The United States' global economic competitiveness ranking has declined from 1st in 2009 to 7th currently. This downward trend threatens America's position among the top 10 most competitive economies by the end of President Obama's term if no action is taken. The document calls for a national strategy of "Inclusive Competitiveness" to connect economically disconnected communities, especially racial minorities, to local innovation ecosystems. This is necessary to leverage the growing racial diversity of the U.S. population and reverse declining competitiveness by generating new economic value and high-growth enterprises. The America21 Project is presented as a leader in promoting Inclusive Competitiveness and bridging political divides to spur collaboration across sectors toward this national economic vision.

1. Changing the Economic Narrative • Promoting Inclusive Competitiveness • Connecting the Economically Disconnected
Inclusive
Competitiveness
21st Century Solutions to Avoid
Economic Apartheid in America
©2013 America21
The America21 Project ▪ Mike Green ▪ 541.730.2164 ▪ mike@blackinnovation.org

2. Changing the Economic Narrative • Promoting Inclusive Competitiveness • Connecting the Economically Disconnected
National Problem: The global economic competitiveness of the United States is trending
downward and lacks a cohesive and inclusive national vision to reverse this worsening course.
The U.S. is currently ranked No. 7 in global competitiveness according to The World Economic
Forum's 2012-13 Global Competitiveness Index. In 2009, the U.S. was No. 1.
Stabilizing the economy under the Obama Administration was an essential first step toward
putting the brakes on a competitiveness skid that was in full tailspin by the end of 2008.
During this period of economic recovery, the nation has yet to articulate an economic vision
that includes the growing racial minority sectors, which have historically been excluded from
America's economic competitiveness team. Out of all the nation's top economies, the United
States has the most multicultural societal landscape. Unfortunately, the makeup of the
population is not reflected in the landscape of economic competitiveness. Minus an inclusive
competitiveness vision, America is in danger of disappearing from the list of the top 10
competitive countries before President Obama leaves office.
2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013
1 USA Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland
2 Switzerland USA Sweden Singapore Singapore
3 Denmark Singapore Singapore Sweden Finland
4 Sweden Sweden USA Finland Sweden
5 Singapore Denmark Germany USA Netherlands
6 Finland Finland Japan Germany Germany
7 Germany Germany Finland Netherlands USA
8 Netherlands Japan Netherlands Denmark UK
9 Japan Canada Denmark Japan Hong Kong
10 Canada Netherlands Canada UK Japan
Source: World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index
Inclusive Competitiveness National Economic Review
Measuring and improving the performance of diverse populations in the nation’s local
innovation ecosystems, clusters and emerging industry sectors
Census data reveal shifting national racial demographics trending toward a mid-century
timetable in which the fast-growing non-white minority population will become the majority.
The positive and negative economic ramifications of this shift are indicated in the current
disconnect of Black and Hispanic entrepreneurship, which has a strong healthy growth curve
yet fails to produce any movement of the needle in business revenue, accounting for less than
3.5% of U.S. GDP and employing less than 1% of U.S. adults (Sources: Census, BLS, BEA).
The America21 Project ▪ Mike Green ▪ 541.730.2164 ▪ mike@blackinnovation.org

