Equitable Cities IV: How the Business Community Impacts City Development

Navigating the infrastructure, land and relationships in construction. Host Adam Morrisey interviews global leaders in the built environment exploring the people, ideas and innovations guiding the construction and civil engineering industries into the future.

 

On this episode of Dirt Work, we concluded our Equity Cities mini-series by discussing the role that the business community plays in the development of our cities with Dallas Regional Chamber (“DRC”) executives Tosha Herron-Bruff and Jared Fitzpatrick. The Dallas Regional Chamber is one of the most established business organizations in the nation and serves as the voice of business and the champion of economic development and growth in the Dallas Region. Tosha and Jared lead the Chamber’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts.

Jared and Tosha discussed the key role that chamber organizations around the country serve in promoting and supporting the business community. The Dallas Chamber works with member companies and regional partners to strengthen our business community by advocating for pro-growth public policies, improving our educational system, attracting talented workers from around the world, and enhancing the quality of life for all. With the DRC’s newly launched initiatives in equity and inclusion, Tosha and Jared support area businesses making contributions to the wellbeing of the region as well as educating other businesses of their responsibility to contribute to building equitable cities. The Chamber aims to make the region a better place for all people to live, work and do business.

The business community benefits their immediate and surrounding areas in many ways:

  1. Attracting talented employees to live in particular regions.
  2. Through the development of districts and/or infrastructure to attract and retain talent, as well as contribute to the livability and business friendliness of the region.
  3. Through the commitment to the welfare of the cities through non-profit, philanthropic, and community-oriented initiatives.

For listeners interested in learning more about the work that the DRC is doing and trends related to diversity, inclusion, and equity, Tosha and Jared recommend keeping up with Dallas Regional Chamber and Dallas Innovates.

Catch Up on Past Episodes of Dirt Work!

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

skilled trades mentorship
Why the Modern Data Center Is Forcing Communities and Policymakers to Rethink Infrastructure
April 21, 2026

Data centers have moved from largely invisible digital infrastructure to a highly visible source of public debate as artificial intelligence accelerates demand for power, fiber, and compute capacity. The modern data center is now being built closer to population centers to support low-latency services, bringing critical infrastructure into direct contact with residential communities for…

Read More
Inside the Spot Freight Shift: How Manifold Is Simplifying a Fragmented Logistics Market
April 21, 2026

The freight market is in the midst of a notable shift. With national tender rejection rates approaching 14% by the end of Q1, freight conditions have shifted back in carriers’ favor, often coinciding with increased activity in the spot market. At the same time, logistics teams are juggling an increasingly fragmented ecosystem of portals, emails,…

Read More
healthcare 2026
Healthcare’s 2026 Reality: Growing Workforce Gaps, Tiered Access, and the Rise of AI Support
April 20, 2026

Healthcare systems are entering 2026 under mounting pressure. A growing, aging population and rising disease burden are colliding with persistent workforce shortages—highlighted by projections that new cancer diagnoses in the U.S. will surpass two million this year alone. The stakes are no longer theoretical: delays in care, limited specialist access, and widening disparities are…

Read More
Mental Health Care
Policy, AI, and New Funding Models Are Reshaping Mental Health Care Delivery
April 16, 2026

Mental health care isn’t a new problem—but it’s finally being treated like an urgent one. After years of being sidelined, the cracks in the system are becoming impossible to ignore: overstretched clinicians, long wait times, and entire communities without consistent access to care. In the U.S., the scale is striking—more than one in five…

Read More