Mar 26, 2021
Chris Gibbons has spent 35 years in the trenches implementing economic development programs that are meaningful and based in scientific data.
The concept of Economic Gardening is based in data-driven work that within many municipal organizations is still considered radical. Base your efforts in entrepreneurial support; focus on marketable, fast-growing and innovative firms delivering high demand, low supply products and services.
The work blends a focus on stage 2 companies and entrepreneurial support informed by the science of complex adaptive systems (Santa Fe Institute).
In their own words
“Adding sophisticated, corporate level tools to these foundational principles and then working out the root problems that prevented companies from growing, Economic Gardening started producing amazing results. The job base in Littleton grew from 15,000 to 30,000 without recruiting a single company.”
Find the National Center for Economic Gardening
We enjoyed a great conversation with founder Chris Gibbons on the work of economic gardening, where the institute is going and how our communities benefit when they focus on the right combination of business fundamentals and a look from within for the time, talent and treasure to transform our communities.