Getting Better

“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”
-Albert Einstein

The economic development world will assemble in a few weeks to discuss the state of the profession and its future at the International Economic Development Council’s annual meeting.

The agenda is insightful. It includes a variety of topics, such as addressing disparities, remote workers, sustainable development, sports complex development, housing as an economic driver, rural place-making, labor data and analytics, the impact of the cannabis industry, the employee ownership trend, celebrating encore (senior) entrepreneurs, the future of manufacturing, working with exiting military, making the trade war a local opportunity, and becoming smarter about smart cities.

It’s good news that these topics are on the table. It is also good news that there are people that can speak to these topics and are willing to share their successes and failures.

As I think about our own communities in the Columbus Region, I am excited to learn from others so that we can accelerate our work, eliminate unnecessary missteps and adapt to our local environment. It is also exciting to know that our history does not predict our future. The biases of the past do not need to continue to limit opportunities in the future, and our own successes should be shared as a contribution to others in the same struggle to build better, more inclusive economies.

-Kenny McDonald

One Columbus Update

• This week, we are hosting consultants from around Ohio to share an update on our organization. We’re also hosting companies evaluating the Columbus Region.
• Members of our One Columbus team are attending the COTA Annual Meeting & Luncheon this Thursday.
• Last week, the One Columbus team traveled to Europe, meeting with companies evaluating the Columbus Region.