Creative Class

At the heart of effective economic development is regional cooperation. In 2004, the Department of Labor launched WIRED Initiatives across the U.S. to improve regional efforts for talent development and effective economic development strategies. For over a year, leaders from the Wired65 region, an area spanning 26 counties and two states, have been been working to improve the area’s economic competitiveness and quality of life.

For this feature in our Creative Capstones series, we interviewed Debbie Wesslund, program manager for the Wired65 region, about the area’s efforts to launch Kix.com – The Kentucky Indiana Exchange, an interactive community platform to facilitate networks for employment opportunities and discussions about regional challenges.

Creative Class Group (CCG): Tell us about Wired65. What communities make up the region?

Debbie Wesslund: Wired65 is an initiative that brings together civic leaders in a 26-county, bi-state area around the need to support its human capital – or “talent.” This region is anchored by the Louisville, KY MSA and the Elizabethtown, KY MSA. The Ohio River divides the states of Indiana and Kentucky, but the economy reaches across county and state lines, forming a region with a strong sense of place and sharing talent. (more…)

Silicon Valley has always been a safe haven for risk-takers, entrepreneurs, and big thinkers. But, it is also home to one of the most innovative public-private partnerships in the country: Joint Venture Silicon Valley.

As the fourth feature in our series, Creative Capstones, we interviewed Russell Hancock, president of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, to learn more about Silicon Valley, Joint Venture, and the organization’s current initiatives to “build the next (and greener) Silicon Valley.”

Creative Class Group (CCG): Tell us about Silicon Valley. What makes it a special place to live?

Russell Hancock: We’re  a sun-kissed land with countless amenities, but I love Silicon Valley because it is an amazing collection of people. They’re talented, they’re creative, they’re from all over the world, and they are doing innovative things. The culture here is all about risk-taking and there’s a high tolerance for failure, and this has made it possible for innovation to blossom here more than most any other place you might name. You can feel it when you’re here – the buzz and the energy – and it brings out the best in people. In Silicon Valley everything seems possible – inventing a better mousetrap, inventing a new energy future, making a niftier gadget, planning communities that have fabulous urban designs… there’s a sense that if you can’t do it here, you can’t do it anywhere. (more…)

We are seeing a strong emphasis, greater than ever before, on the importance of quality of place. A community’s arts and culture offerings are a critical part of its identity and authenticity. For many communities, their local college or university serves as a central hub for cultural creativity.

As the third feature in our series, Creative Capstones, we interviewed Jo Moore, administrator of Presidential Lecture & Performance Series at Texas Tech University, to discuss Lubbock, Texas, and how the university is helping to grow and develop an authentic, unique arts scene on the Western Texas Plains.

Creative Class Group (CCG): Tell us about Lubbock. What makes it a special community?

Jo Moore: In a word, the people are what make Lubbock, Texas, a special place in which to live. I moved to the Lubbock area from Dallas, Texas, 17 years ago. From the reactions of my friends and colleagues, one would have thought I was moving to the desolate, uncultured, wild West. While the glitz of the Dallas cityscape, landscaped beauty of its manicured parks, and culinary significance is not as apparent in Lubbock, a natural raw beauty borne in the energy of the wind and splendor of the sunsets eclipse the manufactured glamour of the metroplex. There is an energy, an elemental quality to this region with its wide open spaces and endless blue sky that is unspoiled by high density living. The beauty of West Texas has to be seen to be believed.

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To keep up with the changing creative economy and its new demands, communities, organizations, and educational institutions have to develop and embrace new strategies to better train, educate, and prepare workers.

As the second feature in our series, Creative Capstones, we interviewed Michael G. Novak, CEO of  the School of Design in Monterrey, Mexico (CEDIM) to discuss how the school is developing new models to train future designers and innovators. CEDIM recently launched its Master of Business Innovation.

Creative Class Group (CCG): Describe CEDIM and its history.

Michael Novak: From its beginning in 1978, when CEDIM started as a School of Design in Monterrey, México, it was clear for their visionaries’ founders that design and innovation would play a relevant role in our future society. Today, CEDIM is recognized for its innovative educational model which integrates design and innovation as the competitive strategy for the business in the new global economy.

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We are starting a new series at the Creative Class Exchange entitled “Creative Capstones.” Every few weeks, we will highlight a creative community, inspiring leader, or innovative program that has an interesting perspective on creativity and the changing global economy.

This week, we interviewed Jeremy Holmes from Roanoke, Virginia. Jeremy is a transportation alternatives coordinator with the Roanoke Valley Alleghany Regional Commission and a volunteer “community connector” with the Roanoke Creative Communities Leadership Project (CCLP). Jeremy provided us with his insights on Roanoke, the region’s CCLP successes, and what it takes to build a successful community engagement effort.

Creative Class Group (CCG):  Tell us about Roanoke. What makes it a special community?

Jeremy Holmes: In a purely technical sense, Roanoke is a small urban area of about 200,000 people tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia, a place with four seasons (a novelty for a California native like myself), easy access to everything from the Appalachian Trail to Washington, D.C., a fairly stable job market and housing prices, and major educational and technological resources in our own backyard.

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