Neil McInroy is a Senior Fellow for the Global Advancement of Community Wealth Building at The Democracy Collaborative – A USA based Research and Development lab.

Neil is an economics of place specialist, policy thinker, practitioner and organisational leader, and over the last 25 years has worked extensively across UK, USA and internationally (including Australia and New Zealand), and has been commissioned and collaborated with a range of international, national, local governments and agencies.

At present Neil is driven by the perfect storm of economic, social, environmental and democratic challenges. In this, he is focussed on thinking through and applying new economic policy and practice for people, place and planet. Community Wealth Building is a key part of that, and Neil was instrumental in developing the ‘Preston model’ in the UK and was the originator of current CWB model and five pillar practice, which is currently being deployed in a number of locations across the world. This includes Neil’s direct work with the Scottish Government (where he is a CWB adviser) and his work in locations across the USA, including Chicago.

From 2000 until 2021 Neil was the Chief Executive of the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES)- the UK national organisation for local economies.

Patrick Fensham is a Principal and Partner at SGS. Patrick Fensham is a Principal and Partner at SGS Economics and Planning. He has practical experience in metropolitan strategic planning, economic analysis, industrial areas, retail studies and urban and regional economic development.

Over 25 years Patrick has led numerous economic development strategies in different contexts and scales including:

• Greater Western Sydney Economic Development Strategy for NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet
• Newcastle Job Creation Strategy for UrbanGrowth NSW
• Wollongabba- West End Economic Development Strategy for Brisbane City Council
• Golden Plains Shire Economic Development Strategy (rural Victoria).

He has been a regular guest lecturer at La Trobe University in Bendigo focussing on techniques for regional economic development and has been a key member of the SGS team presenting the Economic Development Australia national education and training program since 2020.

Patrick spent October 2019 with Neil McInroy and the CLES team in Manchester in the UK. This study visit was focused on the practice of Community Wealth Building and included meetings with Councillors and officers at Gateshead, Lewisham, Preston and Manchester Councils. On his return to Australia Patrick authored the SGS Occasional Paper: The right time for community wealth building reform in Australia

^{This masterclass is being held jointly by SGS Economics and Planning, Democracy Collaborative and Economic Development Australia.}

^{SGS Economics and Planning is an urban and public policy consultancy and certified B Corp, we work so that all Australians can benefit from equitable and sustainable cities and regions. Our evidence-based insights help understand how places and economies function, assess what projects and programs work, and plan future places and precincts.}