Tomorrow's Big Win is Today's Small Bet
Want to better your community but don’t know where to start? Enter It’s the Little Things: a weekly Strong Towns podcast that gives you the wisdom and encouragement you need to take the small yet powerful actions that can make your city or town stronger.
It’s the Little Things features Strong Towns Community Builder Jacob Moses in conversation with various guests who have taken action in their own places and in their own ways.
[Our approach to economic development ] is baked into our core values: as we’ve learned from the Strong Towns movement, rooted in small-scale, incremental improvement.
- Jake Hamann, Founder and Executive Director at the Peoria Innovation Alliance
Everyone has a go-to success story that represents the people, culture, and prosperity of their community. The story may focus on a place—think a thriving main street—where generation-on-generation have participated in public life. It may focus on a well-known company of however many years, employing thousands of residents.
We boast about the subjects’ longevity, how they’ve endured despite unexpected shifts in the community, state, or nation. However, as we tell these stories, we often overlook an essential takeaway: today’s big wins began as small-scale, incremental improvements.
Jake Hamann has heard the narrative before. Following Caterpillar Inc.’s move from Peoria in 2018—leaving behind 12,000 workers—the innovative spirit that once defined Peoria vanished. That’s why Jake created the Peoria Innovation Alliance: a nonprofit that inspires local entrepreneurs to test their small-scale, incremental improvements for Peoria.
Its programs give eager entrepreneurs the knowledge they need to find their audience; its storytelling reminds the community of its thriving human capital; and its latest venture, Peoria Made, demonstrates the value of small bets.
In this episode, Jake shares the story behind the Peoria Innovation Alliance and how—no matter the economic landscape of your community—tomorrow’s big win may be today’s small bet.
Have you made a small bet to address a struggle in your neighborhood? Share your story with the Strong Towns Community to inspire others to take action.