Birmingham Economic Dashboard

The Birmingham Economic Dashboard is a collective commitment to measuring Birmingham’s progress on inclusive economic indicators

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Start Your Healthcare Career

Interested in a career in Healthcare? Prosper’s Path to Wellness is now part of the City of Birmingham’s Good Jobs Challenge! Learn more about this eight-week training program below.

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How Prosper Grows Birmingham

We are rooted in equity so that everyone, especially Black people and women, can thrive

We are in the business of creating opportunities where few currently exist.

We seek big wins and big national investments, and we won’t let past fears hold us back from building a more prosperous future for all

We measure and share our progress, celebrate wins, and engage the community in how we can do better

Prosper’s Progress

Prosper emerged in 2021 to collaborate on creating solutions to reverse Birmingham’s downward economic trends.

Community leaders acknowledged work already being done, but wanted a coordinated, systemic approach to bring about lasting change.

Prosper was founded on the belief that Birmingham and Jefferson County needed to take bold, coordinated action to become a thriving community.

Now, Prosper’s vision is to build the most inclusive and thriving economy in the Southeast.

Brookings

In 2020, Birmingham confronted an economic collapse of unprecedented scale, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the devastation, the pandemic strengthened the community’s resolve to mitigate the crisis and lay the foundation for a revival of Birmingham economy with inclusive economic development at the forefront. Armed with data, determination and recommendations from Brookings, city leaders convened to plan. Those findings led to the creation of Prosper.

Learn More About Brookings

Full Brookings Report

Focus Areas

Using the results of our data as the driving force, Prosper Birmingham initiatives will focus on transforming the Greater Birmingham economy in three core areas:

Job Creation

Increase number of quality jobs by investing in startups and small businesses, and accelerating growth in health, tech, and manufacturing economies.

Job Preparation

Increase the overall % of the population with a recognized credential or two-year degree or higher by giving leadership opportunities to young people, displaced workers, people of color, and women.

Job Access

Increase the Labor Force Participation Rate overall by creating a Black business ecosystem. Ensure that all residents, regardless of race, gender or zip code, have access to those jobs and can fully contribute.

Our Initiatives

Prosper will begin with four key initiatives supporting its framework.

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In the News

$20M federal grant awarded to Birmingham for investments in four communities

August 5, 2024

Huge news for Birmingham! The City of Birmingham has received a $20M “Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program” grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).

August 1, 2024

Business leaders decided “enough is enough” about lack of growth and equitable opportunities in Birmingham, Ala., J. W. Carpenter, president of Prosper, tells WorkingNation Overheard at JFF Horizons.

July 11, 2024

Three Birmingham-based organizations are partnering in the spirit of Juneteenth to pursue their mission of ensuring every resident in Birmingham has access to high-quality internet.

Our Team

Prosper is a small team of leaders with vast knowledge, passion, and influence dedicated to accomplishing lofty aspirations geared towards utilizing the power of collaboration and connection within the community to help build a more equitable and inclusive economy.