Mary Cacioppi
National Consulting

Mary Cacioppi is the Founder and CEO of Bridges to Prosperity Northern Illinois, a nonprofit consulting organization that partners with communities, organizations, and local governments to develop data-driven strategies that increase economic mobility and reduce poverty. With more than 24 years of experience in community development, economic development, and poverty reduction, Mary’s work focuses on helping communities move beyond short-term solutions toward long-term, systemic change. Mary is also a consultant with aha! Process.

Her national consulting work integrates individual resource-building models with community-level planning tools such as the Distressed Communities Index and the Upward Mobility Framework to help communities create actionable Poverty Reduction Strategies. Mary works with communities across the country to implement proven poverty-reduction frameworks, cohort-based programs, and cross-sector strategies that improve outcomes for individuals while strengthening local systems.

She is the author of Economic Development That Benefits Everyone: Poverty Reduction IS a Key Strategy, which explores the connection between economic development, workforce stability, and community prosperity.

Mary serves nationally on the board of Emerge Solutions and is a member of the National League of Cities Economic Mobility Peer Network, collaborating with leaders from across the country on strategies to improve upward mobility and reduce economic disparity. Locally, she serves as the Vice President of the Boone/Winnebago County Community Action Agency Board and on the Data Advisory Team of Region 1 Planning Council.

Her professional background includes leadership roles in chambers of commerce, municipal economic development, and commercial development, giving her a broad perspective on how workforce, housing, education, and economic policy intersect with poverty and community growth. This experience allows her to work effectively with business leaders, nonprofit organizations, and public sector partners to design strategies that strengthen both local economies and the people who live in them.

Click on the cover image to the left to learn more about the book, Economic Development That Benefits Everyone: Poverty Reduction IS a Key Strategy.

Additionally, Mary has created a Workshop based on the book to help communities through the process of creating upward mobility out of poverty. Learn more about the Workshop here.

Past Speaking Engagements

IL/IN National Assoc of Housing & Redevelopment Professionals 2025 Annual Conference Keynote & Breakout Session, 2025
International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Washington DC Leadership Summit 2025 Breakout Session
Unlocked Potential Youth Workers Training Summit Breakout Session, 2025
Leading Ladies in Economic Development Podcast with Kaycee Bunch, 2025
Economic Development Show with Dane Carlson, 2025
Economic Development that Benefits Everyone workshop for Caroline Human Services Federalsburg, MD, 2025
Economic Development that Benefits Everyone workshop for Bridges ICT, Wichita, KS, 2024
Economic Development that Benefits Everyone workshop for Mexico, MO Chamber of Commerce 2024
Emerge Solutions Together We Thrive Conference, Economic Development that Benefits Everyone Breakout Session, 2024
Upward Mobility Workshop, Helping Florence Flourish, Florence, SC, 2024