August 27, 2008: Updates in Open Source Economic Development

Midtown Brews with Meet The Bloggers

Following up...

Take a moment to explore and participate in a new collaborative online space, Economic Gardening Economies, just formed over last weekend during a curriculum retreat at the beautiful 2,600 acre Edward Lowe Foundation Property, Big Rock Valley, in Michigan.

Economic Gardening is a process begun almost 20 years ago by Chris Gibbons in the City of Littleton, Colorado to identify and connect knowledge, local assets and companies to strengthen prosperity. Read CI for Small Business: The City of Littleton's Economic Gardening Program.

Here is more information taken from the side bar of the Economic Gardening Economies Web space:

This web site provides background on where the strategy of Economic Gardening is taking hold. 

You can become a member of this site here. Members of the site can freely contribute content and help us build an even more vibrant economic gardening network. 

Two white papers on Open Source Economic Development definitely worth downloading to your desktop and reading, studying.

Lawrence Lessig, Founder, Creative Commons Founder, Stanford Center for Internet and Society Professor,  at the Stanford Law School talks with Timothy O'Brien, from O'Reilly News, at this year's Personal Democracy Forum in New York City.

Here's an excellent discussion on the economic gardening google group regarding Scott Shane's comment in the BusinessWeek article, The Entrepreneurship Myth, in conjunction to his 2007 publication, The Illusions of Entrepreneurship.

(Note: Scott acted as academic advisor and was co-director with Ed Morrison while our team - now know as The Institute for Open Economic Networks (I-Open) - was at the Center for Regional Economic Issues (REI) at Case from 2003-2005.)

Chris Gibbons, Economic Gardening, leads off the conversation with this comment:

"This jumps to the "400 level" course in entrepreneurship...a lot of subtleties in the business as this level.

I would agree that just entrepreneurship across the board has little payout and you might well be better off getting a job at a corporation. The slight flaw in that argument though, is that a growth company also had to start up somewhere...they don't just appear full grown.

I am passing along this note from Susan Altshuler about the upcoming I-Open Leadership Retreat:

Hi Everyone:

I wanted to make sure you knew about the next I-Open training session coming up...

July 15, 2008: Updates in Open Source Economic Development

Today's Midtown Brews & Meet The Bloggers Land Bank open conversation will be featured on Mogulus channel grid. Thanks Mogulus! http://www.mogulus.com

CORRECTION:
Nathanael Hoelzel, Brownfield Programs Manager, Department of Economic Development, City of Cleveland will not be an official speaker for this week's Midtown Brews program. Nate will be attending and participating in Thursday's Midtown Brews Open Conversation.

Here are two interesting articles outlining next generation enterprise opportunities focused on the Millennial market, the trend toward higher levels of mobility, and advertising and communication. Don't think in actual terms of "next generation" because the market is already here!

Single agendas have no place in large scale collaborations that engage multi-state agreements and alignment of resources. The cost is high: time investment (just think of calculating one Governor and that Office's staff time, then multiply by eight states), tried patience, and a splintering of camps generating what Jack Ricchiuto calls, "shadow conversations" deteriorating future interest in the next collaboration opportunity. Worse yet, people act as if we have time. What do citizens have to say about this? Is this efficient and productive? What's your take on this?

Essential Footing: Our County-Wide Land Bank With Meet The Bloggers

Conversation topics:

• The County-Wide Land Bank
• Housing Foreclosures
• Vacant Properties

Guests:

Here's a note I just received from Bob Sopko, Strategic Technology Alliance, Case:

Here's a press release on Ed Morrison's recent presentation in Illinois:

..." Sunday, May 18, 2008 10:59 PM CDT
Regional networking key to future economy, ECIDC speaker says

By BILL LAIR, Managing Editor
blair [at] jg-tc [dot] com

The challenge for civic leaders today is figuring out how to forecast the future workplace needs of the country.

Ed Morrison, an economic policy adviser for the Purdue center for Regional Development, said people spend too much energy placing blame on economic problems instead of planning for improvements.

Morrison was the featured speaker at the nine-county East Central Illinois Development Corporation’s Annual Dinner and BESI Awards on Thursday in Effingham.

The BESI awards went to Jim Ryan of Marshall, John Inyart of Charleston and to the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier for their achievements in business ethics and social involvement.

