Local Economic Development Lab, or LED Lab, is a systems change initiative in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Through partnerships with community organizations, LED Lab explores ways to build an inclusive, locally-driven economy in disadvantaged areas.

A key aspect of LED Lab’s strategy is connecting graduate students, community organizations, and subject experts. We’ve been able to contribute an evaluation framework that measures early indicators of systemic change, data collection processes, and a theoretical perspective to field work.

“Steve Williams has been an incredible source of motivation, inspiration, and support in our work launching, and evaluating the Local Economic Development Lab. In Steve’s role as Developmental Evaluator, he has brought rigour and depth to our work. As an experienced, senior consultant, Steve is reliable, methodical, and delivers a high quality product.”
                    — Kiri Bird, Program Manager at LED Lab

We’re part of the diverse perspectives and professional abilities LED Lab is so good at bringing together. The team works on designing new ways to boost job creation and empower local leadership. Then we build, test, and scale those solutions.

Together with LED Lab, we’ll continue to create new models of community-university partnership and use those partnerships to deploy fresh solutions.