columbia talent report

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A ROAD MAP TO A TALENT-POWERED ECONOMYAttracting the Best and Brightest To Columbia

A report by the Columbia Talent Magnet Project & Southern Growth Policies Board

The Columbia Talent Magnet Team (from left): Mandi Engram, the Columbia Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau; Courtney Herring, the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce; Lindsey Spires, COR; Greg Hilton, New Carolina; Katherine Robinson, EngenuitySC; and Katherine Swartz, COR.

Attracting the best and brightest to Columbia: A report by the Columbia Talent Magnet Project & Southern Growth Policies Board

The Columbia Talent Magnet Report

The Background: During his 2007 visit to Columbia, urban affairs analyst Richard Florida demonstrated that one of the most important assets for any region is its ability to attract and retain a young, talented, and highly educated workforce. In the spirit of “Navigating from good to Great, “a program of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, the Columbia Talent Magnet Project (CTMP) was created to find ways to appeal to and keep today’s “Creative Class” in Columbia. CTMP’s mission is to build a collaborative among USC, colleges, community leadership organizations, and the business community focused on attracting, engaging, and retaining young, mobile knowledge workers. The project partners include EngenuitySC, the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, the Columbia Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, New Carolina-S.C.’s Council on Competitiveness, and Columbia Opportunity Resource (COR). The initiative is managed by EngenuitySC.

The Report: To explore the challenge of attracting and retaining young knowledge workers, CTMP teamed up with the Southern Growth Policies Board to survey the region’s residents in the fall of 2008 and to host a forum to initiate a dialogue among students, young professionals, community leaders and government officials. This report was developed to share the results of that effort and to inspire the community to take action with a list of recommendations from the Southern Growth Policies Board.

Highlighting Talent: As you make your way through this report, you will see stories, opinions, and quotes from real people in our community. Our team could think of no better way to highlight Columbia’s opportunity than by highlighting some of the bright, passionate, and talented people that are fueling change in our community. Read their stories and their opinions. Columbia’s story is real, their stories are real, and our opportunity is now.

Table of Contents

The Partners: Meet the Columbia Talent Magnet Team ................2

The Columbia Talent Magnet Report: Launching a Thousand Initiatives ...............................3

The Need: Attracting and Retaining Talent ...............................4-5

The Challenge: Competing in the New Economy ............................6-7

The Perceptions: Taking the Community’s Pulse ..................................8-9

The Dialogue: Focusing our Energy ...............................................10-11

The Recommendations: Building a Talent-Powered Economy ...................12-21

A Call to Action: Discuss. Develop. Deploy ......................................22-23


Chuck LamarkManaging Partner,

Adwera Nsuo, LLCChuck LaMark fell in love with Columbia because of its potential for becoming greater than it already is. “It’s a city/region that is only living up to 30 percent, perhaps 40 percent of its potential.”

The former director of development for the Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties, LaMark helped create the Urban Tour, an event which highlights the assets of downtown Columbia. The whole idea is to collaborate in order to succeed, he says.

He is now working on linking development between Ghana and Columbia around the issue of water. “Water is the No. 1 issue in the world, but not yet fully realized as such. Linking the talents and needs between these two regions via open source at peer levels with ‘cause specific’ intent could spiral into a whole new order of doing business in the world.”

He is also passionate about the need to change transportation to include fewer cars, more walkways and bike paths, and a viable bus and rail system.

We are already a community whether we acknowledge this or not. It’s how we execute our behavior within that affects the lives of so many around us.

a differenceMAKING

Talent“”

is the battery that makes the light shine.What is a painting without talent? What is a sports teamwithout talent!


Talent matters, maybe more than ever before. Cities and regions mustbecome global, entrepreneurial and innovative to compete in today’snew economy. Attracting and retaining young mobile knowledgeworkers is crucial to success in this increasingly fast paced, cuttingedge environment. Like never before, the “power of place” is drivingeconomic activity as next-generation workers profess the motto “livefirst, work second” and companies migrate to where the talent is.

