Do you feel like there is amazing potential in your community, but struggle to fill vacant storefronts?
Do you see other places thriving, but you can't figure out how to replicate it in your community?
Do you feel like you have some of the pieces, but just need to right steps to get there… fast?
You are not alone.
80% of all counties are seeing a decline in working age population.
People and places are getting left behind.
The pandemic left us with more vacancies in more places. And our small businesses are struggling.
It’s time for a bold change and new investments to make great places with thriving economies.
Join Recast Leaders to build a strong, inclusive downtown and get your economy humming in 10 months.
Recast Leaders is an intensive get-it-done-for-your-city program for places committed to making things happen
want to know if now is the right time for you to become a recast leader?
What is Recast Leaders?
This is the training, the coaching, the mentorship, and the partnership to solve problems faster and get to the answers quickly that make the biggest difference for the most people in your community.
Recast Leaders graduates see these results:
Build a stronger, more resilient, more inclusive, business community.
Find the right local businesses for main street (or your downtown).
Bring small-scale manufacturing businesses into the limelight to achieve these outcomes.
Grow buy-in to bring main street back to life and increase property values.
Redevelop properties and adopt key business development models.
Implement new models within six to twelve months.
Who this is for:
Local elected officials, city managers, and their staff
Economic development and planning agency leaders
Business & commercial improvement district executives
Main street, downtown development, & community development corp. leaders
Local real estate developers
Recast Leaders is for local leaders with decision-making power to act and implement NOW.
Membership is per community, and requires 2-4 participants per community.
$2,100/month for 10 months
Or $18,000 for the program with upfront payment ($3,000 discount)
* Any Recast Spark completed will be applied to the cost.
Each cohort is 10 months of direct support and is open to only 5 communities at a time.
Reserve a spot in the Recast Leaders cohort for your community.
Are you ready to bring downtown back to life?
Do you want to create a place where local businesses thrive?
Are you ready to make the commitment?
See if Recast Leaders is a fit.
Are you ready to apply?
Recast leaders Details:
Recast City tools & proprietary worksheets
Proven techniques for outreach and engagement (that actually work!)
Learning cohort of community leaders making it happen - just like you
Best models from across the country to jump to the answer fast
Biweekly mentorship & coaching through trainings and office hours
Direct one on one support to implement new models
Do you want to bring the Recast Leaders program to a group of communities in your state or region? Reach out today to talk about how to sponsor a full cohort at a discounted rate.
Meet Ilana Preuss, Community Development Coach
Ilana is the Founder & CEO of Recast City, as well as the author of, Recast Your City: How to Save Your Downtown with Small-Scale Manufacturing, released by Island Press in June 2021.
Preuss’ passion for great places grew out of her experience working with big and small cities all over the country when she led the technical assistance program at the U.S. EPA Smart Growth Program, and as the Vice President & Chief of Staff at Smart Growth America.
As the daughter of a maker (you should see her mother’s quilts!) and a life-long city lover (her father still teaches her how to wander cities well!), Ilana combined her love of places, locals who love those places, and her impatience to make things happen NOW in communities into a new firm.
Through Recast City, she partners with local leaders to bring main street back to life, bring business back to downtown, and build an inclusive and resilient economy. All by bringing small-scale manufacturing businesses into redevelopment projects and place-based economic development. She is passionate about making great places and sees that small-scale product businesses are a missing piece in today’s mixed-use development, commercial property repositioning, and local economic development strategy.
When Preuss is not onsite with a city or coaching a community leader, she can be found cooking up a storm with her two amazing teens. She lives in Maryland, always hunts down the local chocolate production business, and still sings along to all 80’s music.
What clients are saying:
”Our work with Recast City crystalized what we are trying to do economic development wise - what the needs are out there, what the businesses are, and what our street could become. We saw a huge change in how the Business Loop is viewed. People used to say it’s not safe. Now they’re asking about the cool pop-up lot. Ilana pushed us to look for connectors and be intentional about bringing in underrepresented business owners – it really broadened my view of the community and my network. The final report felt very specific to us - there were steps I could start moving on Day 1. We will have the commercial shared kitchen open 9 months from the date of the report!”
Carrie Gartner, Executive Director, The Business Loop Improvement District, Columbia, MO
“Ilana is a person that sleeps (we hope) and dreams of creating successful small scale manufacturing businesses in distressed communities. After working with Recast City, we published an RFP of a city owned building for the property to be redeveloped for maker spaces, and we partnered more with the Knoxville Area Urban League and the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center (KEC) to help makers grow and to educate neighborhoods on how to support their business base."
Dawn Michelle Foster, Redevelopment Director, Knoxville, TN
Still have questions? Schedule a time for us to talk and let’s see if the timing is right to bring this unique cohort program to your community. Jump ahead to make your community a great place with thriving local businesses.
Are you a regional or state leader and want to consider a sponsored cohort only for your communities? Book a chat with Ilana and see if a sponsored cohort of Recast Leaders is a fit.