In Communities: Bringing TSI to Muncie

Could Muncie Become a “Model for America”?

A century ago, Muncie was called the “Mirror of America” in the Middletown studies, a reflection of the country’s social and economic life.

Today, it has potential to be something more: A Model for America where cities build better futures by thinking across sectors.

That idea came into focus a few weeks ago at Ball State University, where we spent a day exploring how Tri-Sector Innovation (TSI) can help communities repurpose existing resources and accelerate progress.

Across three very different rooms—with students, city leaders, and local organizers—we saw the power of tri-sector thinking open channels to bring together distinct plans and perspectives to shape a thriving Muncie.

A Full Day of Engagement

Thank you to Cathy LZ DuBois and David DuBois for the warm welcome, and to the Miller College of Business and the College of Architecture and Planning for co-sponsoring the Bracken Lecture Series. From a keynote lecture to a community workshop on food insecurity, Muncie brought energy and curiosity to every conversation.

Here are three takeaways that stuck with us:

1. Tri-Sector thinking is a practical way to accelerate progress.
Imagine if every company, nonprofit, and government agency in your region worked from the same playbook—one that helped them align self-interests, repurpose existing resources, and scale smarter. That’s the tri-sector approach. And it’s already reshaping how communities get things done.

2. Universities can play a critical role.
Ball State is well-positioned to lead. Embedding Tri-Sector Innovation into business and planning programs could give students a practical edge—and become a lever for regional development.

3. Community momentum on food insecurity is real and growing.
We ended the day at Ross Community Center, where local leaders are taking action on food insecurity. We reviewed and discussed our Data That Serves white paper which outlines a community public utility model. The conversation was grounded and action-oriented, exploring next steps. It's exciting to see Muncie joining other cities in exploring pilots and building momentum for this approach.

Muncie’s past as a “mirror” is well-known. But its future? That’s still being written.

What we saw during this visit suggests a new possibility: that Muncie—and communities like it—can become models of what’s possible when sectors come together with shared goals and new tools.

At NewImpact, we believe Tri-Sector Innovation offers a roadmap. And at scale, it can unlock what we call Tri-Sector Resource Finance, paving the way toward a stronger, more resilient Tri-Sector Economy.

We’re here to help.

🎥 Watch Jens Molbak’s keynote below and see how the conversation began.