One needs to do nothing more than a quick Google search to see that the competition for talent remains a hot topic. “The war for talent remains a key concern among CEOs worldwide,’’ said PriceWaterhouseCoopers in reporting the results of its 2008 Global CEO Survey. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development concluded in a fall 2008 study that “the global competition for talent is growing.” In a white paper entitled, Confronting the Talent Crunch, 2008 staffing industry giant Manpower emphasized, “The talent shortage can no longer be viewed as a crisis on the horizon. In many regions and across many industry sectors, it is a crisis that is occurring now and it threatens to grow more acute and widespread.”

The concept of developing the Greater Columbia region into a talentmagnet has been identified and addressed in one form or anotherfor a number of years. However, the importance of both the issueand the opportunity was highlighted when acclaimed author andresearcher Richard Florida visited Columbia in the fall of 2007 and

re-emphasized by Rebecca Ryan, founder of Next Generation Consulting and author of Live First, Work Second, in a visit to the region in 2008. Both Florida and Ryan emphasized the need for the region to successfully attract and retain a young, talented, and highly educated workforce, which can fuel and facilitate dynamic economic expansion.

Our ability to attract and retain young, highly educated and engagedworkers will be one of the major drivers for economic growth in theColumbia region. From a plethora of restaurants, nightlife, and greenspaces to a depth and breadth of job opportunities, affordable housingand a safe environment --these are the factors that will affect our abilityto grow our talent pool.

What can the Columbia region do to retain and attract young, talentedresidents? What should our priorities be? How can we get peopleinvolved?

THE NEED:Attracting and Retaining Talent



Robin BiroPrivate,

U.S. Army – Fort JacksonRobin Biro has lived in Columbia since he was 2 years old. “I especially love the connections I’ve made with so many wonderful people over the years. The mild climate, cultural and networking opportunities, watching the transformation of the Vista and so many soul enhancing leadership opportunities have enriched my life.”

He has been active in helping lead the Sally Salamander project for Leadership Columbia. Biro put his commercial real estate experience to use working with his fellow Leadership Columbia members and property owners in the Vista to help identify buildings in the Vista that Sally can call home “The project is exciting to our region as it will be a walking tour targeting young people to find Sally among the many vital historic and not-so-historic structures in the Vista.”

“My advice to one and all is to get out there. Find at least one issue or community service project or event that you’re passionate about, that you think will make a difference in your world, and put your heart and hands into it. Where your talents meet a community need, real work will get done, and a real difference will be made. You can, and do, make a difference!”

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visionaryIf Columbia

talented“”

is to move forward in a progressive way, andwe must have people who can see not only

what Columbia is, but also what it can become.


Much of the challenge facing Columbia is perception. While some Columbia residents describe their community as friendly, fun and growing, an equal number of resident’s characterize Columbia as boring, unfocused and insular.

Given those kinds of negative perceptions, it’s perhaps not surprising that nearly half of the students and recent graduates responding to a survey distributed by the Southern Growth Policies Board and the Columbia Talent Magnet Team in October 2008 said they were likely or very likely to leave the area in the future. Similarly, when the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education published a special report, Retaining Graduates of South Carolina Public Colleges and Universities, in November 2007, it found that 41% of graduates from the University of South Carolina-Columbia class of 2002 were no longer in the state five years later – a loss of more than 2,200 talented students from just that one class.

A cause for concern? Absolutely:

• Knowledge-intensive jobs are critical to any community’s economic success and a higher standard of living for its residents. “The more graduates a region retains, the higher per capita income level the region achieves,” explained the Brookings Institution in a 2003 report. Studies have found that all wage levels tend to be higher when there are more college graduates in the area. • Young, well-educated residents add economic vitality and entrepreneurial spirit to a community. Four out of five new

businesses are started by the younger-generation, according to a Time magazine article on Generation X. • Like many communities across the nation, Columbia’s population and workforce is aging. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that South Carolina’s population of young workers, ages 25-44, will decline between 2000 and 2020, at the same time that the population of seniors age 65 and over increases by more than 78%.

