IRV WEISER

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Title

• IRV WEISER
• Chairman of the Board
• RBC Dain Rauscher

For more information, visit www.theitascaproject.
com
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• The Itasca Project, launched 2 years ago, is an
  informal association of Twin Cities civic
  leaders, including 30 private sector CEOs, the
  Governor, the two Mayors, the President of the
  University of Minnesota and the Chancellor of the
  state college system
• Itasca identifies issues with high economic and
  quality of life impact for the region
• Itasca then becomes actively engaged in those
  priority issues for which we can
• Fill a civic leadership gap
• Apply a fresh approach and/or accelerate
  promising efforts
• Unite public, nonprofit, and business interests
  behind common goals and solutions for faster,
  better results
• Itasca is a virtual organization it is fueled
  by loaned
• executives and support from McKinsey and Company

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ITASCA PARTICIPANTS UNITED AROUND THE FOLLOWING
CHALLENGES

• Lack of shared regional aspirations and
  strategies
• Limited business-government-academia
  collaboration
• Failure to fully leverage the University of
  Minnesota
• Government entities not collaborative and not
  regionally focused
• Too many organizations doing too many things
  unilaterally

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ITASCA BELIEVES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MUST BE
BROADLY DEFINED TO BUILD LONG-TERM COMPETITIVENESS

• Initiatives include
• Advancing a comprehensive transportation plan
• Improving early childhood development
• Addressing socio-economic disparities
• Setting indicators to track regional progress
• Supporting financial literacy

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IN THE 2 YEARS SINCE ITASCA IDENTIFIED
TRANSPORTATION AS A CRITICAL ISSUE, IT HAS BECOME
A STATE PRIORITY

• 2 years ago, transportation was a Tier 2 issue,
  but Itasca participants felt it was critical
• Itasca has worked the past 2 years to raise
  public demand, build collaboration among
  transportation interests, and encourage lawmakers
  to act
• Today, a major investment referendum is on the
  ballot in the fall 58 of Minnesotans support
  the measure

Source Minneapolis Star Tribune
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THREE ITASCA INITIATIVES HAVE BEEN MORE TACTICAL
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

• Initiatives
• Retaining and growing leading employers
• Encouraging small business creation and growth
• Better leveraging the University of Minnesota as
  an economic development engine

• Outcomes
• A new division of the Minnesota Chamber of
  Commerce to provide individualized support to key
  companies who are already in the state
• The Minnesota Business Exchange a neutral,
  virtual marketplace for entrepreneurs, investors
  and service providers (with U of M and state)
• Itasca Scholars talent magnet program
• New front door to the U of M for easier
  business access
• Relationship managers for key companies
• New technology commercialization processes
  including the hiring of seekers
• New Office of Business Development