Our current work with The Chamber in relation to a physical building, but we have come to understand, and deeply believe, that the real heart of an innovation center is made up of the human building blocks that connect to form a thriving community of innovative thinkers and doers, and is not made of glass and steel. The physical innovation center best serves that human community as its physical town square.
While facilities are an important part of The Chamber’s initiative to build a ‘culture of innovation’, it is not the defining issue--though to this point it has mistakenly been the primarily focus of our attention.
Our region, catalyzed by massive flood, now faces a perfect storm of opportunity, a once-in-a-generation opportunity that if capitalized on, could lead to true transformation to keep our community both competitive in the ever connected global world, while keeping itself rooted in our values of hard work, honesty and neighborliness.
While facilities are an important part of The Chamber’s initiative to build a ‘culture of innovation’, it is not the defining issue--though to this point it has mistakenly been the primarily focus of our attention.
Our region, catalyzed by massive flood, now faces a perfect storm of opportunity, a once-in-a-generation opportunity that if capitalized on, could lead to true transformation to keep our community both competitive in the ever connected global world, while keeping itself rooted in our values of hard work, honesty and neighborliness.
The census number revealed our community’s resilience in the midst one of the deepest economic recessions in history, on the back of a natural disaster of epic proportions. We’ve endured this period and are now looking at the opportunity to form a new vision for our community to harness the powers of our people as innovators, creatives and entrepreneurs. Building upon the spirit of our agricultural entrepreneurial past, we must fully embrace the latest in science, technology and business to prosper in this new era. This is now possible, because the flood has literally and figuratively left us a blank canvas on which to paint our new vision.
Since January we’ve engaged in conversations throughout the community to learn more about the real needs of our entrepreneurs. It has become apparent to Chamber staff that we can’t contain this growth, but we must establish a grassroots effort to really understand the needs of the community.
Since January we’ve engaged in conversations throughout the community to learn more about the real needs of our entrepreneurs. It has become apparent to Chamber staff that we can’t contain this growth, but we must establish a grassroots effort to really understand the needs of the community.
We have also traveled to learn the best practices of others. In these early conversations, one of the major take always has been to understand a culture of innovation is a must have at its core, a culture of collaboration.
Omaha is a community that has very purposefully and successfully built a culture of innovation around entrepreneurial ecosystems. Tom Chapman, Director of Entrepreneurism and Innovation for the Omaha Chamber, described their process by saying “We can’t control it. The best thing we can do is get people engaged in it.”
Mike Malone, an entrepreneur who has operated a successful media business in Omaha since the mid-1990s, was asked what had changed in the past two decades leading to the recent growth in the area’s entrepreneurial and creative communities. Mike shared, “While the old way of business was to keep each business in respective silos, the newest generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders realize that collaboration (even with seeming direct competitors was key).”
Mike Malone, an entrepreneur who has operated a successful media business in Omaha since the mid-1990s, was asked what had changed in the past two decades leading to the recent growth in the area’s entrepreneurial and creative communities. Mike shared, “While the old way of business was to keep each business in respective silos, the newest generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders realize that collaboration (even with seeming direct competitors was key).”
“Collaboration is the new competition,” one entrepreneur told us.
In crafting our community’s vision for creating this ‘culture of innovation’ collaboration must be our central theme. It is less important who owns this culture, because for it to truly succeed the answer is “all of us.”
In crafting our community’s vision for creating this ‘culture of innovation’ collaboration must be our central theme. It is less important who owns this culture, because for it to truly succeed the answer is “all of us.”
Your Chamber is in a position to facilitate this conversation, but we need you to join in this conversation for our community to truly recognize the full potential of our future and to truly make the best of our blank canvas. To participate contact Scott Swenson at Swenson@cedarrapids.org
Innovation happens not in buildings, but in people.
Innovation happens not in buildings, but in people.
