Timely & Accessible Publications on Issues that Matter

Build from Within Alliance is a proven national model operating in neighborhoods and commercial corridors across the country. We lead a movement for place-based revitalization driven by local talent and ownership.

In collaboration with partners, we equip policymakers, practitioners, and communities with accessible, timely data and analysis they can use to act. Our reports provide tools and fill gaps in understanding around asset-based community economic development and positions entrepreneurship as a practical pathway out of poverty.

2026: New This Year

The Entrepreneurial Spirit: A Profile of Business Owners Across the United States

Report commissioned by BfWA investigates entrepreneurship within immigrant communities, and among Black Americans, Native Americans, and women. When it comes to immigrant communities, our findings offer a clear, data-driven counterpoint to prevailing national narratives. Immigrants are a driving force in the U.S. small business ecosystem, particularly on Main Street. These businesses are essential to local economies, filling critical service gaps, generating local employment, and contributing to community stability in areas often facing disinvestment.

Featured Publications

The Build From Within Policy Playbook

How can we outlines strategies and actionable steps for policymakers, community leaders, and stakeholders to foster a supportive environment for local entrepreneurs? We’ve created this Policy Playbook as a user-friendly advocacy tool to inspire and to build our movement of organizations and advocates.

Trusted Connectors Report

The current small business development ecosystem, though filled with well-intentioned programs, is overshadowed by persistent racial inequities and the impacts of systemic racism. We need a new approach. Trusted connectors represent a small but impactful strategy for change.

Kauffman Knowledge Challenge

In 2020, BfWA partnered with Reinvestment Fund and SIAP through a Kauffman Knowledge Challenge grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. This multi-year initiative develop tools and analyses to better understand local contexts and the impact of our work in neighborhoods.