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Central Valley Venture Forum to be held October 12.
The 1st Annual Central Valley Venture Forum will be held next Thursday, October 12 at Fresno State. A “can’t miss” conference for successful Central Valley business executives, investors, and entrepreneurs, the forum promises to be helpful to any one interested in entrepreneurship. Multiple panelists will discuss topics such as successful entrepreneurs’ experiences in building businesses in the Valley, how to raise capital, regional efforts to support an innovative and entrepreneurial culture, and how to get seed stage investing. The forum will also include a “Two-Minute Drill” with a series of local entrepreneurs making two-minute presentations for funding and a “Regional Business Showcase: Best of Show” competition where the Valley’s best entrepreneurs seeking capital will compete for designation as the Valley’s top private company. The day will end with a networking reception to allow all participants further opportunities to learn about entrepreneurship and capital investment from their peers. For more information or to RSVP, please visit www.goldencapital.net.
Attention Business Owners: Event organizers are still looking for a few companies seeking capital to be showcased in the event. Businesses interested in making presentations should submit up to a 3-page executive summary to entrepreneur@goldencapital.net as soon as possible.
SCCCD Workforce Development Summit to feature Phyllis Eisen and Dan Walters.
State Center Community College District will be hosting a Workforce Development Summit on Thursday, October 26 from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Tornino’s, 5080 N. Blackstone Ave., in Fresno. The goal of the Summit is to receive feedback from business and industry representatives about how the District can better prepare a qualified labor force for the jobs of today and the future. Target industries include advanced manufacturing, construction, food processing, health care, information processing/call centers, innovative energy, logistics and distribution, software development, water technology, automotive technology, and public safety and service. The Summit is designed to address two questions: (1) Where do you see your industry moving in the next five to ten years? And (2) How can the District’s educational programs help you meet your needs over the next five to ten years? Featured speakers include Phyllis Eisen, vice president of the Manufacturing Institute of the National Association of Manufacturers and executive director of the Center for Workforce Success, and Dan Walters, Sacramento Bee columnist and California political expert. To learn more about the Summit or to register, please visit www.scccd.edu/workforcedevelopmentsummit.
Regional Growth Dialogue to discuss local infrastructure
October 19.
With more than $40 billion of state bonds on November’s ballot, it is imperative that our region better understand how to make strategic choices about infrastructure, communicate its priorities to the state, and secure the necessary funding. The California Center for Regional Leadership, Fresno Business Council and the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley will host a “Regional Growth Dialogue” on Thursday, October 19 from 9:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at the Peters Educational Center/Student Recreation Center at Fresno State. Also sponsored by Bank of America, Caltrans, California State University, Fresno, the Nature Conservancy and the Morgan Family Foundation, the Regional Growth Dialogue will help local civic and community leaders address such questions as “How will these bonds reshape our region? What can we do to make sure that our region gets funding for our priority projects and needs? How will we solve the transportation, housing, and environmental challenges that we face? For more information or to RSVP, please contact Ann Marquez at 559-294-6021 or anmarquez@csufresno.edu.
Deborah Nankivell honored as statewide "Outstanding Professional 2006" by California Center for Regional Leadership.
Fresno Business Council President and CEO Deborah Nankivell was one of two professionals recognized last month as the “Outstanding Professional 2006” in the civic entrepreneur category at the California Center for Regional Leadership’s Civic Entrepreneur Summit. Nankivell was honored because of her ability to successfully reach beyond traditional business issues in order to enhance the overall economic evolution of the greater Fresno region. She has led the Fresno Business Council in partnering with the Regional Jobs Initiative and Fresno Unified School District to address issues such as chronic unemployment and educational mismanagement, among others. Congratulations to Deb and the Fresno Business Council!
WIB employment and training analysis to be completed this month.
