Brewed Fresh Daily

Betsey Merkel, who's in change of Network Development at REI@Weatherhead (is that a great title to have?) sent me a link to the follow up for their 11/20 annual event. I'm having a hard time choosing what to excerpt but here's a few things. Click on the title for the whole event.

[Ed Morrison, the executive director or the Center for Regional Economic Issues] unveiled a new method of thinking about economic development investments in five key areas. Three main sections of this model are investments in Brainpower, Quality Places, and Innovation. At the center of this is Dialogue and Inclusion, because sharing information is crucial in a network economy. Encapsulating all of this is the Branding of these ideas and of the region to attract, as Mohsen Anvari put it, "really talented people" and businesses to feed this system and keep it growing and continuing forward for regional economic growth. The next point that Ed addressed, and the core message behind Thursday's meeting, is Making Change. The fundamental idea of Making Change is to get the information that REI collects and generates out into the streets for everyone to know and use. Our purpose is simple, Ed stated, �we are going to leave the future generations a sustainable, innovative economy that provides opportunities for anyone prepared to grasp them�. This idea, continued Ed, is not from REI, but from the community. For the past three months, we have been conducting workshops and talking to people to see what it is that they want and need. In completing this endeavor, REI has declared rule number 1, �we will behave toward each other in ways to build trust and mutual respect�. Other rules may follow, but this is paramount in ensuring that our networks flourish in a network economy. Trust is a competitive advantage.