But Columbia has an opportunity to reverse course and become a talent magnet. We can consolidate and integrate the various elements of talent attraction, retention and expansion. The CTMP seeks to provide direction and energize community involvement. The Columbia region is a great place to be, but faces challenges that need to be addressed to reach its full potential. Government, higher education, economic development organizations, arts and cultural organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals all have a role to play.

Developing Columbia’s potential as a talent magnet relies on the support, resources, and participation of the community. The Columbia Talent Magnet Report was created to be a catalyst for regional development activities – an initiative for the launching of a thousand initiatives.

THE CHALLENGE:Competing in the New Economy



Katie FoxDirector, Leveraging Investments in Creativity

South Carolina Arts Commission“I chose to move to Columbia because its initial impression was one of a welcoming community that was affordable but full of interesting opportunities,” Fox said.

She is currently managing the Leveraging Investments in Creativity Project, which helps artists create satisfying, sustainable careers through collaboration and entrepreneurial training. Two of her favorite non-work activities are serving as production manager for the Columbia QuadSquad Roller Derby Team (where a background in theater comes in handy!) and working with a diverse group of artists on the Columbia’s MP3 Project. “I can’t give away too much on that one right now, but all the cool kids are gonna be doin’ it.”

When she thinks of “talented” people, she thinks of those who not only have the ability to meet a challenge or solve a difficult problem, but who also show empathy with their neighbor and seek solutions that encourage others to see themselves, their community, and their future in a new way.

Her advice, “If you see someone doing something and think to yourself, ‘Dude, that’s awesome’ GO UP AND TALK WITH HIM or HER. Person to person is how neat stuff happens. Besides, it’s not such a big town — you probably already know that guy’s cousin.”

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points of view“”

and by their efforts for change, we canlift up and move forward our entire community.

By welcoming to Columbia those with new


What do Columbia’s residents think of their city and region? What is positive aboutColumbia that people can’t stop talking about? What is negative about Columbiathat they want to get off their chests?

More than 1,000 residents shared their views in the fall of 2008 through an online survey created by the CTMP and the Southern Growth Policies Board. While not valid statistically, the survey did yield some unique glimpses into perceptions of the city’s strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. The responses formed the basis for dialogue at the region’s first Columbia Talent Forum in November 2008.

More than anything, respondents want to see action. As summed up by one: “Although this survey is great in concept, what will become of the data – yet another plan to be filed away and not acted upon? Do something! At this point DO ANYTHING – just PROCEED!”

Columbia was described as a “great place to live, affordable with big cityattractions without the hassle” and as a “cool college town with a small town feelbut big city nightlife and a great place for outdoor activities.” But, Columbia was also described as…old fashioned, plain, simple, and a place that is somewhat stagnant.

There wasn’t clear agreement on Columbia’s identity. Responses were spreadamong six descriptors.

• Small Town/Big City Amenities (14.1%) • Big City/Small Town Feel (17.6%) • College Town (21.4%) • Renaissance City/City on the Rise (24.5%) • Dead City/No Life (8.0%) • Other (14.5%)

Not surprisingly 47 % of the 18-25 year-olds surveyed said that they were likely or verylikely to leave Columbia. While it’s not unusual for young people to want to explore other opportunities, it does suggest that Columbia is missing out on the chance to

capitalize on a valuable asset – its young talent. Survey respondents did recognize the importance of retaining college graduates in Columbia, and yet felt that opportunities for recent college grads were below average.

Employment opportunities, salary, and safety were touted as the three most important factors in making ANY city an attractive place to live. Yet, when asked to rate Columbia, respondents gave middle of the road scores on all three factors.They instead identified affordability, educational opportunities and climate as Columbia’s relative strengths.

What most prevents Columbia from reaching its full potential? Lack of high-paying,high-skill jobs was the reason given by 33.6 % of survey respondents. This was followed by a lack of communication, collaboration and a shared vision (20.7%); a lack of leadership (18 %); and a lack of identity (12.1 %).

Three factors that written comments suggest are related:

• “I’ve lived here for 26 years and I’ve seen Greenville transformed into an international city. Why can’t this happen in Columbia? Columbia is known for maintaining the status quo,” lamented one respondent.

• “Governments are very ineffective at working together to solve problems,” added another.

