IE RISE
for Community Well-Being
Inland Empire Roadmap for Inclusion, Sustainability, and Equity
The Inland Empire is a region on the rise, with cross-sector collaboration and civic engagement beginning to unlock the full potential of the region and its 4.6 million residents. Building on the success of Census and COVID outreach efforts, leaders in the region launched the Inland Empire Roadmap for an Inclusive and Sustainable Economy (IE RISE). IE RISE is a two-county wide collaborative that works towards amplifying community voices around a unified vision and activating shared values to reform systems to make them truly equitable. Our vision is grounded in racial, gender, and LGBTQ equity, and gives explicit attention to communities historically excluded by immigration status, ability, age, or other factors. Together, we intend to set new expectations for our region and re-define what is possible for our counties.
COVID-19 response and the global call for racial justice come at a critical time for this work. Beyond the pressing immediate needs, we have the opportunity to help the region remake itself in a more equitable and sustainable manner. While there is much talk of an economic recovery, we believe that it is vital to also think about reform. How can we reform our various systems, so that communities of color, immigrants, low-wage workers, youth, and justice-involved populations all have an equal shot at defining a common vision and plan that meets their needs, with the requisite community investments to make them a reality?
For IE RISE, the answer is by including and centering those communities and their voices. By not just inviting under-served communities to the table, but by uniting all communities and building that table together. On this website, we will chronicle the progress of that table building and grassroots-led region shifting over the coming months and years.