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Strive Innovation Fund winners aim to reduce plastic waste and promote inclusion with a focus on small shops in emerging markets.

How small merchants can help drive sustainable consumption

How Small Merchants Can Help Drive Sustainable Consumption

About the Center

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The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a heavy blow to small businesses, but a silver lining emerged amidst the shuttering of storefronts: a clearer understanding of the types of support small businesses need to survive, grow and compete in today’s digital economy

The secret ingredients to thriving small businesses

Insights

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Edmund Siderewicz

CATALYST SCHOOLS CO-FOUNDER

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Our analysis found that the Kehrein Center for the Arts has not only brought music, community, and life to the neighborhood of Austin—but it also drove significant economic growth.Mastercard generated spending insights that were based on anonymized and aggregated transaction data, and derived via robust analytic techniques. The analysis showed that the center triggered an economic revitalization, just as its developers had hoped. Indeed, this single investment had a domino effect across the entire commercial corridor where it is located[3].&nbsp;The data showed:&nbsp;<ul><li>Increase in consumer spending. After the Kehrein Center for the Arts opened, there was a 12 percent increase in spending across Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. In the specific census tract where the arts center is located, there was an even more pronounced impact of a 20 percent lift in spending.</li><li>Growth in out-of-town visitors. Not only was more revenue coming in, but the profile of Austin visitorschanged too. We saw a 24 percent increase in spending from travelers coming from further away (10 to 50 miles away from the center), indicating the neighborhood is increasingly seen as a destination for visitors from the surrounding area and suburbs.&nbsp;</li><li>New business openings. In addition, there was a 2.6 percent growth in new business openings in the area after the arts center opened.</li></ul>

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These insights were derived via Mastercard’s patented software, Test &amp; Learn®, which uses a scientific method to measure the impact of a “test” scenario versus a “control” baseline. The platform is designed to pinpoint the true cause-and-effect of an investment with analytic precision. The software is typically licensed by corporations to measure the ROI on business investments; however, Mastercard volunteers also use the platform for pro-bono engagements such as this one.One cornerstone of Mastercard’s Test &amp; Learn® software is a set of algorithms that identify a relevant control group to serve as a baseline comparison point. In this analysis, the software identified that census tracts in local Chicago neighborhoods such as Rogers Park and Garfield Ridge[4] were similar to Austin based on key financial metrics—for example, economic growth trends, spending volumes, and seasonality in spending.As you can see in the graph below, the Austin neighborhood sees significantly higher growth in spending&nbsp;after&nbsp;the center’s opening. However,&nbsp;before&nbsp;the center’s opening, Austin was trending very similarly with other neighborhoods.&nbsp;

Siderewicz notes “These new data insights really validate our mission to revitalize the neighborhood. Not only did the project drive positive community-building impact, but it also catalyzed economic growth.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This novel use of test vs. control analytics in urban planning is just the beginning of a trend in making more data-driven policy decisions. It helps show that large, anchor investments can catalyze the revitalization of an entire economic corridor. Furthermore, it illustrates the concrete, lasting impact that strategic investments can have in low-income communities. And, it demonstrates that investing in the arts can yield meaningful returns far beyond the art space itself.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[1]&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cmap.illinois.gov/documents/10180/126764/Austin.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 12px;">https://www.cmap.illinois.gov/documents/10180/126764/Austin.pdf</a>[2] Representative La Shawn Ford, Majority Leader Senator Kimberly Lightford, and Rep. Camile Lilly[3] Our analysis was conducted using data from January 2018 through June 2020. Given the beginning of the COVID pandemic in March 2020, the last three months of data were impacted by high unemployment rates and store closures.&nbsp;[4] Rogers Park, Belmont Cragin, Portage Park, Garfield Ridge, Archer Heights, Englewood, and Mt. Greenwood were among the areas included in the “comparable neighborhoods” group for baseline comparison.

This new tool from Brookings can help employers and job placement professionals guide displaced workers to better career opportunities. 

By Kaity Hsieh &amp; Meegan Dugan Adell
For nearly 50 years, a large historic building now known as the <a href="https://www.kehreincenter.com/">Kehrein Center for the Arts</a> was just one of many shuttered properties on Chicago’s west side. It sits in a vibrant neighborhood known as Austin Chicago, which boasts a strong, active network of nonprofits and community activists. However, decades of disinvestment have been a challenge in the neighborhood. Among other things, sixty-five percent of households make under $50,000, in an area where seventy-five percent of residents are Black[1]. In 2019, this vacant property was transformed from a dormant building into a state-of-the-art auditorium through $5 million of grants and donations.    
Multi-million dollar investments like this arts center are rare in communities like Austin, Chicago. Part of the reason is that it can be challenging to measure their economic benefits and prove their ROI. That’s why the <a href="https://www.mastercardcenter.org/" target="_blank">Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth</a> and <a href="https://www.newamerica.org/" target="_blank">New America</a> recently partnered on a philanthropic data analytics initiative to assess whether strategic investments can help catalyze significant economic growth in disinvested neighborhoods.

Sizing up impact in Chicago