In April of 2000, Operation HOPE and a broad coalition of corporations, non-profit organizations, community leaders, educators and elected officials attended the first Inner-City Economic Summit (ICES), in Los Angeles.

Based on the overwhelming success of the first summit, Operation HOPE and the Summit Organizing Committee published a “best practices” report entitled The Inner-City Economic Report.

The 2nd ICES was held in Los Angeles in 2002. Delegates to the summit included CEOs and other business leaders, federal agencies, mayors from cities with successful private/public partnerships, and non-profit leaders. This event served as a historic opportunity to chart a new course for the future of America’s urban, inner city and under-served communities.

The 2000 and 2002 Inner City Economic Summits showed that America’s urban, inner city and under-served communities represent, the last bastion of lost capitalism in America, and genuine “new market” opportunities where everyone can benefit.

The objective of the ICES is to formulate and implement the Inner-City Economic Summit Strategic Plan that will create more stakeholders, improve the economic quality of life for individuals and stabilize and grow the economy in under-served communities.