In 2011, the Rio Grande Valley of Texas was one of the poorest regions in the United States. There was a lack of infrastructure and limited access to traditional lenders. At the same time, institutional investors were struggling to find new opportunities to deploy capital and earn even modest returns given the then low interest rate environment. To discuss this opportunity to match resources and needs, the Milken Institute, with support from the Ford Foundation, convened a Financial Innovations Lab in Weslaco Texas in October 2011.
Because Lab participants represented a diverse set of interests in the lower Rio Grande valley, much of the conversation focused on the consumer perspective. Specifically, how development efforts could become less fragmented and better coordinated. The lab suggested a number of policy and financial innovations to incent new capital investment and help the Valley break out of poverty through the expansion of federal programs providing capital to communities and the deployment of the next generation of program-related investments by foundations. A major lab outcome was the recognition that the Valley’s way forward lies in fully developing its human capital. Participants in the lab outlined steps for programs that educate and empower local residents, creating opportunities for them to build home equity, financial literacy, and entrepreneurial skills. The lab concluded with specific plans to standardize financial products and to create a regional leadership council focused on economic prosperity. Further, participants formed a coalition to continue the process of coordinating, targeting, and expanding development efforts aimed at sustainable economic growth.
Countries undergoing population aging today are facing a much different experience than their historical counterparts. One only needs to look at the countries in Asia to see how these trends are unfolding. Demographic aging is happening...
The 26th annual Milken Institute Global Conference convened the best minds in the world to tackle its most urgent challenges and realize its most exciting opportunities. Throughout the four-day event, our health teams curated nearly three...
Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States was confronted with a number of significant policy concerns. Today, working together to solve those challenges is more imperative than ever. The Milken Institute is committed...
Employers seek to support their employees while normalizing a whole-person approach to substance use disorders (SUD). The response to addiction and the opioid crisis requires a whole-of-society approach, including employers of all sizes...
The Financial Innovations Labs® and FasterCures teams have collaborated on a project to identify new models for financing the antimicrobial resistant antibiotic pipeline. These past 18 months have demonstrated how consequential public...
While some sounds can be annoying for most people, for a few, certain sounds like chewing, sniffling, or pen clicking can trigger an intense physical and emotional response. Those with this condition can experience increased heart rate...
In this collection of essays from the Center for the Future of Aging, experts identify challenges and opportunities in realizing the potential of healthy, productive and purposeful aging.
Technical Update Dementia presents a pernicious gender-based health disparity in the United States, inflicting a disproportionate burden on women as both patients and caregivers. Given the rapid increase in the population of older Americans...
Nationwide protests in the summer of 2020 sparked many of the largest US corporations to pledge more than $200 billion to advance racial equity and confront the nation’s history of systemic racism. Nonprofits, government agencies, and...