Carolyn Jack
Editor and CEO, Geniocity.comA project of The Genius Group LLC
Creative Nerve
Virtual networks for actual economic development
I made a recording today.
No, I wasn’t singing, although I’ve made those kinds of recordings, too, and boy, can that process be tedious.
This was a lot easier because all I had to do was talk about what’s important to me professionally: my business; helping the world value and practice creativity; and building a happier future by inventing better solutions to our problems.
A woman named Betsey Merkel was behind the camera. A member of the Institute for Open Economic Networks (I-OPEN, www.i-open.org), she’s been instrumental in helping Northeast Ohioans form themed virtual networks to promote idea-sharing and more productive, collaborative efforts among people trying to solve community problems and/or build business.
Merkel was recording my words for the Women’s Enterprise Network (www.womensenterprisenetwork.net), a group made up of women interested in empowering themselves, helping each other and contributing to economic development and civic leadership. WEN isn’t just a virtual network: Its members regularly meet for dinners, coffees and face-to-face discussion. But with Merkel’s help, the network has also begun building a virtual video library of community knowledge gleaned from those of us who are out there working, being entrepreneurial and trying to improve the world around us.
Betsey wanted me to answer three questions for the video: What do I feel passionate about right now; what do I want other people to know, think, feel and do; and what do I envision for the future?
I’m not sure how much I added to Northeast Ohio’s store of knowledge, but I came away encouraged that someone wanted to know what I think and what I’m trying to do. More important, I was heartened to discover that so many talented people in my region are working valiantly to change our collective luck by thinking innovatively and supporting each other. That’s the kind of network we all need. And it just gets better as more of us join it.