 Mayor Muriel Bowser and Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner unveiled DC’s Economic Strategy in early March, focused on increasing the commercial tax base, creating jobs, fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, and advancing economic growth.
"This framework is the result of many residents and businesses in DC who are deeply committed to seeing Washington, DC succeed, " said Deputy Mayor Kenner. "Ultimately, it will be a great tool for how we expand job opportunities for more D.C. residents, support local businesses, and become more resilient, inclusive and innovative.”
Two big goals of the strategy:
1) Growing
private sector gross domestic product in DC by 20 percent to $100 billion by
2021, and
2) Ensuring
that by 2021 all wards, races, and educational attainment levels have
unemployment rates below 10 percent.
Everyone has a role in both the strategy's success and also the opportunities it will bring to
Washington. We look forward to working with all of you to achieve it!
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 Mayor Muriel Bowser, DMPED, WDCEP, Events DC and various city partners came together this month to promote DC as the most inclusive city for innovation in tech, arts, sports, music and film in Austin, Texas at the South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) .
For the fifth year, DC headed to SXSW to showcase DC as home to some of the most innovative and inclusive companies in the world. Here’s a taste of how we did it:
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Made in DC: The WeDC House hosted numerous District-based creators, small businesses and makers showcasing their diverse talents for thousands of visitors.
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Tech: Displayed our Tech Showcase featuring the most cutting edge tech start-ups from DC.
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Music: Played DC-made music at our Music Showcase featuring local artists and internationally recognized headliners.
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Food: Showcased the thriving local DC food scene, home to 12 Michelin Star restaurants with tastings + talks from industry leaders.
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Sports: Exhibited top leaders in sports innovation, experience the latest E-Sports technology.
In addition to hundreds of thousands of people experiencing the WeDC house in person and virtually, two important announcements highlighted DC as the "Capital of Inclusive Innovation." First, we introduced our new Inclusive Innovation Incubator (In3) on the campus of Howard University, the first DC space dedicated to supporting innovators who are from underserved communities. Second, we announced $50,000 in grants to support DC-based women entrepreneurs through BEACON, a community-led campaign to make Washington D.C. the most influential and supportive city for women entrepreneurs in the United States.
To read more about DC at SXSW, follow this link or search #WeDC on Twitter.
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 Deputy Mayor Kenner announces Inclusive Innovation Incubator and BEACON women's entrepreunership support at SXSW.
Deputy Mayor Kenner talks about the 2017 economic outlook at DMPED's March Madness on March 24 at the Reagan Building.
DMPED was on hand at Mayor Muriel Bowser's third State of the District March 30 where she announced new major investments in affordable housing and a commitment to DC's new Economic Strategy, led by DMPED. The Mayor announced $10 million for a housing preservation fund making her the first Mayor to invest more than $110 million to support affordable housing. The Mayor also got enthusiastic applause for the DC Economic Strategy and its goals to reduce unemployment under 10% across wards, races and educational attainment levels by the end of 2021 and to grow private
sector GDP to $100 billion (by 20%) by the end of 2021. DMPED is on it and ready to keep delivering for the District!
 Every day at DMPED we engage with the District’s most
creative entrepreneurs, innovators, story tellers and artists. We wanted to
find a way to tell their stories. A new blog “This is DC,” launched this week
to do just that - featuring a variety of videos and images of the people,
places and ideas that shape this dynamic and inclusive city. In the blog, you
will see stories of creativity, leadership and spirit demonstrated by the
District’s residents and businesses every day. Be sure to check back often and
if you know someone who should be featured, email us!
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 Deputy
Mayor Brian Kenner welcomed hundreds of DC creators, small businesses and entrepreneurs
for the WeWork Creator Awards on March 28. WeWork is awarding
more than $20 million worldwide to creators who are thinking in new ways,
building fresh projects and achieving real change. More than $1.5 million was
awarded locally that evening to DC-based and regional small businesses, creators and entrepreneurs
who competed for funding with live pitches throughout the day in front of a
panel of judges. DC-based Byte
Back, a nonprofit that teaches basic computer skills to underserved D.C.
residents, was the biggest winner of the night - $360,000 – to scale their
services into Maryland. The audience applauded Deputy Mayor Kenner’s
remarks on DC’s Economic Strategy goals to increase private sector GDP and lower unemployment, as well as the our efforts to showcase
DC’s thriving creative community and makers at the South by Southwest (SXSW)
Conference earlier this month. At the event, Deputy Mayor Kenner welcomed
WeWork Founder and CEO to DC (pictured on left), the new “Capital of Inclusion.” To read more about the Creator Awards, follow this link.
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 Elizabeth Lindsey, Executive Director of DC-based Byte Back, gives live business pitch at WeWork Creator Awards Ceremony on March 28.
2016 was a good year for us...and the Greater Washington area! On April 27, the Washington Business Journal will honor the
25 best real estate deals in the D.C. metro area, as determined by the
editorial staff, with DMPED and DHCD economic development projects among
the top 25. Of those 25 honorees, eight will be honored with
special superlative awards. Which
leases, sales, financing deals, renovations and construction deliveries rose to
the top in 2016? Check out the list here.
1300 H St NE: This month DMPED closed on the former R. L. Christian Library at 1300 H Street NE in Ward 6. The development team is Insight Property Group, Rise Development, and H Street CDC. This project will be completed in 2019 and include a total of approximately 34,000 square feet, 33 units of housing - all affordable, 76 construction jobs, and 29 permanent jobs.
Grimke School: DMPED announced Community
Three Development and Torti Gallas + Partners along with their cultural
partner, CulturalDC, as the new development team for Grimke School, a historic redevelopment site at 912 U Street,
NW in Ward 1. The
team’s exciting proposal will provide: a permanent, brand new home for the
African American Civil War Museum; nearly 5,000 square feet of new space
programmed by CulturalDC; and the international headquarters of Torti Gallas +
Partners, an architecture and design firm dedicated to the District’s urban
revitalization – which is relocating from Maryland to the District. The project will include approximately 50 units of housing
of which 30 percent will be affordable, a beautiful new home for the
Museum, approximately 4,000 square feet of retail on U Street, and over
100 permanent
daytime jobs.
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