged with 47 cities in 2025.
The Economic Opportunity Accelerators was founded by AFA in 2022 and was formerly known as the
Economic and Community Development Practitioners’ Network (ECDPN).
