The Center for Regional Strategies (CRS) is fostering sustainable wealth for residents in western New York by creating innovative economic growth models that increase household income and attract opportunities to the region.
CRS serves as a central hub for connecting organizations to funders and collaborating with government offices, developers and community groups. Together, they build long-term development strategies designed to cultivate financial security for program participants in three areas: workforce development, small business support and placemaking that creates vibrant spaces where people want to live.
“Our goal is to increase household income because that’s what we believe economic development is,” said Laura Quebral, CEO of the Center for Regional Strategies.
Quebral and her five-person team started building urban development strategies at the University of Buffalo Regional Institute (UBRI) before founding CRS in 2023 to help the region implement, measure and replicate those models at scale.
Providing workforce pathways for communities
CRS’s workforce development models provide vocational training programs that reskill and upskill the workforce, leading to higher-wage jobs in growing sectors and more private investment for redeveloping public and commercial spaces in the region. One initiative, The Western New York Manufacturing and Tech Workforce Coalition, convenes training providers, businesses, workforce recruiters and community groups to create programs that meet employers’ hiring needs and provide career opportunities for community members.
Lifting up small business owners
CRS works to foster a thriving small business ecosystem in the region through their Small Business Growth Initiative (SBGI) program, which provides a dedicated support network for small business owners and helps them access critical resources for growing revenue. Another small business development program is Springboard, a prize competition that brings financial resources to entrepreneurs across diverse populations and addresses unmet needs of existing entrepreneurs.
Creating places people want to be
CRS also creates strategies designed to draw in more economic development, competitive jobs and professional talent to the Buffalo, NY region. A good example is the organization’s East Side Avenues initiative, a public-private partnership that provides capital and organizational support to transformational projects in commercial areas around Buffalo.
“We know great places attract and keep great people and great companies. For us to keep the economy going, we have to keep job creation and retention going. That only happens when people want to live here,” Quebral said.
Expanding impact with NCRC
CRS recently joined the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) to make connections on a national scale and share their work with the broader economic justice movement.
“[NCRC] understands the value of what we’re doing,” Quebral said. “I think having those national relationships just gives us another stage that we wouldn’t have had in any other capacity.”
Kaitlyn Ridel is a Contributing Writer with NCRC’s Communications team.
Photo courtesy of Center for Regional Strategies.
