Think Tank Activations

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Think Tank Activations *

Think Tank Activations are collaborative strategy sessions led by Community Activations Network (CAN) to bring together local leaders, innovators, educators, and changemakers to co-design bold, actionable solutions in response to economic, workforce, and community challenges. Each activation is curated around a core focus and is designed to result in a scalable, fundable, initiative or pilot program.

Rather than abstract theory, CAN's Think Tank Activations lead to real-world implementation with community partners already aligned for execution. We activate ideas and strategies into practical projects that shift systems, close gaps, support the launch of new industries, and advance local economies.

  • Business | Industry - Sector needs, onboarding, investment

    • Identify skill gaps, new sector potential, and innovation zones

    • Design "train-to-order" workforce models to accelerate onboarding

    • Explore business investment strategies aligned with workforce readiness

  • Community | Municipal - Revitalization, infrastructure, resilience

    • GoNexus

    • Address regional development, site selection, and community revitalization

    • Build collaborations between city/county leadership, developers, and economic agencies

    • Focus on resilience, broadband access, infrastructure, and place-based equity

  • Workforce - Barrier removal, persistence, wraparound support

    • Solve barriers to employment (improve skill deficits, training, career search and job readiness skills).

    • Support persistence programming to increase training completion and retention

    • Launch workforce-aligned wraparound support systems

  • Training | Education | On-the-Job - Curriculum alignment, apprenticeships, innovation

    Design employer-aligned curriculum with colleges and training partners

    Connect apprenticeships, CTE programs, and industry certifications

    Support cross-sector instructional models for emerging technologies

  • Social - Justice, mental health, health, equity models

    Address underserved communities, justice reentry, mental health support, and community care systems

    1. Bridge partnerships between nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and health providers

      • Co-create models for inclusive opportunity and systemic equity

  • While each project is different, outcomes of a Think Tank Activation may provide a combo of deliverables:

    • Concept paper or proposal draft

    • Partnership alignment map

    • Pilot program design or community blueprint

    • Funding strategy outline (local, federal, private)

    • Implementation roadmap with timelines

    *Each activation is invitation-based, hosted in collaboration with regional leaders, and documented for follow-up action and grant alignment.

    Get Activated: info@communityactivations.org

THINK TANK

Activating Communities. Fueling Innovation. Supporting Business Growth.

Community Activations Network (CAN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that partners with employers, community leaders, industries, and educators to design and identify forward-thinking workforce and community solutions. We aim to create ecosystems that make smart growth accessible and sustainable.

Think Tank Services for Economic Development

Community Activations Network offers strategic Think Tank services that provide research and experience-driven insights, workforce forecasting, and solution design, to fuel economic growth in municipalities, industry sectors, and community development projects.

Data + Conversations + Strategy + Collaboration + Funding = Local Infrastructure and Workforce.

Think Tanks operate as hubs for innovation, helping local leaders and developers make data-informed decisions in areas such as:

  • Municipal & Regional Economic Planning:
    Workforce alignment strategies, education-to-employment pipelines, and talent retention initiatives that match regional goals and community assets.

  • Industry Sector Intelligence:
    Customized training blueprints and labor market analysis for emerging sectors—especially where automation, clean energy, healthcare, new tech, sector deficits, job creation and skilled trades are evolving rapidly.

  • Site Selection Support:
    Developers and Site Selectors seeking training-ready and work-ready locations and talent pools. CAN assess workforce readiness, training infrastructure, and wraparound services for site selectors, developers and corporations choosing new locations for business expansion or relocation.

  • Community Solution Engineering:
    Designing scalable wraparound initiatives such as public-private partnerships, community training hubs, or student pipeline programs that strengthen local workforce capacity and community talent recruitment.

CAN Think Tanks guide community opportunities by working with *CAN member accredited training institutions, apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and employer driven talent-development for workforce solutions. Community assets and upskilling initiatives are the first priority.

Community & Industry Collaboration

We connect:

  • Communities preparing for growth

  • Employers seeking skilled labor in existing or new innovative industry

  • Training institutions building new pipelines

  • Funders looking to make a measurable impact

By facilitating high-value partnerships, CAN supports business growth and community empowerment at the same time.

· Economic development and capacity-building strategies to revitalize communities

· Customized “Train-to-Order” solutions for local industries—designed to reduce onboarding time, improve productivity timeline and retention

· Innovation in workforce readiness, including cutting-edge curricula, using your SOP/SMEs’ to design

CAN delivers access, and support to the people, communities and organizations leading innovation and rural industry diversification.