By Layla Burke Hastings
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SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — Black River Innovation Campus (BRIC) hosted an Economic Development Day course with Leadership Southeast Vermont on Thursday as part of its initiative to hold one-day deliberative and informational meetings on a monthly basis. In total, 13 participants brainstormed ideas and heard from eight different keynote speakers who discussed what economic development looks like today and what it will in the future.
Springfield Regional Development Corporation (SRDC) Bob Flint spoke in the morning about the relationship between SRDC and BRIC, an innovation workspace that is the brainchild of Matt Dunn.
Flint said BRIC, like other projects they are involved with in the region, is part of an evolutionary mission for economic growth.
“We mean to help make good things happen make great things happen in the region,” Flint said. “So whether it’s an existing business or people that want to start a business, we are the one-stop shop for economic development.”
The monthly full-day courses focus on different themes every month, including: regional cultural history, human services, politics and government, corrections, communications, economic development, health care and education. Each student will have a community action-based project to present at their graduation.
Trevor Barlow, executive director of BRIC, said the course had a broad demographic of adult learners from bankers, social service professionals and business owners all between the ages of 20 and 40 years.
“It’s such a great introduction for people to know how things work in Vermont because on a daily basis it isn’t always that obvious how to get certain things done. So the fact that you have a group of trained individuals learning these things is even better than being just empowered- they are becoming community leaders. That’s awesome,” Barlow said, “ Especially when you see the cross section of people who are here and what they’re doing in their careers, and just that it gives them knowledge that they might not have.”
Barlow said it was exciting to see all the different people working together, problem solving and looking at ways to improve and reinvent the community.
“What they’re just doing for their day-to-day cross-section of demographics — it’s fascinating to see this group. Like when I came into the room I saw what you wouldn’t consider to be the traditional demographics of Springfield. Let alone Vermont. It’s amazing,” he said. “This was as diverse as a group we had the same thing this last summer when we’re running coding camps.”
Karen Longo, of Dragonfly Designs, her augmented reality graphic design firm, spoke in the afternoon about the future of the workforce looks like.
“I wanted to start with just letting you know who I am and then I’ll explain a little bit how I got here to Dragonfly. I will then talk a little bit about the future of the workforce and how that’s actually going to affect the economy here. I believe wholeheartedly in a good way. So let me just get started,” Longo said. “My father is such a huge part of my life, whether it’s business, or personal he is just a different part of everything that I do.”
Longo said her success hinged on her deep connection to her family and her origin.
“I’m an immigrant. I came here from Connecticut,” she said half jokingly. “I was born in England. Being half English and Scottish, I was able to travel.”
Longo said volunteering was also crucial to her happiness which made her more successful.
“I volunteered in Africa and was stationed at a vocational school where they taught trades at a center for women who were victims of the sex trade over there,” she said. “It’s just not always a straight path that is the right path for you. And if this is nearly as crazy as that is; to stop and smell the roses and enjoy your journey. One of my favorite quotes is ‘passion is one great force that unleashes creativity,’ because if you’re passionate about something then you’re more willing to take risks and that is something else. That is our you know, is our mantra and there’s no doubt about it. We do business with where it takes us.”
Longo left her high-paying job at the Deloitte agency to fly solo about five years ago. Now, Deloitte is one of many nationwide that contract her to do projects.
Longo also sources her employees locally.
“We don’t take risks without education but we understand we have a job. We understand about taking the risk. I don’t worry because they are so far so good,” Longo said. “Another one of my favorite quotes is the biggest risk is not taking any risk in a world. That’s changing really quickly. The only strategy guaranteed to fail is not taking a risk and that’s so true. It is so true. And you know, I can talk about risk taking all day long.”
For more information about BRIC’s one-day courses, visit https://www.leadershipsevt.org/sessions.
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