• “Boring! Stuck in the past. Lacking leadership and vision,” said another.

While 23.6% of survey respondents do believe that Columbia’s quality of lifehas seen considerable improvement over the years, many see a continuing needfor progress.

The full results of the Columbia Talent Survey can be viewed at www.columbiatalent.com.

THE PERCEPTIONS:Taking The Community’s Pulse



Benjamin GreenBusiness Development,

CyberwovenAttracting and retaining talented people is key to Columbia’s economic future, says Columbia native Ben Green. “The type and number of talented people we attract will also determine the type of leadership pool that the city will be able to draw from to make key business and political decisions going forward.”

But the state and the city face pressing challenges. Among them: 1. Decreased funding for higher education. “Our research universities should be viewed as economic engines of the state. When you dramatically decrease the flow of fuel to an engine, what typically happens?” 2. A need for fiscal restraint, responsibility, and transparency. “Taxpayer dollars are quite limited and precious, we should make sure every dollar is spent prudently and with an eye towards long-term, sustainable growth.” 3. Greater coordination among organizations – “Because we have limited resources, it’s important to make sure that local and state governments, along with our educational institutions and not-for-profit organizations, are all talking to each other and constantly looking for ways to cooperate.”

Green would like to see this city and state make significant, measurable improvements over the next 10 years. “Whatever role I can play in bringing about these improvements I’ll be more than happy to play.”

a differenceMAKING

collaboration“ ”The recruitment of Trulite is a perfect example

of the kind of we need more of.


More than 100 students, young professionals, community leaders and government officials were invited to Trustus Theatre in November 2008 to discuss the survey’s results and to talk about the need to retain talent and brainstorm ways to do so.

Following an opening presentation on the survey results by Ted Abernathy, executive director of the Southern Growth Policies Board, forum participants broke into smaller groups to share ideas. After an hour and a half of animated conversation, the groups came together to present their ideas.

Several common themes, mirroring much of what was reflected by the survey, emerged from these discussions, including the need for: Coordination, collaboration, and communication. “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate,” said one group, quoting a famous line from the movie Cool Hand Luke. Another group described Columbia as having “too many disconnected dots.” Forum participants called for increased collaboration on several levels: among the city, county, university, and private sectors; among economic development and civic organizations; and among the dozen or so organizations targeting young professionals.

A unified vision. Participants talked about the need to get “everyone” at the table to develop a unified vision that could be effectively communicated both within and outside the community. “Right now, everyone wants to do their own thing, which is why as a whole we are making slow progress,” observed one group.

Development of a “pipeline” of young talent. Participants saw a need to foster young leaders in the community, starting with a focus on community involvement and service in the K-12 sector. They also talked about the importance of engaging college students in the community in order to build relationships before they graduate and about the effectiveness of pairing established community leader “mentors” with young professionals on specific projects.

Attention to quality of life issues such as crime/safety and transportation. While participants were generally quite positive about the quality of life in Columbia, they were concerned about what they saw as growing problems with homelessness, gang activity, and crime. They also thought it was critical to develop a long-term vision for public transportation.

Job Development. Participants saw a need for a dual-pronged approach to Columbia’s job market. First, they felt a need for a more proactive approach to raising awareness of existing opportunities in Columbia. Coordinated, well-marketed internship and apprenticeship programs and a job clearinghouse were among the ideas mentioned. At the same time, they felt that it was important to identify areas of strength and then direct efforts in a targeted way towards the development of key industry clusters in the region.

Participants left the forum not only with a desire to see community-wide action, but also with a commitment to taking personal action, addressing postcards to themselves with actions they pledged to take within the next 90 days – from promoting internships at work to being a better ambassador for Columbia.

THE DIALOGUE:Focusing Our Energy



Elizabeth NkuoManager of Community Relations,

BlueCross BlueShield of South CarolinaIn the 15 years she has been in Columbia, Elizabeth Nkuo has seen the city grow and change. “The benefit to being in a city this size is the tremendous professional experience you can gain in a short period of time. Our city will only grow and truly flourish as we bring in fresh ideas and embrace new ways of doing things. And most importantly, doing everything we can, from young leader forums to volunteer and community focused projects, to engage and retain young graduates (and long time residents!) so they can realize Columbia’s capacity to be a vibrant and ever-changing city.”

