2008 Events

Select a city to see more about Exploring Innovation in Community Development Week events.

St. Louis - April 14	St. Louis - April 15
St. Louis - April 16	St. Louis - April 17
Little Rock - April 14	Little Rock - April 16
Cleveland, Miss. - April 14	Louisville - April 17
Memphis - April 18	Pine Bluff, Ark - April 15

St. Louis
Title	Pursuing a Vision of Excellence
Date	April 14, 2008
Location	The Old Rock House 1200 S. 7th Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63104
Description	"Community development needs are so great that a heavy dose of innovation must be part of the solution. The creativity shown from the very beginning of the exciting kick-off event was evidence that fresh thinking is high on the agenda." - Frank Stokes, Innovate St. Louis "I enjoyed the event and the networking opportunity was wonderful. The venue was a great place to learn about for future entertainment and dining. The Incubation Factory will stay on my radar screen as well. I also appreciated the Fed providing such perfect weather!" - Priscilla Block, St. Louis ArtWorks This hallmark event kicked off Exploring Innovation in Community Development Week, sponsored by the Community Affairs Office of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. It celebrated the role of innovation in shaping the community development industry, included special guests, governmental proclamations, a brief program, tours of The Art of Living Building, entertainment, food, beverages, and attendance gifts and prizes. The invitation was extended to a diverse group representing community and economic development organizations and their supporters from many fields. Mo. Gov. Matt Blunt Congratulatory Letter St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay Proclamation Opening Remarks from St. Louis Fed First Vice President Dave Sapenaro Program Photos
Video	Watch Dan Schmitt, founder and CEO of The Incubation Factory.
Information	Matthew Ashby Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 314-444-8891 Matthew.W.Ashby@stls.frb.org

St. Louis
Title	Affordable Green Building Open House
Date	April 15, 2008
Location	There were two open houses: St Louis County—Patrician Place Subdivision, 12031 Criterion, St. Louis, Mo. 63137 St. Louis City—EcoUrban LEED Platinum Home, 3140 Pennsylvania Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63101
Description	St. Louis County, Office of Community Development, and EcoUrban Homes in St. Louis collaborated on this event. Nearly 45 people visited one or both sites. St. Louis County—Patrician Place Subdivision is an initiative of St. Louis County, which will help finance 10 homes using green building techniques. The tour presented a high-performance home, which will be sold to income-qualified homebuyers interested in conserving energy. The development will be monitored for a year after the final home is sold to analyze the amount of energy used. The homes are being built using differing construction techniques. Results of the study will be used to determine policies for workforce housing in St. Louis County. Visit www.patricianplace.com for more information on the development. St. Louis City—The guided open house tour in the city featured an EcoUrban LEED Platinum Home at 3140 Pennsylvania Ave. EcoUrban Homes (www.ecourban.blogspot.com) is a developer of modern and historic off-site construction homes that combine design with a commitment to health and sustainable construction.
Photo	LEED Platinum Home 3140 Pennsylvania Ave., St. Louis
Information	St. Louis County Darlene Rich 314-615-4592 drich@stlouisco.com St. Louis City Jay Swoboda 314-662-0392 jay@ecourbanhomes.com
Bonus Feature	On April 19 and 20, EarthWays Center showcased “green” home systems, products and practices in a Victorian-era urban house in the city. The house has been renovated to demonstrate energy efficiency, recycling and waste reduction, renewable energy systems and water conservation. EarthWays Center is located at 3617 Grandel Square, St. Louis, MO 63108. Admission is $3 for adults. Children 12 and under and Missouri Botanical Garden members are admitted free. EarthWays Center (www.earthwayscenter.org/earthways.html) is a division of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

