Thursday, September 04, 2003
Some interesting entrepreneurial efforts are underway in Western North Carolina.
An angel investor network announced the start of a $5 million fund this week, and the region held its first venture capital conference, the Carolina Connect Conference, to match investors and entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, through an innovative partniership involving Southwestern Community College, the region is also taking steps to upgrade its fiber optic backbone. The collaborative four-year effort will bring high-speed fiber to Western North Carolina. The region will not be relying on the large phone companies, like Verizon and BellSouth.
Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site:
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Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
Western NC works to build venture capital, fiber optics