= 1209618000) && (nAdsysTime <= 1212296399)) { aAd = new Array('news+bigads', '46571-1194541040', 'swf'); aAd[3] = '336'; aAd[4] = '280'; aAd[5] = new Array(); aAd[5][0] = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.firstmid.com'; aAd[6] = 'news%2Bbigads'; aAd[7] = 10; aAd[8] = 0; aAd[9] = 545; aAd[10] = 0; aAd[11] = 0; aAds[aAds.length] = aAd; } if ((nAdsysTime >= 1209618000) && (nAdsysTime <= 1212296399)) { aAd = new Array('news+bigads', '74513-1209649693', 'swf'); aAd[3] = '336'; aAd[4] = '280'; aAd[5] = new Array(); aAd[5][0] = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.richeys.com'; aAd[6] = 'news%2Bbigads'; aAd[7] = 10; aAd[8] = 0; aAd[9] = 545; aAd[10] = 0; aAd[11] = 0; aAds[aAds.length] = aAd; } if ((nAdsysTime >= 1199426400) && (nAdsysTime <= 1515131999)) { aAd = new Array('news+bigads', '109908-1205339109', 'js'); aAd[7] = 10; aAd[8] = 0; aAd[9] = 545; aAd[10] = 0; aAd[11] = 0; aAds[aAds.length] = aAd; } if ((nAdsysTime >= 1209618000) && (nAdsysTime <= 1212296399)) { aAd = new Array('news+bigads', '121553-1206998996', 'swf'); aAd[3] = '300'; aAd[4] = '250'; aAd[5] = new Array(); aAd[5][0] = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.illinoisexpresseyecare.com'; aAd[6] = 'news%2Bbigads'; aAd[7] = 10; aAd[8] = 0; aAd[9] = 545; aAd[10] = 0; aAd[11] = 0; aAds[aAds.length] = aAd; } if ((nAdsysTime >= 1209704400) && (nAdsysTime <= 1214888399)) { aAd = new Array('news+bigads', '121781-1210369432', 'swf'); aAd[3] = '300'; aAd[4] = '250'; aAd[5] = new Array(); aAd[5][0] = ''; aAd[6] = 'news%2Bbigads'; aAd[7] = 10; aAd[8] = 0; aAd[9] = 545; aAd[10] = 0; aAd[11] = 0; aAds[aAds.length] = aAd; } if ((nAdsysTime >= 1209531600) && (nAdsysTime <= 1212296399)) { aAd = new Array('news+bigads', '122887-1207687672', 'swf'); aAd[3] = '300'; aAd[4] = '250'; aAd[5] = new Array(); aAd[5][0] = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kcsummersnissan.com'; aAd[6] = 'news%2Bbigads'; aAd[7] = 10; aAd[8] = 0; aAd[9] = 545; aAd[10] = 0; aAd[11] = 0; aAds[aAds.length] = aAd; } if ((nAdsysTime >= 1207890000) && (nAdsysTime <= 1212296399)) { aAd = new Array('news+bigads', '123586-1209489510', 'swf'); aAd[3] = '300'; aAd[4] = '250'; aAd[5] = new Array(); aAd[5][0] = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.barbeck.com%2F'; aAd[6] = 'news%2Bbigads'; aAd[7] = 10; aAd[8] = 0; aAd[9] = 545; aAd[10] = 0; aAd[11] = 0; aAds[aAds.length] = aAd; } adsys_displayAd('http://adsys.townnews.com', 'jg-tc.com', aAds, aCampaigns); // -->

First, a bit of explanation:
Over the last several months I have posted here about Smaller Indiana, an online and f2f community based in Indy and lead by Pay Coyle, and others. The intent of Smaller Indiana is to make "creative people and innovative ideas easier to find. This is the place for you to share your ideas and engage with Indiana's most creative and inspired souls...working together to build community,culture and commerce."

Pat Coyle, leader in our colleague community Smaller Indiana, just sent along this notice about how they are accelerating creativity in the online and face-to-face community. It serves as a good and replicable model - a "how to"  embed creative positive activity. To learn more, build your connections, and contribute, join by visiting smallerindiana.com

If you or you know of someone who might be suitable for the job contact Lev Gonick at LevDOTgonickATcaseDOTedu

Can you recommend someone for this job?

<lev [dot] gonick [at] case [dot] edu><betseymerkel [at] gmail [dot] com>I have served on the Lawrence School Board in NEOhio for 6 years (http://www.lawrenceschool.org).

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania published today research directly linking the success of  broadband to socio- and economic revitalization, and the need for innovative public policy. The  design of flexible, resilient public policy will happen with high levels of civic engagement guiding local municipal government. A combo of collaborative leadership and community strengths.

Intel and Grameen announced a new partnership today, using new tools to lift poverty and build enterprise.

Two of our Midtown Wednesdays Civic Forums at Myers University in the summer of 2006 were lead by two leaders from Africa, Masalakulangwa Mabula and Kudzai Shava. We learned about shared challenges and solutions..the same in Tanzania as in Cleveland urban commuities, we are just separated by an ocean.

