
Key Takeaways from UMA’s 2022 National Gathering: Houston
Manufacturing Resilience: Ecosystem Strategies for Building Community
In 2022, the Urban Manufacturing Alliance convened 170 practitioners from across the United States at the West Houston Institute in Houston, Texas. As the first in-person Gathering since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the event brought together a national community committed to advancing manufacturing as a pathway to racial equity and community wealth building.
Now in its tenth year, the UMA Gathering focused on the theme “Manufacturing Resilience: Ecosystem Strategies for Building Community.” Participants engaged in discussions and strategy-sharing sessions centered on justice, economic mobility, and the role of manufacturing in building sustainable and interconnected local economies.
The event took place during a period of growing national attention and federal investment in the manufacturing sector, underscoring the importance of ensuring that these resources equitably reach under-resourced communities.