Francie Genz
Founder & CEO
Francie Genz co-founded the Institute for Networked Communities (INC) after ten years of consulting with regions and states on strategies for building industry-driven sector partnerships and strengthening education and training systems. She has developed curriculum, delivered training and coached regional teams on the disciplined process of building high-impact sector partnerships, directly assisting in the development of dozens of sector partnerships in a range of industries. In that capacity, she has helped teams do the hard work of mobilizing private sector leaders and aligning and coordinating public sector partners, breaking down complex challenges into practical, achievable steps to meaningfully impact jobs, workers and students. At the state level, she has advised system leaders across the country including in Colorado, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, and Hawaii on strategies for aligning economic and workforce development systems around industry needs. She is known as a master facilitator and specializes in helping public-private teams collaborate to solve complex problems.
Prior to independent consulting, Francie worked for Upwardly Global, a national nonprofit organization that helps immigrant professionals rebuild their careers in the US by partnering with businesses to help them understand and tap into this hidden talent pool. 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.