In partnership with the Regional Jobs Initiative industry clusters, the Fresno County Workforce Investment Board has conducted a study of employer workforce needs now and in the future. The study will assist workforce development organizations and educational institutions with developing their training programs and better serving employer needs in Fresno County. Data identified in the study include the current jobs that are available in Fresno County, employers’ hiring criteria, expected job growth over the next 3 years, and the job descriptions and salaries for those jobs. Preliminary findings indicate there are over 2,500 current openings in the selected industries (manufacturing, logistics, construction trades, automotive, and information processing), with 30,000 projected to be available in three years. The final study is expected to be completed this month and available at www.workforce-connection.com.
Update on the $250,000 Entrepreneur USA Competition.
The Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Fresno State is continuing to raise funds for the $250,000 Entrepreneur USA Business Plan Competition. The competition will accept business plan submittals from entrepreneurs across the country. The top 10 finalists will be brought to Fresno to compete for the grand prize: $100,000 cash and $150,000 of in kind services to launch their business. Through the competition, Fresno will be marketed as an area open to entrepreneurs, capital investors and knowledge workers to support our innovative industries. If you would like more information about the competition or to make a donation, please contact the Lyles Center at 559-294-2045 or visit www.LylesCenter.com.
Communications Center Inc. establishes Fresno office.
With the assistance of the Economic Development Corporation serving Fresno County and the RJI’s call center cluster, Communications Center Inc. has established an office in Fresno. The political polling and market research company has already hired 122 employees and expects to eventually have 150-180 employees. The company was attracted to Fresno by its low workforce turnover rates, the call center cluster’s collaboration, and the speed with which the City of Fresno helped it open its operations. CCI employees begin working at minimum wage, but get a quick dollar raise and an additional dollar for bilingual employees, as well as transportation and child care assistance. Congratulations to the call center cluster in working to spread the collaborative spirit!
California Partnership for the SJV releases draft plan.
The Board of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley approved the draft Strategic Action Proposal last month. The proposal can be found online at www.bth.ca.gov/capartnership/sanjoaquinvalley.asp and is available for public review until the October 26-27 Board meetings. A response form can be downloaded at www.FresnoRJI.org/community/?taskforce=GOV and faxed to the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency at 916-323-5402.
City of Fresno announces listening sessions for southeast growth area.
The City of Fresno has scheduled a series of listening sessions to initiate the planning for the 9,000 acre southeast growth area. This area was designated as the City’s major new growth community in the 2025 General Plan and is expected to house 55,000 residents within the next 20 years. The goal of the listening session is to develop an effective and informed planning process for this area before the formal planning process begins in 2007. The following dates have been scheduled to target the listed sectors of the community, although all are welcome to attend. All sessions will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Sunnyside High School Cafeteria, 1019 S. Peach Ave., Fresno.
- Thursday, November 9 – Property Owners, Residents, Civic, Community, Environmental, Affordable Housing, Smart Growth, and other Advocates and Constituents.
- Monday, November 13 – Property Owners, Residents, Construction, Development, and Design Industry, and other Constituents.
- Thursday, November 16 – Property Owners, Residents, and Intergovernmental Partners and Agencies.
- Monday, December 11 – Follow-up Meeting for Property Owners, Residents, and All Interested Parties.
For more information, contact either Keith Bergthold at 559-999-5100/keith.bergthold@fresno.gov or Darrell Unruh at 559-621-8050/darrell.unruh@fresno.gov.
San Joaquin Valley Tourism Summit held September 27.
Over 100 guests from around the Valley attended the San Joaquin Valley Tourism Summit last week to discuss the formation of a comprehensive plan to promote tourism throughout the San Joaquin Valley. California Business, Transportation and Housing Secretary Sunne McPeak and California Travel and Tourism Commission Executive Director Caroline Beteta introduced participants to California tourism promotion and the benefits of collaborating within the region and with the state. Breakout sessions included discussions on thematic tourism opportunities such as agritourism and cultural/heritage-related tourism, among others, as well as tools to facilitate tourism growth: hospitality and tourism training; attraction development; and tourism entrepreneurship.
Implementation Task Force meeting notes available at www.FresnoRJI.org.
To view the notes from the September 20, 2006 Implementation Task Force meeting, please visit www.FresnoRJI.org.
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