The times call for an atmosphere that is conducive to economic innovation. How can we work together to create a thriving local/regional, resilient, innovative, sustainable economy?
Several months ago, a group of us met in Santa Fe to brainstorm a “Think and Do Tank,” an interdisciplinary, affordable, innovation/fabrication lab to support turning creative, social, economic and ecological ideas into real jobs. This will require tinkering, rapid prototyping, testing and bringing to market sustainable, beneficial tools, processes and products….
Here are some more of the ideas and functions we identified for the Think and Do Tank:
- Connects idea generators to folks looking for purposeful endeavors
- An Idea Bank that brings together a wide range of disciplines, such as water, food, energy, housing, recycling, technology, health & healing, solid waste, financing, policy, transportation, community design, facilitation, etc., etc., for cross pollination and systems collaboration
- Affordable by design with tools such as Time Banking and Co-working (innovative shared office spaces)
- Bootstraps, supports entrepreneurial efforts using existing community assets and resources wherever possible
- Maps and links community resources and relationships
- Develops a knowledge base
- Tribal, rural, urban, local and regional in scope
- Lifelong learning environment for learning partners of all ages
- Builds social capacity between businesses, institutions, service providers and entrepreneurs with real world and online tools
- Taps into the dynamic power of youth and the wisdom and resources of retirees/elders
- Facilitates mentoring, internships and peer to peer coaching
- Facilitates meetings
- Conducts market surveys
- Sustainable social, economic, ecologically innovative job creation for lifestyles that live lightly on the planet and provide support for a thriving, resilient, interdependent region
Pretty good list, no? So how do we make this Think and Do Tank a reality? We invite Santa Fe and region to continue this conversation at the next meeting. We will be prepared for a large turnout. Professional meeting facilitators will assist. This is a “Build the Road as We Travel” process, and you’re invited to join in! Together we can move towards creating a thriving statewide economy that is “good for people, good for the planet, and good for the polar bears.”
The next Think and Do Tank meeting, co-sponsored with SFCC Renewable Energy Programs, will meet in the entry community space, Wednesday, October 19, 5:45-8:30 at the Santa Fe Sustainable Technology Center, Richards Ave. Email me with questions and RSVP to help us prepare for the turnout, or call 505.310.1797.
Brian Skeele
Room 800, Entry Lobby, 5:45-8:30 at the Technology Center.
October 19, 2011