What is our opportunity to replicate this model here in Northeast Ohio and elevate a 20 year history of deep poverty? Here's the announcement:

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Addressing the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2008, Intel Corporation Chairman Craig Barrett announced that Intel Capital and Grameen Trust will form a business venture dedicated to social and economic development. Also during his opening-day keynote, Barrett announced collaboration with NetHope and demonstrated a new Aid Station device designed to support non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in their health care, disaster relief and economic growth efforts.

From Marnie Urso, Audubon Ohio and guest for the April Midtown Brews forum on the Great Lakes Basin Water Compact:

Wanted to share this news with our NEO colleague network straight from the I-Open home base ...

Stock Market & Financial News - BusinessWeek: The Institute for Open Economic Networks (I-Open) and Near-Time Announce New Approach to Building Innovative Workforce Development Partnerships

I-Open Leadership Retreat Shares New Practices and Tools for Community and Regional Economic Transformation

By Susan Schaul

Special Presentation: Open Source Economic Development
    Ed Morrison and the Institute for Open Economic Networks (I-Open)

Ed Morrison has a different way of looking at economic development, by using open source thinking and networks to encourage innovation. This approach sounds easy, but it is not.

“We need to shift the conversation,” says Ed Morrison, Director of the Institute for Open Economic Networks (I-Open). Morrison, speaking at the I-Open Leadership Retreat, Punderson State Park in Newbury, Ohio, April 23, 24 and 25 paints a picture of economic expansion by first describing the history behind 20th century business development.

“Our grandfather’s economy, the first curve economy, generated enormous wealth using top-down models created in vertical business silos. But the forces of globalization, started back in the 1960s and accelerated by the Internet in the 1990s, have collapsed costs and integrated markets. In Japan,” he explains, “the automakers organized production differently focusing on flatter organization, networks of suppliers, more flexible production, simpler product design, and faster build cycles. This is an example of networked production. And it proved to be an effective model”

The shift in the economy, declared by economists as moving from manufacturing to services, was too simplistic. Traditional business models based on command and control hierarchies are now being replaced by business models based on more open, porous networks and collaborations. The second curve economy, a new form of capitalism, has emerged based on networks. Morrison uses cell phones as an example. “What value is there if only one person has a cell phone?” he asks. “As the number of people with cell phones increases, the nodes of the network also increase raising the value of the communications network exponentially in a knowledge economy.”

Punderson State Park in Newbury, Ohio, was a beautiful venue for 18 workshop participants from Indiana, southern Ohio, the Mt. Pleasant Community, Akron, and the greater Cleveland area, to share ideas, brainstorm, and learn new concepts to grow their own programs. “We need to build new habits of thinking together,” Morrison advises. “This is not about who needs to be at the table, but who is at the table and what can we do?” He is a firm believer in the value of civic forums, creating the civic space where people can convene and talk together, developing trust and forming collaborations. Linking and leveraging together - these are the tools for the open source economic development process. With people linked together in clustered networks, they are in a collaborative position where they can conduct strategic doing, a disciplined approach to taking action toward economic revitalization. Even though the workshop participants came from non-profits, universities, and businesses, they were all eager to learn about these economic development tools realizing this approach made sense and could be applied to any situation.

Many people talk about economic development, but few people have actually worked in the field, plumbed the depths and shaped new strategies. Borrowing from the open source software developers, Morrison has created a new economic development paradigm called Open Source Economic Development harnessing the strength of open participation and network clusters. Morrison has spent close to 20 years in economic development, starting his career in Washington as a legislative assistant, taking on an analyst position with the American car manufacturers, then working in economically depressed areas in Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Kentucky. After a three-year stint at the Case Western Reserve University Center for Regional Economic Initiatives (REI), he started his own business, I-Open, along with three former colleagues. Presently, he serves as the economic policy advisor to the Purdue Center for Regional Development at Purdue University and coordinates the federally funded WIRED (Workforce Innovation for Regional Economic Development) grant for North Central Indiana.

Thanks Everyone for your comments and support...on last week's I-Open Retreat..

Here is an initial followup. More information will be posted soon by retreat participant and writer, Susan Schaul...

The Leadership Retreat was a productive experience for everyone who participated last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the beautiful surroundings of Punderson State Park in Newburry, Ohio. We enjoyed brilliant weather in addition to meeting and spending time with great people and learning about assets, passions, and next steps toward regional transformation.

Ed Morrison guiding participants on the new practices and tools for Open Source Economic Development.

Gathering for dinner and conversation and learning.

Jeff Miller, Exec. Dir., Innovative Leadership Solutions joined us from Indiana, specializes in curriculum development.

Tom Stone, Exec. Dir., Mt. Pleasant NOW and Debra Lewis-Curlee, Mt. Pleasant Community Zone.

Here's an outline of the material we worked on together guided by workshop leader, Ed Morrison (below) and You can view the Live Show broadcast (just click "On Demand" at the lower bar and the selections will display) on the iopeneducation channel.

Agenda:

Wednesday