St. Louis
Title	On the Road to Greater Sustainability: Capitalization of Not-for-Profit Corporations
Date	April 16, 2008
Location	Justine Petersen 1023 North Grand Blvd. St. Louis, Mo. 63106
Description	"Thanks to the Federal Reserve and Justine Petersen for bringing together such a breadth of nonprofit executives to tackle the important issue of sustainability. It was interesting to hear each non-profit discuss their struggle to collaborate and capitalize." - Vikki Frank, Credit Builders Alliance What helps not-for-profit corporations attract private investments and build more predictable cash flow? A morning coffee gathering included informal discussion led by Robert Boyle of Justine Petersen with guests Kirby Burkholder from IFF and Rex Reed from YouthBridge Community Foundation. Participants brought ideas and issues to add to the mix of discussion topics that included basic capital formation, intermediary relending, socially targeted investments and community development financial institution (CDFI) intermediaries. At the end of the morning, the group decided to meet again to continue the discussion.
Information	Sheri Flanigan-Vazquez 314-644-5051 sflanigan@justinepetersen.org

St. Louis
Title	Charity for Profit: Exploring Social Enterprise Ventures in St. Louis
Date	April 17, 2008
Location	J.C. Penney Conference Center Room 126 UM-St. Louis
Description	"There is a new energy for creative solutions to social problems!" - Georgia Walker, One World Neighborhood Cafe Nonprofit organizations in search of strategies to raise operating funds are increasingly turning to social enterprises to bring in earned income. Is commercialization a promising way for nonprofits to supplement donations and achieve self-sufficiency? A panel of experts discussed practical implications of research presented by Dr. Baorong Guo, UMSL. The panel included Dan Buck, St. Patrick’s Center; Georgia Walker, The Center for Women in Transition and One World Neighborhood Cafe; and Marlene Levine, teacher and consultant. The presentation was part of the Community Partnership Project Seminar Series, sponsored by the Community Partnership Project at UM-St. Louis, working in cooperation with University of Missouri Extension. Presentation
Information	Kara Lubischer, UM-St. Louis community development specialist 314-516-4748 lubischerk@umsl.edu

Cleveland, Miss.
Title	Rural Community Development Forum: Developing Innovative Strategies to Address Unmet Community Needs
Date	April 14, 2008
Location	Delta State University 1003 W. Sunflower Road Cleveland, Miss. 38733
Description	Delta State University hosted the kickoff event for Exploring Innovation in Community Development Week, sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Memphis Branch. This rural community development forum focused on two innovative community development strategies, tourism and early childhood education, as ways to address a shrinking tax base and produce both short- and long-term solutions to unmet community needs in the Lower Mississippi Delta. Cleveland, Miss., Mayor David Work Proclamation Powerpoint Presentation
Information	Michael O. Minor 901-579-4106

Little Rock
Title	Innovation in the Natural State
Date	April 14, 2008
Location	Peabody Hotel 3 Statehouse Plaza, No. 1 Little Rock, Ark. 72201
Description	“With this spirit of cooperation, we’ll achieve positive results in housing, education and public safety and attract more families to the district.” - Joyce Elliott, chair University District Partnership Steering Committee This celebration kicked off Exploring Innovation in Community Development Week, sponsored by the Community Affairs office of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Little Rock Branch. The networking reception and awards presentation honored the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the City of Dyess and Murphy Oil Co. for their innovative approaches to community and economic development. Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe Proclamation Agenda
Photo	L-r, Joel E. Anderson, chancellor of UALR; Larry Sims, mayor of Dyess, Ark.; and Bob Stobough, Murphy Oil Col, accept recognition for their innovative approaches to community development.
Information	Julie Kerr 501-324-8296 Julie A. Kerr@stls.frb.org

