ISD is a 501(c)3 "action tank" (we turn ideas into action) made up of long-term recovery, resilience, and community economic development experts.
Some of our projects include:
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Research into gaps, failures, challenges, and how to make them better:
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After Action Report on Hurricane Harvey: Need to Level the Playing Field for Smaller Communities
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After Action Report on the Thomas Fire: Need to Promote Resilience Measures for Small Businesses to Cope with the Recovery Process
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After Action Report on the Woolsey Fire: Need to Develop "Common App" and Other Assistance Measures
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Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
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Supporting the County of Hawai'i Disaster Economic Recovery Framework
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Community Resilience Improvement
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Supporting Rocky View County READI Resilience
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Business Resilience Network Support
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Community Stakeholder Engagement and Healing
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The ISD Sustainable Community Buyers Guide
ISD was founded in the North Carolina Research Triangle in 2003 by a unique combination of business leaders and academics.
We focus on persistent development issues that are under-addressed. For the past two years, because of the magnitude of recent disasters, the bulk of our work has tended to focus on resilience and long-term disaster recovery. We also have significant expertise and concern about the following issues:
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Small business resilience and entrepreneurship empowerment
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Distributed and sustainable community economic development
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Housing and urban development
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Climate adaptation and critical infrastructure protection
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International development
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Population displacement, refugees, and diasporas
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Inner city chronic stresses
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Rural development
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Education and workforce development
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Community health
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Legacy systems of the past
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The role of technology and innovation in the future of sustainability
How?
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We research and curate existing best practices, research, and useful news and tools
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We develop proprietary research, analysis, and after action reports
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We work with big businesses to empower small businesses.
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We work with federal agencies to help smaller communities.
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We work with subject matter experts to help level the playing field for areas that typically don't get the same access to resources.
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We develop public-private partnerships and identify other ways to build capacity.
Our heroes are positive change agents and members of the "conspiracy for good" -- people who aren't afraid to take on existing preconceptions and look for better solutions.