Nkuo currently serves on the boards of the Palmetto Center for Women and the Ronald McDonald House Charities. She was heavily involved with the Leadership Columbia program, serving for five years on the class day planning committee and later as chair.

She recommends that people seek out leadership development opportunities like Leadership Columbia offered through the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce or Project Blueprint, offered through the United Way of the Midlands. “My involvement in Project Blueprint and Leadership Columbia really helped me meet and develop personal and professional relationships. Most importantly, this heightened my awareness of the critical issues affecting the city, and also highlighted everything the city has to offer.”

a differenceMAKING

goodlegacy“

”My father always quotes, ‘Do all the

to be.you can do.’ I think that’s what I would like my future


Building A Talent-Powered EconomyGiven that talent is the new currency in economic competition, what can Columbia do not only to stay in the game, but also to excel? Based on input from the Columbia Talent Magnet Project online survey and forum, the Southern Growth Policies Board offered five key recommendations:

1. Create A Unified Regional VisionConvene a broad coalition of stakeholders from across the region to develop a unified vision that includes the attraction and retention of jobs – and talent – as a primary focus. Among keys to success will be:

a. Including a wide variety of perspectives from local government officials, educators, business leaders, students, young professionals, representatives from the arts community, and other civic and non-profit organizations.

b. Taking a regional perspective. As a survey respondent emphasized, “Columbia is not just within the city limits. Columbia is the whole region. We need better political cooperation among the various municipalities and counties.”

c. Targeting job attraction efforts on clusters where Columbia can successfully compete.

d. Developing a program such as “Meet Milwaukee,” a workshop that brings employers, recruiters, and other community residents together to teach them how to “talk-up the town” and present a consistent message.

e. Building a stronger collaboration among the region’s young professionals organizations to reduce redundancy, eliminate overlap, and strengthen the overall impact of young professionals.

f. Focusing investments on “best in class” assets for the region, whether those are progressive economic development strategies, competitive industry clusters, dynamic community initiatives, or innovative educational programs. Don’t waste time/money on underperforming programs.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS:Building A Talent-Powered Economy



Preston Gresham Special Assistant

Office of Congressman Joe Wilson“Without attracting and retaining talent we lose our edge over other cities around the country and the world. If we don’t have a pool of qualified and excited workers, companies will quickly turn away from Columbia no matter what we have put into the City.”

One of the most important things to me is getting people in the region to understand what a great city Columbia is and the many reasons to live, work, and play here. I think it is vital that we get into the University and let students see the part of Columbia they don’t normally see.

Gresham’s current project is a Web site, ColumbiaSocialite.com: a Web magazine that will highlight and showcase the city’s assets. “Those of us who are involved and try to keep a pulse on the city know there is more to do in Columbia than there is time.”

“The biggest thing I would love to share with the community and its leaders is the need for collaboration. Far too often people have great ideas but aren’t willing to share them with others and we have duplication of projects fighting for limited resources. By pooling our resources and bringing the leaders of this town together we can make this region flourish even more than it already has.”

a differenceMAKING

do it!“ ”Just get out there and I think the biggest

obstacle for people getting involved is themselves.


2. Develop A New Cadre Of Young Leaders In Columbia

Young professionals are community assets and should be recognized and engaged as such. They can offer new ideas and add energy to any number of community endeavors, but may need help learning about and accessing existing leadership and decision making networks. Suggestions include:

a. Building connections between established and emerging leaders through mentoring relationships or other vehicles.

b. Encouraging business, government and other community leaders to hold regular, informal brownbag lunches, open houses, or other events to get to know the concerns and ideas of young professionals.

c. Creating formal positions on boards and commissions for young leaders.

d. Creating a Mayor’s Young Professional Council to ensure input into public policy decisions from those with the biggest stake in Columbia’s future.

e. Hosting periodic public policy forums in partnership with local civic organizations and news media that bring young people and established community leaders together to talk about current public policy issues in the community. Make the future of public transportation in the community the topic of one of these forums.

f. Creating an annual recognition event to honor young professionals who are making a difference in Columbia.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS:Building A Talent-Powered Economy



Vernard “Scott” Koerwer, Deputy Dean

University of South CarolinaMoore School of Business

Koerwer was recruited to USC just a little over a year ago to join the Moore School of Business. He and his wife had visited years ago on a summer vacation and loved the experience. Their commitment to USC and the state started on their first day of residency.

