I recently had the opportunity to attend the EDCO (Economic Development Council of Ontario) Conference on behalf of NorthGuide. Between the coffee chats and the breakout sessions, I’ve been sitting with a lot of thoughts on where EcDev is headed and, more importantly, the people who are driving it.

Given the very real, very complex challenges we’re all staring down right now, economic development can feel daunting, and at times overwhelming. Throughout the conference, I saw and felt tremendous energy and hope on the part of practitioners from small towns and major hubs alike. To truly innovate, many of my EcDev colleagues are taking a more holistic approach than ever before, understanding that our communities are complex, interconnected systems where every part affects the whole. I love the term multisolving to describe this approach.

Multisolving is a framework for addressing multiple problems at the same time with one investment, often across sectors. The term was first coined by Dr. Elizabeth Sawin, the Co-Director of Climate Interactive. After engaging in United Nations climate talks, Dr. Sawin advocated for “multisolving” by pointing to research that showed burning less coal would save lives, create jobs, and promote biodiversity. Suddenly this was no longer a conversation about climate investment in a vacuum, but about multiple important problems that could be considered and addressed together.

Here’s an example at a grassroots community level:  A local arts production company, the local symphony orchestra and a local restaurant/beer bar come together as unlikely partners to create an arts experience. Together, they designed a series of shows that bring professional symphony musicians to a beer bar to deliver special intimate performances in a format not traditional of the symphonic/orchestral community. These are casual nights out, where people can wear whatever they want, grab a beer and a burger, and enjoy classical music on a weekday at the bar.

But it’s so much more. Beyond the burgers and the Beethoven, so many problems were solved here:

• The symphony needed to address declining attendance and revenue. The new format draws on a new demographic and makes symphony music accessible. (And hopefully turns some attendees into season ticket holders or regular patrons of the symphony.)
• The production company has limited access to traditional music venues, a barrier for them and for the local music scene. It can now showcase its value to the community in a high-calibre way and build important relationships to spur its growth. Partnering with local businesses to utilize existing assets is a win-win-win!
• The beer bar faces declining business. This unique programming helps the restaurant attract patrons on a week night and potentially bring in folks who are outside of their usual clientele.
• And beyond each organization's individual benefit, the community benefits more broadly. Bringing more people out of their homes for a cultural event decreases social isolation, for example.

By thinking more broadly and creatively about what each player brought to the table and what problems they could solve, they created an arts and culture experience none of them could have achieved had they viewed themselves and each other in a limited or linear way.

This is systems thinking in action: recognizing that a win for the arts is a win for local business, which is a win for talent attraction and the economy, and so on. A systems view calls on organizations to think of themselves as one player in a larger community rather than as an independent entity in a silo.

This is a micro example, but the same magic can occur at a macro level, and with the strategic efforts of EcDev professionals. Entire countries are rallying to multisolve. Take Barbados, where economic growth has been slow in recent decades. The country boasts a highly educated population, resilient labour markets, and a high quality of life, which highlights its potential for fostering innovation.  Seeing these opportunities and in response to the economic challenges, the Government of Barbados has taken steps to create an innovation-friendly environment by launching initiatives like FutureBARBADOS, GovTech, and tax incentives for research and development and digital transformation.

Barbados is signaling openness to innovation, fostering partnerships locally and globally, and creating a culture of entrepreneurship that will help the country consolidate its innovation ecosystem. This is multisolving at a macro level, and this is the kind of work economic developers are undertaking around the globe.

In this work we do, the little things are actually the big things. And they don’t have to happen by accident.  If we use systems thinking as an intentional strategy, we can then ask:

• What's the problem we're trying to solve? Is anyone else trying to solve this?
• What assets already exist that aren't being used to their full potential?
• What constraint might actually be an opportunity in disguise?
• Could our proposed solution also solve problems for others?

Ultimately, it’s about taking a holistic approach. We’re moving from asking "What can my department (or organization) do?" to ask "What does the system need, and who has the missing piece?"

Being part of this work through NorthGuide and its partners is exciting. When organizations acknowledge the value in breaking down silos and taking a more holistic approach to problem solving, solutions suddenly become more innovative and inspiring. We're leaning into this approach because it helps our clients do more with less—strengthening relationships and rethinking how the work gets done. But multisolving doesn't happen by accident. It requires intentionality: not just solving the problem in front of you, but involving the right people and pooling resources, knowledge, and networks to solve multiple problems along the way.

What does multisolving look like in your jurisdiction? I’d love to hear about the creative (and perhaps unlikely) partnerships you’re seeing or building. Reach out to me at shelby@northguide.ca.