Little Rock
Title	Creating a Roadmap for Innovation
Date	April 16, 2008
Location	Peabody Hotel 3 Statehouse Plaza, No. 1 Little Rock, Ark. 72201
Description	“Innovation comes from networks of diverse collaborators working together toward a common goal.” - Satish Nambisan Satish Nambisan, author of The Global Brain, explored the critical role of innovation in the rapidly evolving marketplace. Nambisan examined how lessons learned from other sectors that have incorporated innovation into their culture may be applied to community and economic development. A panel of experts in innovation helped the audience apply the concepts to the market in Arkansas. A reception and book signing followed. This was the first installment of a three-part community-development speaker series in 2008, sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Little Rock Branch. Agenda Powerpoint Presentation Transforming Government through Collaborative Innovation, Dr. Satish Nambisan's report on collaborative innovation in government, published by the IBM Center for the Business of Government
Photo	Dr. Satish Nambisan, author of The Global Brain, describes four approaches to netwrok-centric innovation.
Information	Julie Kerr 501-324-8296 Julie A. Kerr@stls.frb.org

Louisville
Title	Closing the Wealth Divide: New Ways to Help the Underserved Build Credit and Assets
Date	April 17, 2008
Location	Galt House Hotel 140 N. Fourth St. Louisville, Ky. 40202
Description	Sponsored by the Community Affairs Office of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Louisville Branch, this celebration of Exploring Innovation in Community Development Week focused on products, models and initiatives designed to help the underserved build credit and assets. John Hope Bryant, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, delivered the keynote address. Operation HOPE is a nonprofit social investment banking organization that has raised more than $400 million from the private sector to empower low-income people. Panels included: Credit Scoring: Innovative Approaches to Build Credit Panelists: Sheri Flanigan-Vasquez and Justine Petersen, Housing Corp.; Vikki Frank, Credit Builder Alliance; and Michael G. Nathans, Payment Reporting Builds Credit Innovative Credit & Wealth Building Products and Services Panelists: Larrey Riddle, Mountain Association for Community Economic Development, Kathryn Mitchell, Louisville Urban League; and Margery Spinnery, Cornerstone Community Loan Fund. Louisville Mayor Jerry E. Abramson Proclamation Program Powerpoint Presentations: Mountain Association for Community Economic Development Justine Petersen Cornerstone Renter Equity Credit Builders Alliance PRBC Overview
Photo	John Hope Bryant, founder, chaiman and CEO of Operation HOPE, delivered the keynote address at the Fed's April 17 luncheon. Operation HOPE is a nonprofit social investment banking organization. Also shown is Maria Gerwing Hampton, senior branch executive of the Louisville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Information	Kendra Keller Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Louisville Branch 502-568-9202 kendra.l.keller@stls.frb.org

Memphis
Title	The United Way Venture Fund: Planting the Seeds of Innovation
Date	April 18, 2008
Location	Memphis Marriott East 2625 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Memphis, Tenn. 38118
Description	“We commend the St. Louis Fed and the Memphis Branch for its leadership in convening diverse groups to plan and mobilize community efforts that improve lives for all residents.” - Harry Shaw, president, United Way of the Mid-South This luncheon recognized the United Way of the Mid-South’s Avron B. Fogelman Venture Fund and the outstanding contributions of the Venture Fund Grant recipients. For 21 years, these one-time grants for the creation, development and implementation of innovative approaches that produce long-term solutions to community issues have had a major impact in addressing unmet community needs in Memphis and the surrounding area. Sponsored by the Community Development Office of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Memphis Branch. Program Photos
Information	Kathy Moore Cowan Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Memphis Branch 901-579-4103 kathy.m.cowan@stls.frb.org

Pine Bluff, Ark.
Title	Smart Technology for Smarter Business Training
Date	April 15, 2008
Location	Southern Good Faith Fund Business Development Center 2304 W. 29th Ave. Pine Bluff, Ark. 71603
Description	Southern Good Faith Fund kicked off its Smart Technology for Smarter Business Training during Exploring Innovation in Community Development Week. This fun, interactive training is geared to help owners of small businesses learn how to apply technology to their day-to-day operations. Southern Good Faith Fund is a nonprofit whose mission is to increase the incomes and assets of low-income and low-skilled residents of the Delta in Arkansas and Mississippi.
Information	Miriam Karanja, 870-535-6233, ext. 38 mkaranja@southerngff.org

exploring: searching or traveling for the purpose of discovery

innovation: to add value by applying a new idea or method to something established