The Inner Chamber

Was This Guy Sitting in Our Last Strategy Session?

9/26/2011 04:48:25 PM  -  0 Comments
 

Sometimes, you hear a speaker who is so aligned with your vision and priorities, it seems as though he was listening in on your last strategy session. That’s the way so many of us felt this morning when John Tory, head of the Toronto Civic Action Alliance, spoke at GLIDE. 

John highlighted three opportunities that Louisville and Toronto share: regionalism, inclusion, and the power of ideas. 

Sound familiar?  

The Most Important Commodity Louisville Can Make? Talented People.

9/26/2011 04:16:14 PM  -  0 Comments
 

If you're familiar with the book Rise of the Creative Class, you'll appreciate our afternoon speaker today at GLIDE Toronto. Kevin Stolarick is the numbers guy behind the book; the one who analyzed the data and extracted the trends.  

Kevin got us thinking today about the difference between growth and prosperity. He shared this insight: from 1990-2000, Las Vegas was the fastest-growing metro area in the U.S. But in terms of per capita income growth, it was number 323. Growth alone, he noted, does not necessarily equate to prosperity.  

So what should communities focus on if not growth?  

Lessons from TIFF

9/25/2011 10:38:02 PM  -  0 Comments
 

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is a marvel. What started as a small film festival in a city with almost no film presence has grown into one of the premiere movie events in the world. How did it happen? That’s exactly what Bill Marshall, one of our GLIDE speakers and a founder of TIFF, shared with us this evening.

Bill, with his Scottish brogue, believes in telling it like it is. So we paid attention when he noted that “process is the enemy of progress,” and urged Louisville to take this advice: “When you have an idea, don’t stop and listen to the people who know better. Because they don’t.” 

Imagining (and Achieving) our Future

9/25/2011 10:35:47 PM  -  0 Comments
 

GLI’s GLIDE trip to Toronto got off to a great start today (easy flight, great weather, good food…). One of our very first sessions helped set the tone for the trip, and included some important ideas for our region.  

Nat Irvin II, Professor of Management at the University of Louisville, challenged the group to imagine what it would be like to “live, work, think, believe and lead in a very different world than today” – say, the Louisville of 2030. As a group, we challenged some of our preconceived notions, like what percentage of goods Americans purchase that come from China (if you guess 50-60 percent, like most of our group did, you’re wrong. It’s 1.2 percent.).  

55,000 Degrees Initiative: Mayor’s Press Conference

9/13/2011 02:32:58 PM  -  0 Comments
 

As Mayor Fischer reiterated today to a Metro Hall filled with education advocates, we must celebrate our successes in education and acknowledge our challenges. It has long been known that education must be a top priority for Louisville to flourish.