NEW ECONOMY

The Vision Shared Creative Communities Team established Create West Virginia, a movement dedicated to helping communities transform and compete in the new economy. Vision Shared also launched or partnered on several entrepreneurship initiatives, such as:

  • Young Entrepreneurship Support Network (YESNetwork): The YESNetwork assists young entrepreneurs and fosters a sense of community among that population;
  • West Virginia Angel Network: This is an early-stage funding network (in collaboration with the I-79 Development Council and the Concord University Entrepreneurship Center)
  • TechConnect WV: This is a new non-profit that operated as a Vision Shared team before becoming a free-standing organization dedicated to technology-based economic development. Learn more at www.techconnectwv.com.

 

NEW ECONOMY STEERING COMMITTEE

 

New Economy – Supporting technology-based economic development, entrepreneurship, creative communities and sustainable development.

The New Economy Steering Committee is directed by Vision Shared Board Member B. Keith Fulton, president of Verizon of West Virginia.

Click on the Vision Shared Leadership page to learn more about B. Keith Fulton.

Teams:

  • Creative Communities, which works to make West Virginia a better place to live, work and play by focusing on the key forces that attract “New Economy” workers and investment while emphasizing traditions in the arts and arts education that support the state’s economy and culture. This team is led by Chairman Jeff James, a member of the Vision Shared Board of Directors and owner of Mythology Marketing in Charleston. Click here to see the team’s 2007 white paper on creative community development or visit www.createwv.com.
  • Entrepreneurship Development, which works on various projects and policy ideas based on the belief that West Virginia should work to foster a culture that encourages entrepreneurship and supports entrepreneurial growth. This team is led by Co-chairmen Jeffrey Lusk, executive director of the Hatfield-McCoy trails in southern West Virginia, and Jack Carpenter, owner of Kicking Stones Consulting in Wheeling. Click here to read the team's Blueprint for Entrepreneurship.
  • Sustainable Development, which examines the status of sustainable economic development in the state and make recommendations on its importance as a component of Vision Shared activities and its role in the future economic prosperity of West Virginia. This team is led by Co-chairmen Greg Adolfson of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and Dave Bassage, a member of the Friends of Cheat Board of Directors and a freelance whitewater rafting guide, based in Roane County. Click here to see the team’s 2008 white paper on sustainability in West Virginia, or visit http://vssustainabledev.org.