3. Changing the Economic Narrative • Promoting Inclusive Competitiveness • Connecting the Economically Disconnected
Data in every NADO region reveal looming economic apartheid conditions that undermine the
overall capacity of the economic competitiveness of the nation.
City *Population % *Business Ownership % (est) Local GDP %
Black White Black White Black White
Detroit, Michigan 83 11 64 31 1 98
Jackson, Mississippi** 80 18 45 53 1 98
Birmingham, Alabama 73 22 38 58 1 98
Memphis, Tennessee 63 29 38 57 1 98
Atlanta, Georgia 54 38 31 62 1 98
Cleveland, Ohio 53 37 26 68 1 98
*Source: US Census | **Census plus local GDP data from Jackson Business Accelerator | GDP data for other regions estimated)
Canary in Coal Mine Data: On a national scale, Black-owned businesses represent 7% of the
American business landscape (greater than half of the 13% Black representation in the total
population) yet produce less than 1% of total U.S. GDP and employ less than 0.5% of U.S.
adults. About 1.8 million of the total 1.9 million Black-owned businesses are sole proprietors.
Black entrepreneurship spiked an unprecedented 60% from 2002-2007, more
than three times the national average during the same period. The relevance of
this public information is overlooked by media and remains relatively unknown.
The primary problem is that minority communities lack a 21st century Nationwide, 1.9
economic narrative and minority entrepreneurs typically lack generational million Black-
knowledge, sufficient resources and understanding of the 21st century owned businesses
knowledge-based, tech-driven global innovation economy to have significant produce less than
economic impact. (Data Sources: Census, BLS, BEA) 1% GDP.
National Trend: Economic trends suggest widespread apathy, ignorance
and a lethargic approach to engaging regional economic development leaders and assisting
them with the investment of resources to build infrastructure, pipelines and processes that
bridge economically disconnected sectors to local innovation ecosystems.
Note: The connection of economically disconnected communities to local innovation
ecosystems are prerequisite conditions that must exist to establish an Inclusive
Competitiveness framework that boosts the overall economic competitiveness of regional
economies.
National Economic Imperative: America cannot reverse its downward trajectory in global
economic competitiveness rankings without an intervention strategy to invest in the
development of inclusive local innovation ecosystems within healthy, competitive economic
frameworks. The rapidly shifting racial demographics require a sense of urgency in recognizing
that Inclusive Competitiveness is a national economic imperative through new policy,
investment and collaborative action locally, regionally and nationally.
The America21 Project ▪ Mike Green ▪ 541.730.2164 ▪ mike@blackinnovation.org

4. Changing the Economic Narrative • Promoting Inclusive Competitiveness • Connecting the Economically Disconnected
Challenge: Incumbent approaches to Black and Hispanic economic inclusion are largely
designed to retain existing economic value in communities for longer periods, circulating and
spreading its impact to more people throughout a region. The critically important matters of
accessing and participating in existing economic value chains, primarily through supplier
diversity initiatives, is necessary, but alone is insufficient to increase a region’s economic
competitiveness.
Opportunity: On the other hand, the new thrust to connect Blacks and Hispanics to local
innovation ecosystems is focused on providing much needed, complementary leadership to
create new economic value and grow new opportunities. This new leadership is designed to
cultivate a more robust pipeline of talent and new, job-creating, high-growth enterprises.
Creating new economic value is the opportunity of the 21st century. Capitalizing upon shifting
and growing minority racial demographics by fostering Inclusive Competitiveness frameworks
that deliver new economic value establishes an emerging landscape of growing regional and
national economic competitiveness.
Solution: Invest in scaling up The America21 Project's (America21) vision, leadership,
programs and initiatives to help local innovation ecosystems become inclusive and produce
exponential economic impact.
America21 is the nation's leading voice on Inclusive CompetitivenessTM and
Pipeline2ProductivityTM processes for local innovation ecosystems.
Across the landscape of laudable economic frameworks and ideals, America21 envisions a
unique cohesive inclusive national economic vision that bridges political divides while
promoting national, state and local collaboration through local investment channels, STEAM
education pipelines and measurable outcome-based economic processes. This work is already
gaining support and traction across America from the White House to Silicon Valley.
It's time for a national discussion on Inclusive Competitiveness for a 21st century America.
Johnathan Mike Chad
Holifield Esq. Green Womack, Ph.D.
FOUNDERS
The America21 Project
Est. January 2011
See bios of America21's founders at
http://blackinnovation.org/about.
The America21 Project ▪ Mike Green ▪ 541.730.2164 ▪ mike@blackinnovation.org