At the beginning of June, RMMFI CEO Jessica Sveen participated in the Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP) Urban Exploration trip to Boston, MA. 150 Denver executives from the public, private, and non-profit sectors were brought together to observe and learn about issues both Denver and Boston are facing, including affordable housing, urban revitalization, economic development, safe public spaces, and transportation advancements.

Over two days, Boston leaders shared their experience dealing with these issues in their city and what approaches have been successful. The goal is that Denver leaders can now bring what they learned in Boston to advance strategies for our own city.

By joining the trip, Jessica was able to bring her lens of inclusive small business support to conversations around the redevelopment of the 16th Street Mall and other market opportunities in Denver — access to which is extremely important for the entrepreneurs in our community. The DDP Urban Exploration was a valuable opportunity as RMMFI moves into our next strategic plan with a focus on scalability, investing deeper and wider in our network, and advocacy in community work.