Inland Economic Growth & Opportunity (iego)

What Inland Economic Growth & Opportunity (iego) does

Inland Economic Growth & Opportunity (IEGO) is a nonprofit, cross-sector, bi-county collaborative based in San Bernardino, California that coordinates regional economic development for the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino counties). Its portfolio of services includes labor market data and research through a state-designated Center of Excellence, business attraction and expansion support, B2B connection events, incentive coordination across state and federal programs, grant writing and administration, and regional convening of business, labor, education, and government stakeholders. The organization also operates flagship workforce programs such as the IE Mayors Cyber Cup cybersecurity competition (564 student participants in 2025) and the IEGO Future Leaders paid internship, and leads Inland Southern California's regional planning under the California Jobs First initiative (Governor Newsom's $182 million Regional Investment Initiative), under which IEGO received a $14 million collaborative award and administers the $9 million Catalyst Fund for the region.

The organization's underlying technology is principally an information and convening platform rather than a software product; technical capabilities center on labor market data collection and quarterly industry intelligence for 12 community colleges, the monthly Inland Empire Labor Market Pulse publication, and member-facing tools such as SizeUp Local Business Intelligence and Zoom Prospector Property Search for site selection. IEGO serves a heterogeneous set of beneficiaries at no direct cost: regional businesses from startups to Fortune 500 firms seeking site selection or expansion support, 12 community colleges requiring labor market intelligence, local and county government agencies, industry clusters in advanced manufacturing, clean technology, cybersecurity, and sustainable logistics, and labor and workforce organizations including the Inland Empire Labor Institute (AFL-CIO affiliate with 290,000 members).

Revenue mechanics are grant-driven rather than transactional. IEGO is funded primarily through state grants (California Jobs First, Center of Excellence, Workforce Development Board), fiscal agency roles (notably through the Inland Empire Community Foundation for California Jobs First initiatives), and supporting private sector sponsorship (Bank of America is publicly named). The organization does not charge for core economic development services, and no pricing model is publicly disclosed. It operates with 11-50 employees and is led by Executive Director Matthew Mena.

Name

Inland Economic Growth & Opportunity (iego)

Legal name

Inland Economic Growth & Opportunity

Website

https://iegocollab.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Inland Economic Growth & Opportunity (IEGO) is a nonprofit, bi-county collaborative that coordinates regional economic development for California's Inland Empire, delivering labor market data, business attraction and expansion support, incentive coordination, B2B connections, and convening services to businesses, 12 community colleges, government agencies, and labor partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Regional economic development
• Labor market information
• Workforce development services
• Business attraction support
• Inclusive economic planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Riverside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding & Government Contracts: IEGO operates as a non-profit organization funded through grants, government contracts, and potentially private sector support. The organization receives funding from California Jobs First initiative, serves as fiscal agent through Inland Empire Community Foundation for certain programs, and collaborates with state agencies like the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency.
2. Catalyst Fund Administration: IEGO supports administration of the $9 million California Jobs First Catalyst Fund portion for Inland Southern California, supporting sector-specific pre-development projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IEGO is a regional non-profit economic development collaborative that coordinates labor market research, business attraction and expansion support, incentive coordination, B2B connection services, regional convening, grant writing and administration, and inclusive economic development planning for California's Inland Empire region spanning Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Product overview

IEGO is a regional non-profit economic development collaborative — not a single software product — that offers a portfolio of services organized around inclusive economic development for California's Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino counties). The core service offering includes: B2B Connection (networking and business matchmaking), IE Marketing and Communication (regional promotion), Regional Economic & Demographic Data (labor market information and data analytics), Regional Convening (events and stakeholder facilitation), Incentive Coordination, Grant Writing & Administration, Customized Economic & Market Analysis, Regional Business Development, and Inclusive Economic Development Planning. IEGO also manages a Center of Excellence for Labor Market Data that produces the Inland Empire Labor Market Pulse — a monthly data publication — and operates the IE Mayors Cyber Cup cybersecurity competition. Additional data tools include SizeUp Local Business Intelligence and Zoom Prospector Property Search. The California Jobs First Regional Inclusive Planning program is a flagship initiative driving workforce development and job creation strategy across the region. The IEGO Future Leaders Program is a 6-month paid internship in advanced manufacturing, clean technology, and cybersecurity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IE Mayors Cyber Cup: A dynamic cybersecurity skills competition that unites hundreds of students, educators, and local businesses in the Inland Empire.
• IEGO Future Leaders Program
• Center of Excellence
• California Jobs First

