Anchor Partnerships utilize the power of their economic assets to address social and economic disparities, revitalizing local communities. They are uniquely positioned to stabilize local economies and reverse community disinvestment.

• Trumbull County Land Bank
• Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership
• Valley Economic Development Partners
• Western Reserve Port Authority
• Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation
• Youngstown State University
• Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce

Key 2024 Projects with Partners: City of Youngstown

YO! App 

Powered by Colu and sponsored by the City of Youngstown, the YO! App rewards users for shopping at Youngstown’s local businesses using their credit or debit card in the form of City Bites. Each City Bite is equivalent to $1 and can be redeemed at any of the 24 local businesses registered as redeemers. EAG supports the YO! App through business engagement, social media management, and growing the app with local partnerships. As of December 30, 2024, 143 Youngstown businesses are partnered with the YO! App and $90,229 has been given to local businesses for redemptions. The YO! App has generated $982,608 in economic activity to date.

Streetlight Survey

EAG led four student interns in surveying every streetlight in the city of Youngstown. Over the course of eight months, the team collected information on each light’s operational status, bulb type, ownership, and GPS location. The survey identified 9,542 streetlights, 1,077 of which were malfunctioning or non-operational. The city will use this data for resource allocation purposes and will create a centralized database of streetlights to improve maintenance efforts.

Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA)

As part of a larger ongoing plan to rejuvenate downtown, EAG collaborated with the City on the planning and implementation of Youngstown’s first DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area). With over 160 locations across Ohio alone, DORAs allow patrons 21 and older to enjoy alcoholic beverages while strolling outdoors within specified boundaries. The DORA successfully launched December 6th, 2024 after months of planning, bringing thousands of dollars to downtown businesses.

Our strategy