“As a representative of the Moore School, I am committed to improving the educational opportunities for the citizens of the state while fostering the development of the business and economic development for the state, region and nation. It is funny to me when this surprises people, but this is an essential part of a business education. I am reaching “in” to the community to partner with businesses, engage our university stakeholders and reposition the Moore School to ensure its relevance for the years ahead.”

A favorite project includes working with others at the university in support and development of the Innovista Project by creating an arena for learning, research and business practice for our next generation of leaders.

“Building great teams is a goal we should all consider ourselves a part of. Developing and attracting talent to Columbia and the state is all of our collective responsibility. It is a charge by which we define ourselves and our community.”

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Coordinated key.“ ”engagement is the

We accomplish more when we work together.


3. Connect Undergraduate Students And Young Professionals To The Community

Students who feel a part of the community, not just a part of their school, are more likely to stay in the community after graduating. Ideas for build-ing lasting connections include:

a. Welcoming newcomers and providing them with information on the community and on ways to get involved. Think of it as a “Welcome Wagon” for new students.

b. Supporting service-learning efforts and other college-to-community connections.

c. Encouraging more businesses to provide internships and/or apprenticeships for area students and developing a central clearinghouse for students to learn about available opportunities.

d. Working with area employers to offer a program to introduce or better familiarize younger employees with resources in the Columbia area.

e. Working with human resources representatives at area companies to provide them with recruiting materials that will highlight Columbia’s appeal to young workers.

f. Arranging monthly field trips to non-profit organizations to give young people a chance not only to provide community service, but also to talk in some depth with non-profit leaders about community needs and how to become involved in policy and leadership roles, including learning about board member qualifications and requirements.

g. Working with university and college alumni offices to keep-out-of-town alumni connected to Columbia – and to encourage them to return. Arrange for presentations at alumni banquets and events. Develop postcards or surveys to assess alumni interest in returning “home.”

h. Hosting a party or event to bring college seniors together with young professionals in order to begin to integrate them into Columbia’s young professional community.

RECOMMENDATIONS:Building A Talent-Powered Economy



Geah PressgroveSenior Account ExecutiveFerrillo & Associates, Inc

“In my 10 years in the city I’ve seen much positive change and met many passionate leaders. Their commitment led to change, their dedication remains unwaivering and their vision inspires me,” said Pressgrove.

Pressgrove is heavily involved in public education advocacy. “Education is at the heart of quality of life issues, and I strongly believe that providing the best possible education to our youth will be a cornerstone to our community/state’s growth and prosperity.” She has worked on the Corridor of Shame documentary; student photo exhibit – “But What About Us?”; and the petition drive to change the state constitution’s language from a requirement of “minimally adequate education,” to that of “high quality.” “However, I am only one of hundreds who have invested countless hours in these advocacy efforts.”

She believes that her own efforts to advance any cause or issue are “only significant when coupled with the strengths of those I have the good fortune to work with.” Her best advice for anyone looking to get involved in the community: Do it!

