Sandstorm is one of the nation's fastest-growing companies in under-resourced communities

CHICAGO - Jan. 23, 2025 - PRLog -- Sandstorm® announced today that it had been named a winner by the 2024 Inner City 100 (IC100) awarded by Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (https://icic.org) (ICIC).

Since 1999, ICIC has identified and celebrated the 100 fastest-growing businesses in under-resourced communities in the U.S. through the IC100 award. The 2024 IC100 winners were evaluated based on revenue growth during the four years from 2019 to 2023. Sandstorm, led by Sandy Marsico, was ranked #76. This recognition marks Sandstorm's fifth appearance on the prestigious Inner City 100 list.

This year's IC100 list was unveiled during an awards ceremony ICIC's 2024 Virtual 30th Anniversary Celebration on December 10th. See list of 2024 IC100 award winners (https://icic.org/programs/inner-city-100/meet-the-award-winners/).

Steve Grossman, CEO of ICIC, stated: "The 2024 IC100 award winners are proof that investing in under-resourced communities generates exceptional results. The honorees are more than leaders; they are changemakers who uplift their neighborhoods while driving sustainable growth."

From 2019 to 2023, the Inner City 100 companies averaged 347% revenue growth and created 2,089 total jobs. Of these 100 winners, 60% are BIPOC-owned/led, and 54% are woman-owned/led, the latter of which is a record-high number in the program's history.

IC100 Methodology: Recognizing that concentrated poverty exists within metropolitan areas outside of big cities (and that poverty overall is suburbanizing), ICIC has revised its definition of an inner city (or under-resourced area) to encompass large areas of concentrated poverty in suburbs and smaller central cities as well as the large cities on which it has historically focused. The new "inner city" definition that ICIC has developed includes large low-income, high-poverty areas located in the urban and suburban parts of all but the smallest metropolitan areas. Every year, ICIC identifies, ranks, and awards the 100 fastest-growing businesses located in America's under-resourced communities. In 2024, companies were selected and ranked by revenue growth over the four-year period between 2019 and 2023.

About Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC):
Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) is the widely-recognized authority on accelerating small business growth in under-resourced communities. ICIC drives inclusive economic prosperity in underserved communities through innovative research and programs to create jobs, income, and wealth for local residents. Learn more at www.icic.org.

About Sandstorm
Sandstorm® is an accessibility-certified, award-winning digital agency that leverages UX principles and AI to uncover actionable insights and reduce bias. From brand strategy and user research to inclusive design and web development, a deep understanding of human behavior is at the core of everything we do. Learn more at https://www.sandstormdesign.com/