news
-
The Link Between Early Childhood Education and Economic Development
Although it seems everything under the sun is couched in “economic development” and “shovel ready” terms these days, a new report by Marshall University makes a compelling connection between the success of a region’s early childhood education and its economic prosperity. “It is very much an economic development program,” said Marshall University economist Cal Kent, who…
-
Happy Martin Luther King Day!
The historic inauguration of Barack Obama reinforces so much of what America is about, or has claimed to be about but hadn’t yet fulfilled. It certainly reminds us of the power of impossible dreams. Who just a year ago would have predicted an African American with a name like Barack Obama becoming president of the…
-
Morgan County Taking a Music ‘Census’
There is always something creative brewing in Morgan County: BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV —- As part of Back To Our Roots, its yearlong celebration of American roots arts, the Morgan Arts Council (MAC) of Berkeley Springs is conducting a local Music Census. An original census form has been developed and is available to anyone who lives…
-
Staying Accountable to Minority Communities Helps All of WV
Recently Create WV had the pleasure of participating in the NAACP Economic Development forum at Grace Bible Church on the West Side of Charleston. Reverend Matthew Watts, a “Creative Cone” award winner at the 2008 Create WV Conference, lead the discussion that centered on WV Senate Bill No. 573, which is “relating to providing a procedure for the economic…
-
Turning the Lights On for Sustainability
The team at LightsOn! West Virginia delivered a presentation on how they transformed formerly empty The Bellann building in Oak Hill into a (soon) LEED-certified office building. Their case study is a glimpse into the exciting potential for redeveloping existing (and often empty) buildings in small towns throughout West Virginia. Great things are happening in…
-
West Virginia Welcomes a New Creative Misfit
OK, so there are those who dabble in social networking and media. And then there are those who live social networking and media, blazing new trails and teaching the rest of us about its potential as they go. The latter describes Mayra Ruiz-McPherson, a wonderful new addition to the creative talent base here in West…
-
Education, Not Taxes, Biggest Economic Issue in Arizona
What issue do you tend to hear most about in the media as it relates to business leaders’ top agenda items? More often than not, it seems like taxes and tax incentives dominate the discussion. However, as the economy shifts towards a more knowledge-based foundation, talent, not taxes, becomes a larger issue.A recent legislative priorities…
-
Kiva.org – A Model for West Virginia?
Let’s face it, West Virginia needs to dramatically spark our level of entrepreneurship. It’s a pretty open secret that our dependence on both government and extractive industry over the decades has not exactly trained ourselves to think in innovative ways towards wealth creation. Several organizations and volunteers have been working hard to change the awareness…
-
Filling Our Tech Entrepreneur Pipeline
West Virginia has been called out in several “new economy” state rankings for its lack of vibrant high tech entrepreneurship culture. To address this issue, some key organizations in West Virginia have developed a program to jump-start the number of entrepreneurs in this area. We encourage you to consider participating or sharing with contacts inside…
-
Happy 25th Anniversary Mountain Stage – And Thank You!
Last night, the West Virginia Public Radio program Mountain Stage celebrated its 25th anniversary. The history of Mountain Stage is pretty well documented. But in addition to congratulating Larry Groce, Andy Ridenour and the rest of the production team, we wanted to highlight Mountain Stage as an example for new economy growth and building creative…