LOUISVILLE, KY (September 8, 2020) — Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI) officially launched TechFirst today, an industry network created to congregate technology business leaders to support, inform, and develop meaningful growth initiatives within the region’s technology industry.

The mission of TechFirst is to support and grow Greater Louisville’s tech eco-system through the development of talent pipelines, a strong innovation culture, and strategic resources.

“The tech industry plays a crucial role in the Greater Louisville economy and will so even more as we work to rebuild our community from the impact of COVID-19,” said Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, President and CEO of GLI.

Focus areas of TechFirst:

Economic Development

• Collaborate with Chambers of Commerce and regional economic developers to support business attraction and retention strategies.
• Develop a network of 200 industry leaders as subject matter experts to grow the eco-system and advance business-friendly policies and talent development strategies.

Density

• Initiate the establishment of formalized, physical designations for innovation districts throughout the region.
• Promote virtual and physical platforms that create interconnectedness to support business development, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Talent and Education

• Activate relationships with regional education and training organizations to develop diverse, qualified talent and fill pipeline needs.
• Leverage, nurture and expand existing talent eco-system strategies (e.g. Live in Lou) that target experienced levels of tech talent to increase the overall population of talent.

Culture

• Embrace smart city technologies that invigorate community engagement and demonstrate Louisville’s tech-savvy culture and forward-thinking professionals.
• Showcase Greater Louisville as a community of innovation that celebrates success and failure to accelerate market solutions and enterprise, through five out-of-market press coverage opportunities.

The TechFirst Inaugural Chair is Stacy Griggs, CEO of El Toro Internet Marketing. The visioning committee involved a variety of tech and tech-enabled organizations from across the Louisville Metro Area such as Appriss, V-Soft, Humana, Yum! Brands, Papa John’s International Inc., Republic Bank, the University of Louisville, and more.

“It is imperative that we recognize the critically important role technology plays in the Greater Louisville economy and continue to support and embrace its associated opportunities. I am honored to work alongside GLI and industry leaders to ensure our region is doing everything we can to support the ecosystem as it drives innovation across our industry sectors,” said Griggs.

TechFirst will host a virtual informational meeting in September for those interested in engaging and supporting the network. Visit https://www.greaterlouisville.com/techfirst/ for more information and to review the full TechFirst Visioning Report and committee list.

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About TechFirst

TechFirst is Greater Louisville’s formalized tech structure that congregates technology business leaders to support, inform, and develop meaningful growth initiatives within the region’s technology industry. Investors seek to support Greater Louisville in its expansion as a premier destination for technology-based and data-focused opportunities, as well as continue to promote the region’s strong quality of life, professional pathways, and diverse culture.

About Greater Louisville Inc.

Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI) – the Metro Chamber of Commerce is focused on growing the regional economy. As the region’s largest convener of business leadership, GLI leads economic and global outreach strategies focused on business attraction, nurtures the entrepreneurial eco-system, and champions the development of the community’s talent base. As the voice of Greater Louisville’s business community, GLI advocates for a pro-business environment and facilitates businesses engagement on issues that impact regional competitiveness. GLI is the 2019 national Chamber of the Year and is one of only three percent of chambers nationally certified with 5-star accreditation status by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, based on GLI’s dedicated policy efforts, effective operations, beneficial programs and overall positive community impact. Learn about our investor benefits and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn using @GLIchamber or visit www.GreaterLouisville.com.