Create West Virginia

After four years of grass roots creative community building, it's time to take it to the next level West Virginia!

Here's a brief presentation on how we'll do that together. What do you think?

This is the third year we've attempted to help West Virginia adopt a modern, entrepreneurial approach to economic development by emphasizing the growth of our "new" economy based on innovation.

(NOTE: Apologies for the poor formatting on this post, our blog site is having some issues)

One of the most prescient ideas I have ever heard about West Virginia came from Don Rigby at RED a few years ago.  To paraphrase: West Virginia's biggest identity issue was not a negative one held by outsiders, but rather that to many people across the US and world, there is none at all. 

Make no small plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical plan once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our children are going to do things that will stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon, beauty.

Think big.

- Daniel Burnham, 19th Century Architect who planned the Chicago World’s Fair

So much of what we all desire as citizens centers on the community we live in. Our friends, our schools, our jobs, our parks, where we shop...Why do some communities thrive while others struggle? What tangible and intangible characteristics make up a "creative community" that delivers opportunities and quality of life for all citizens? 

Access to and adoption of technology has fueled amazing growth around the world. A fast pipe to the global marketplace is akin to a major superhighway in the Industrial Age. But it's not just whether we have access; it's what we do with it to transform our healthcare and educational systems, drive research and development in our universities and enable entrepreneurs in every nook and cranny of West Virginia.

Many folks have been to a lot of conferences...and well, we aren't always eager to go to another one! Sitting in boring seminars, eating bad food, listening to panel speakers without much to say...who needs more of that?

Wheeling, WV: The fourth annual Create West Virginia conference is coming to the Friendly City October 17-19, 2010. This statewide celebration of creative community building is designed to spark new economic growth in West Virginia.

You know how people have some relatives that you dont' really know that well, even though they don't live that far away? For whatever reason, you just never hung out with them much growing up.

Then one day, you actually take some time to get to know them. Maybe you hung out at a family reunion, or they took the initiative and reached out to invite you over. And they turn out to be really cool and you hit if off quite nicely.