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Inland Empire Labor Institute (IELI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIEGO partners with IELI (the 501(c)(3) wing of the Inland Empire Labor Council, an AFL-CIO affiliate with 290,000 members across Riverside and San Bernardino counties) as co-conveners of the California Jobs First initiative. The partnership combines economic development expertise with labor organization reach to advance workforce development and quality job creation.
• Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIECF serves as fiscal agent for California Jobs First initiatives in Inland Southern California. IECF is the oldest and largest community foundation serving the Inland region with deep roots and commitment to improving the community.
• LAUNCH Apprenticeship NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLAUNCH serves as an intermediary and education provider for businesses adopting the apprenticeship model. The network leverages workforce and education systems of the region's community colleges, K-12 districts, and Workforce Development Boards to expand apprenticeship opportunities.
• Brookings InstitutionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIEGO partners with the Brookings Institution, a non-profit public policy organization, for industry cluster analysis and economic development framework guidance. Brookings defines industry clusters and provides strategic vision for California Jobs First regional planning.
• California Labor & Workforce Development AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIEGO collaborates with Secretary Stewart Knox and the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency on workforce development initiatives, apprenticeship expansion, and California Jobs First Council activities.
• California Workforce Development BoardmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIEGO engages with the California Workforce Development Board on career education alignment, workforce development strategy, and maximizing funding for quality job creation.
• 12 Community CollegescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIEGO provides Labor Market Information to 12 community colleges across the Inland Empire, ensuring educational programs align with real-world job needs. Partners include Riverside Community College District (with nearly 60,000 students), Chaffey College, and others.
• Riverside Community College DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRiverside Community College District, one of the largest community college districts with close to 60,000 students, partners with IEGO for workforce development and economic alignment. The district produces approximately 8,000 associate degrees and 2,000 certificates annually, with 85% of graduates remaining in the Inland Empire.
• Building and Construction Trades CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary apprenticeship partner representing 69% of Inland Empire apprentices. The Building and Construction Trades Council leads apprenticeship paths in building and construction trades occupations.
• Thrive Inland Southern CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia Jobs First fostered the formation of the Thrive Inland SoCal collaborative as part of the regional jobs strategy. Thrive represents a new era of inclusive regional economic development rooted in collaboration among businesses, economic development intermediaries, community members, workforce and education, public sector, and other stakeholders.
• Ontario Convention CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIEGO holds Corporate Council events at the Ontario Convention Center for stakeholder convenings and regional economic development dialogue.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED): Statewide membership association for California economic development professionals — comparable convening function across California's EDO ecosystem and a potential peer convening body.
• Bay Area Council Economic Institute: Bay Area-focused economic research and policy organization producing labor market and cluster analysis — closely aligned with IEGO's Brookings-style cluster strategy and Center of Excellence data role.
• Greater Sacramento Economic Council: Public-private regional economic development organization covering the six-county Sacramento region — comparable structure and mission to IEGO's bi-county collaborative.
• Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC): Regional cross-sector economic development nonprofit serving the LA basin with workforce research, business attraction, and policy advocacy — directly comparable operating model to IEGO at a larger SoCal scale.
• San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation: Regional EDO providing business attraction, retention, and workforce intelligence across San Diego County — analogous operating model to IEGO at a different California region.

Broad incumbents

• America's Job Centers of California / Regional Workforce Development Boards: California's publicly-funded workforce development system that overlaps with IEGO's labor market information and apprenticeship work — a key stakeholder and partial substitute for IEGO's employer-facing services.
• Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program: National research organization whose industry cluster framework underpins IEGO's strategy; operates as a policy advisor rather than direct EDO peer but shapes the methodology IEGO executes.
• Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz): California's state-level economic development agency that IEGO's Executive Director previously worked at; sets state-wide policy and administers incentives overlapping with IEGO's mandate.

Emerging players

• CompTIA (Cyberstates / workforce analytics): Industry trade association producing technology workforce and labor market data — comparable to IEGO's Center of Excellence function but national in scope and centered on the IT/cybersecurity vertical IEGO targets.
• Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF): Regional community foundation serving as IEGO's fiscal agent for California Jobs First initiatives — adjacent nonprofit with overlapping regional development footprint and donor network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iegocollab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Inland Economic Growth & Opportunity (iego)