Welcome to Curated Morning. A compendium of news, information, and stories that economic development professionals, community development leaders and elected officials read every week to stay in touch with what is happening in our economy.

The Main Thing:

It's the small things that matter most. Doing the small stuff adds up to bigger outcomes. It's like going to the gym I joined. When I go consistently over time, my health and muscle mass improve and increase. Doing the opposite, not going to the gym and eating a poor diet, will result in the opposite effect.

Believe me, I speak from experience.

The work we do in economic development also adds up. We can't be cutting ribbons and turning ceremonial shovels every day. We have to do the small things to get there.

The same goes for kindness. To achieve an outcome that promotes peace and harmony, we can't undertake a process that fosters chaos and disharmony. Some of our leaders believe this approach is effective, but in the long run, it won't be.

Kindness begets kindness. Chaos begets chaos.

This week, I continue the series on how to be kind to our future. We learn about strategies for digital stewardship and its role in economic development.

Read it here.

Focus On Technlogy

Uncle Sam Goes Wall Street: Federal Government Takes Equity Stake in Intel, Signals Investment Strategy Shift

The Trump administration has secured a 10% government stake in struggling chipmaker Intel, marking a significant departure from traditional federal funding approaches. This deal stems from Intel's receipt of CHIPS Act funding, a program designed to boost domestic semiconductor production and innovation. The administration is positioning taxpayers to benefit directly from federal investments rather than simply providing grants. This arrangement could be the first of many such equity deals across industries, as President Trump pursues plans for a US sovereign wealth fund similar to those operated by Norway, China, and other nations.

Why This Matters: This represents a significant shift in how the federal government structures economic development incentives, transitioning from grants and tax breaks to direct equity investments. For economic developers, this could dramatically change the landscape of federal support for major manufacturing and technology projects. Communities competing for large-scale industrial investments may need to factor in the potential for government co-ownership when crafting their attraction strategies. The sovereign wealth fund concept could also create new sources of patient capital for infrastructure and industrial development, particularly in sectors deemed strategically essential, such as semiconductors and advanced manufacturing.

Take Action: Begin building relationships with federal agencies involved in CHIPS Act implementation to understand how equity structures may impact future projects in your region. Develop expertise in public-private partnership models that could complement federal equity investments, positioning your community as a sophisticated partner for complex deals. Monitor the Treasury and Commerce departments' planning process for their sovereign wealth funds and consider how such federal investment vehicles might align with your economic development priorities.

Read More Intel-like deals could be on the way by Alex Zank | Tech Brew here.

From Devastation to Digital: How AI Chatbots Are Rebuilding Rural Livelihoods One Farm at a Time

After Cyclone Freddy destroyed his Malawi farm in 2023, Alex Maere turned to an unlikely savior: an AI chatbot. The WhatsApp-based tool called Ulangizi suggested he grow potatoes alongside his traditional crops, leading to $800 in sales that transformed his family's fortunes. Backed by the Malawian government and designed by nonprofit Opportunity International, the AI advisor operates in local languages and works through "human in the loop" support agents who bring smartphones to communities lacking digital access. Despite challenges such as poor connectivity and language barriers, the program is reaching thousands of small-scale farmers in a country where 80% of the population relies on agriculture for survival.

Why This Matters: This project demonstrates how technology can be thoughtfully adapted to serve low-resource rural communities, offering valuable lessons for US economic developers working with agricultural regions facing their own challenges. The "human in the loop" model shows how communities can bridge digital divides without requiring universal smartphone adoption, while the integration of government support, nonprofit expertise, and private technology creates a replicable framework. For US rural communities grappling with farm consolidation, climate challenges, and economic diversification, this approach illustrates how AI tools can strengthen existing agricultural extension services rather than replace them, potentially supporting both individual farm resilience and broader rural economic stability.

Take Action: Partner with your local agricultural extension services to explore AI-powered farming assistance tools that could benefit producers in your region. Investigate how existing community organizations could serve as "human in the loop" facilitators for technology adoption among farmers who lack digital access. Develop pilot programs that combine traditional agricultural support with modern technology, focusing initially on communities with strong social networks that can facilitate peer-to-peer learning.

Read How AI is helping some small-scale farmers weather a changing climate by Gregory Gondwe | AP

From Factory Flop to AI Fortress: Microsoft's $3.3B Wisconsin Redemption Story

Microsoft has announced plans to transform Wisconsin's most notorious economic development disappointment into what it claims will be the "world's most powerful" AI data center. The tech giant is investing $3.3 billion to convert the site of Foxconn's abandoned LCD factory—once hailed as a manufacturing revival but quickly labeled a "boondoggle"—into the massive Fairwater AI data center, set to come online in early 2026. Spanning 1.2 million square feet across three buildings on 315 acres, the facility will house "hundreds of thousands" of Nvidia's latest GB200 GPUs connected by enough fiber optic cable to circle the Earth 4.5 times, creating what Microsoft claims is a computing cluster ten times more powerful than the world's fastest supercomputer.

Why This Matters: This dramatic transformation demonstrates that even the most high-profile economic development failures can find new life when market conditions and technology evolve. The scale of Microsoft's investment—$3.3 billion for a single data center—illustrates how AI infrastructure represents a new category of massive capital projects that dwarf traditional manufacturing investments. Economic developers should note that Microsoft's emphasis on environmental sustainability, including a closed-loop cooling system that eliminates water waste, reflects how public acceptance of energy-intensive AI projects increasingly depends on demonstrable ecological responsibility.