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4. Enhance Communication Vehicles – Especially Those Targeted At Young People

Many survey respondents and forum participants were able to point to a wealth of activities, events, and venues in Columbia. At the same time, others were unaware of these strong points or expressed frustration about having to “dig” through numerous sources to find this information. Aware-ness of Columbia’s existing assets could be strengthened by:

a. Surveying young people to find out the best ways of reaching them. Young people are often more likely to use technology such as text messaging, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube than more traditional forms of communication.

b. Engaging the arts community, both in getting the word out about what’s happening in Columbia as well as in designing communication strategies that appeal to young people.

c. Developing a one-stop Internet site aimed at young people, including not only entertainment and recreation opportunities, but also internship, job, and training opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and information about area employers and organizations.

d. Developing an inventory, map, and showcase of key live/work/play “assets” in our region that can serve as a marketing tool for both internal and external audiences.

e. Developing a “Why Columbia is Great for Young Professionals” wiki and asking all members to contribute.

f. Integrating Columbia’s talent magnet assets into the traditional internal and external communications activities for the region…be it business recruiting, tourism, relocation, or conventions/event planning.

g. Taking Columbia’s brand and talent magnet assets “on the road” by positioning the region on as many search engines, rankings lists, and other vehicles as possible.




Tao GaoExecutive Director

Live2Create, LLC“Columbia has a unique culture that I’ve found in few other cities,” says Tao Gao. “It has a low cost of living, a rich pool of creative and intellectual talent from the university and its affiliated community, and although it’s a capital city, there is still plenty of room for growth.”

Bringing talent to the city is important to Gao. “Columbia needs talented and passionate people to thrive and continue to grow as a dynamic community.”

One of his pet projects is working with COR, Columbia Opportunity Resource. “This project is important to Columbia because its mission is two-fold. On a local level, members volunteer their time to engage in projects that foster a sense of community. On a national level, the ultimate goal is to attract the best and the brightest to the Columbia area.”

Gao is constantly networking and meeting new Columbians. “I enjoy brainstorming how my and their businesses can continue to innovate to better serve Columbia and ultimately contribute to its continuing development as a vibrant and attractive city to live in.

“I deeply believe in the importance of nurturing new businesses. It’s important to me to ‘pass the torch’ and help support and mentor our next generation of community leaders.”

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Being an I find that Columbiaprovides the perfect environment for

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5. Foster An Entrepreneurial Environment And Spirit In Our Community

Many survey respondents indicated a desire to start their own businesses but noted the lack of a supportive environment to do so. The perception is that there is not a supportive environment or available resources for start-ups in Columbia. Efforts to change that perception could include:

a. Creating a physical and virtual entrepreneurial network to foster entrepreneurial activity, providing a vehicle for collaboration and interaction, and developing a dynamic support platform for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs.

b. Developing networking opportunities for young entrepreneurs in the community – including those who might be pursuing a business opportunity on a part-time basis. This could include informal monthly networking events, educational or training opportunities, online forums, the brokering of mentorships with existing entrepreneurs, and/or formal events featuring prominent local entrepreneurs.

c. Connecting the community’s entrepreneurial resources to the arts, entertainment, and other “creative” industries to foster start-up activity.

d. Fostering social entrepreneurship by connecting to and supporting “entrepreneurially minded” not-for-profit groups.

e. Developing a “road map” to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in our community that will provide would be entrepreneurs with direction and access to the wealth of existing entrepreneurial resources.





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The mission of the Columbia Talent Magnet Project (CTMP) is to help build a talent-powered economy in our region by focusing on engaging, attracting, and retaining young, mobile knowledge workers through collaboration among universities, colleges, community leaders, and the business community. We want to create a dynamic interaction that will increase the participation of the next generation of individuals entering the workforce both internally and externally.

So, what is the next step? How do we proceed? How do you as an individual or an organization get involved? The purpose of this report is not to lay out a specific path forward, but rather to act as a catalyst and a focal point. This is a region-wide effort. It will require leaders (both young and old) to become innovative, dynamic, and accountable — to discuss the issues and the opportunities to build collaborations that solve real problems. While the Columbia Talent Magnet team is developing its own projects, we hope you will work on yours. We hope this report launches a thousand initiatives.

The CTMP will have been a success when any talented student, entrepreneur, or young professional who is exposed to our region has open and dynamic access to the wealth of business, community, and cultural assets that make the Columbia Region such a wonderful place to live, work, earn, learn, play and stay.

If you would like to get involved with some of the projects the Columbia Talent Magnet team is launching or want support in launching your own initiative, visit www.columbiatalent.com

A CALL TO ACTION:Discuss. Develop. Deploy.



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