A Synopsis (with every single discussion point) from Kentucky‘s and West Virginia’s Day of Economic Explorations & Discoveries On Tuesday, July 13, two West Virginian economic development groups (Create West Virginia & Vision Shared) visited Lexington for a day of New Economy explorations and discoveries.
While Lexington is not in the heart of Appalachia like West Virginia, our eastern Kentucky / Appalachian heritage certainly plays a large role in Lexington’s own economic past, present and future. Particularly when it comes to socio-political issues.
The day was intended to discover common challenges, common experiences – and perhaps even some common solutions if they exist. By digging. Together.
In the interest of public accountability and solid project management, here are all of Tuesday’s discussion points – grouped by category – brought to the forefront. Also included is the list of attendees (with backgrounds/job titles) from across our two states.
This day was very much a day for “breaking ground.” Anyone paying attention to Lexington, Kentucky and West Virginia realizes we have much work ahead. Meaning these discussion points should evolve and prioritize over time. As neighbors often facing the same challenges, communication and collaboration between our region is essential for tangible economic progress.
Identified Problems / Challenges
Financial
- Lack of private capital (or access to it)
- How to bring “big, old money” (like Coal’s) into tomorrow’s economy?
- West Virginia has the lowest rate of entrepreneurship in the United States (Lexington’s and Kentucky’s needs to be researched)
- Oil / OPEC countries are now working to spawn more entrepreneurship within their own borders, particularly focusing on wind/solar energies
Cultural / Community Challenges
- The fear of failure
- Lack of enough self-confidence within our citizens
- Connectivity
- Silos / lack of enough communication
- Territorialism
- We don’t tell the right stories (we allow negative ones to be told about us, by others)
- Kentucky’s Universities (potentially large “economic drivers”) don’t collaborate enough
Political / Governmental
- Lack of accountability
- Political policies regarding “Big Coal”
- Our governments need new leaders
- KY’s state government isn’t supportive enough of new economic growth ideas
- Government monies need to be invested locally when possible
- Lexington’s government has “Executive vs. Legislative stagnation”
Strategic Ideas / Proposed Solutions
Financial
- Kentucky and West Virginia could/should be the pioneering leaders of the 21st century’s Clean Energy Economy
- Tax incentives to encourage “old money” to invest into new ideas
- Focus more on growing businesses from 5 to 10 to 20 employees
- not focus only on those already with 2000 employees
- Funding for smaller microprojects (“sometimes $4000 is harder to get than $100,000″)
- a version of Kiva microfinancing, in Kentucky
- Entrepreneurial Investment Fund
- must be privately managed, perhaps incented with public tax breaks
Cultural / Community
- Change Kentucky’s & West VA’s narrative
- Tell our remarkable stories better (and the internet’s role in that. “You are who Google says you are.”)
- “Silicon Hollow” to connect technology innovators who’ve returned to KY from Silicon Valley
- Create “Patent Communities” to incubate inventiveness
- Mentorship
- Ingrain entrepreneurship into our youth and education systems
- Use Madison County Public Schools’ new program as a model
- Create one “body” between all the different Ky Economic Development entities, to improve collaboration and communication
- A Kentucky University-System “Roundtable” for similar collaboration
Governmental
- Recruit three Corporate Headquarters – with Kentucky ties – to Lexington
- incentivize them to grow and reinvest into Lexington’s economic future
- Create “new grassroots carts” (good, new ideas) for our traditional leaders to adopt as their own
- L3C state legislation for “low-profit, hybrid social entrepreneurship” corporations
- Elect new leaders
- Empirical economic research for Lexington (based on Imagine West Virginia)
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Also of note, deserving their own individual mentions:
The Kentucky Horse Park, originating with public investments and taking nine years to become a reality, is now home to over 30 private, corporate headquarters.
Paducah, Owensboro, Berea & Louisville have seen economic/cultural improvements because of investments into the Arts – but state budgets for the Arts are down $1M since 2006, according to Lindy Casebier in KY’s Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet.
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Next Steps
July 13th’s success or failure will be determined by what we do next. How we proceed, what we do as citizens and leaders all needing a better economic future. Conversations are already underway between Kentucky leaders, West Virginia leaders and The LeXenomics Group to begin prioritizing and evaluating what our next steps should be.
Again, Tuesday was our new economy’s “groundbreaking.” A lot of digging and designing still remains. As does a lot of hard labor.
But people don’t drive 5 hours (each way, in one day, for one meeting) if they are not hard workers. If they aren’t dedicated volunteers who are giving themselves to our region’s future.
We will make progress, and we will include ALL of your additional ideas as we continue.
Using social media (this site, email, facebook and twitter) you may feed us any of your input – anytime.
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July 13th’s Attendees and Backgrounds (the beauty is in the diversity)
- Shevawn Akers, ProgressLex
- Lisa Broome-Price, Associate Director, Gaines Center for the Humanities at the University of Kentucky
- Lindy Casebier, Deputy Director, KY Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet
- Holly Clark, Create Fayetteville
- Bob Coffield, Health Care and Business Lawyer at Flaherty, Sensabaugh Bonasso PLLC, CreateWV and Healthcare Law Blogger
- Rama Dhuwaraha, Chief Information Officer, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
- Chad Eames, KY Cabinet for Economic Development, Department of Commercialization and Innovation
- Josh Fenner, Research Director, Commerce Lexington
- Michael “Mick” Fosson, Director, Ashland, KY’s Innovation and Commercialization Center
- Crystal Good, CreateWV
- Jim Gray, Lexington’s Vice Mayor, CEO of Gray Construction
- Gina Greathouse, Vice-President of Economic Development, Commerce Lexington
- Len Heller, Vice-President for Commercialization and Economic Development, University of Kentucky
- Jeff James, Create WV Chairman
- Deana Keener, Create WV
- Steve Kay, Partner in Roberts & Kay, Inc.; Candidate for Lexington At-Large Council
- Rebecca Kimmons, Create WV
- Tad Long, New Cities Institute
- Sherry Maddock, East End Liaison, Bluegrass Community Foundation
- Mark Manuel, Vice-President for Workforce & Institutional Development, Bluegrass Community & Technical College
- Gary Marshall, Director of KY’s Eastern Region Innovation and Commercialization Center
- Jonathan Miller, KY Secretary of Finance
- Anne Nash, President, My Giving Advisor; former CEO of The Bluegrass Community Foundation
- John Nicholson, President, The Kentucky Horse Park
- Pat Powell, Executive Director, UK Innovation and Commercialization Center
- Christopher Rice, Social Media Strategist, University of Kentucky; former Professor of Political Science
- Rob Rumpke, President, Bluegrass Tomorrow
- Susie Salisbury, Charleston Area Alliance & Charleston City Council
- Rebecca Self, Education Director, SeedLeaf
- Sharon Shaffer, Marion Regional Development Corporation, Create WV
- Juliet Terry, Vision Shared President
- Duane Thomas, Marshall University, Create WV
- Ernie Yanarella, UK Professor of Political Science (Livability & Sustainability)
- Scott Clark, President and Founder of Buzzmaven
- Adam Martin, President of Martin Design Studio, LLC; Founder of Social Media Club of Lexington
- Chris Rice (see above)
- Russell Sitter, Founder of The Fountaineer, Inc.
- Lafe Taylor, Co-Founder of 212ths
- Lamar Wilson, Co-Founder of 212ths
- Eric Patrick Marr, LeXenomics Founder
