Francie Genz is Principal at Genz Consulting and Founder and CEO of the Institute for Networked Communities (INC). She is a nationally recognized expert in industry engagement, specialized in strategies that integrate economic development, education and workforce development approaches to grow economies and expand economic opportunity. Francie co-founded and leads the Institute for Networked Communities (INC), the national organization that developed and scaled the Next Generation Sector Partnership model as a proven approach for mobilizing business leaders and aligning community assets around the needs of driving industry sectors.
Over the last decade, Francie has advised state and regional practitioners in over a dozen states on strategies for building and sustaining authentically industry-driven partnerships. She has designed and facilitated trainings and coached regional teams, directly assisting in the development of Next Gen Sector Partnerships in manufacturing, health care, advanced business services, construction, food and agriculture, IT, biosciences and other industries.
Prior to launching Genz Consulting, Francie worked with Collaborative Economics, an economic analysis and strategy firm, where she specialized in sector strategies and facilitation and design of collaborative processes, leading projects with state workforce development boards, regional Chambers of Commerce, economic development organizations, community college systems, and civic organizations. She also worked with Upwardly Global, a national nonprofit organization that helps immigrant professionals rebuild their careers in the US. Francie holds a Bachelor’s degree from McGill University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband and two sons.