Take Action: Conduct an inventory of large, underutilized industrial sites in your region that could be repositioned for AI infrastructure, particularly those with existing power and transportation infrastructure. Develop specialized marketing materials that highlight your community's ability to support massive, energy-intensive projects while emphasizing sustainability features.

Read Microsoft is turning Foxconn’s empty buildings into the ‘world’s most powerful’ AI data center by Terrence O'Brien | The Verge

Something You Should Read:

When I worked in New York, I was involved in a battery storage project. I don't recall the specifics of the project, but it was designed to provide backup to the grid in the event of a power outage. The project consisted of several trailer-like buildings with large batteries inside, which would be connected to a nearby substation.

As economic development projects go, it wasn't a major job creator, nor did it generate significant tax revenue; however, it provided a glimpse into the future. It wasn't very exciting back in 2019, but little did I know how important this project was as a harbinger of the future: Electrotech.

Electrotech is your new Targeted Industry. What is Electrotech, and is it really a 'thing'? This industry is leading the transition from a fossil fuel-based extraction industry to one that is driven by solar, wind, batteries, electric vehicles, heat pumps, smart grids, and digital controls. And this, regardless of what the current administration thinks.

The energy system transformation is increasingly driven by economics (lower costs through manufacturing, rather than extraction), physics (greater efficiency and reduced waste), and geopolitics (energy sovereignty and security), not just environmental policy. It ignores the unproductive and contemporary discourse between "fossil gradualists" (we can slowly wean ourselves off of fossil fuel while the world burns) and "net-zero puritans" (the world is burning!).

Like Ford vs. the horse-cart industry, disruption comes from new entrants, not legacy players. Economic development strategies anchored to incumbent fossil companies risk decline. The winners will be regions that attract electrotech manufacturing, support new industries, and build enabling infrastructure (charging networks, smart grids, skilled workforce).

Understanding the distinction between electrotech and older cleantech clarifies where value is accumulating, where industrial policy and manufacturing leadership matter, and why some regions are accelerating ahead while others are lagging behind. As with past waves in IT and telecommunications, incumbent energy, utility, and even auto firms are at risk—but so are the regions and cities that bet on the wrong horse.

Economic developers have an opportunity to align with emergent, scalable tech that can create jobs, anchor supply chains, and foster resilient economies.

Read this insightful article on Substack here.

Overheard:

Overheard:

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

– Howard Thurman

The Rabbit Hole:

Where do people experiencing poverty live?

In the wealthiest country in the world, millions of people live in poverty. Economic developers tacily understand this and work hard every day to eliminate the structures and obstacles that prevent people from getting a job and having a prosperous life.

It's not always about incentives, attraction, and retention. Sometimes it requires examining the fundamental ideas that help people climb out of poverty.

The map at this link is difficult to look at. Nearly 20% of the population in every state lives in poverty. That represents almost 850,000 people. The poverty rate tells part of the picture. Still, consider the population of some states. In that case, that means that California has nearly 4.5 million people living in poverty, and Texas has almost 4 million people living in poverty. Yet, they have a GNP larger than that of many countries around the world.

The Visual Capitalist website has many more 'visual' charts and tables to look at and consider, including this fun one about the size of Africa and the number of farms in the USA. But for the poverty rate, you can check out this visual.

Here is your Zen

Regardless of what you believe or what religion you might practice, there is much to be learned from all the teachers who have gone before us. The practice of sharing wisdom is something I genuinely believe in. My love of learning often leads me to explore alternative approaches and a deliberate desire to challenge my own thinking.

I do this by being open to learning each day. In that spirit, here is an interesting article about 'eastern' philosopher and teachers, one who is still alive, who can teach us things.

Five Eastern Philosophers You Should Know can be found here.

Searching for Silence?

Design Pics/Richard Wear/ Design Pics via Getty Images

Recently, I spent a couple of days in Chicago. It's been a while since I was there last, and even though I wasn't downtown (I stayed in Lincoln Park), there was no doubt that I was in a dense urban area. Cars, buses, sirens, the beeping of garbage trucks picking up trash, and all the noise the city has to offer were on full display.

I love the busy city and the efforts of all the people who live there to lead fulfilling lives, and yet I also enjoy the quiet solitude of the countryside and the serene places on Earth. I often thought and wondered if there is a place on Earth where there is no sound. It's like the proverbial riddle about the tree falling in the woods.The one place that came close was when I visited the Grand Canyon at the end of January (twice). As I stood at the edge of the South Rim, I immediately noticed how incredibly quiet it was, or how devoid of sound it seemed.

I guess that visiting the largest uninhabited island on Earth might exhibit similar characteristics. Devon Island, Canada, is that place. At 22,000 square miles (about the size of West Virginia), the island is devoid of people, flora, and fauna. There are polar bears, walrus, and a few muskoxen, but not much else.

While the island has had a history of human inhabitants, that experiment has largely failed. It is so barren that NASA has used the place to practice Mars landings and other 'other-worldly' experiments.

Check out the island in this article, but plan your vacation elsewhere.

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