[OSList] Vibrant Phoenix & the 5th Principle

[Christine Whitney Sanchez]

Dear Open Space Friends,

Wherever it is, is the right place.  At the Vibrant Phoenix event last  
week, more than half of the participants posted their names and  
contact info so that the conversations could continue!  You can see  
those commitments online here.

Amanda, Harrison, Barry, Tova and Thomas, I brought you and all our  
open space friends into the Vibrant Phoenix event.  It was a high  
stakes affair, with many elected officials sitting in the opening  
circle holding their shoulders up by their ears sitting next to  
business folks in suits and high heels along with a spunky group of  
young social entrepreneurs.  They posted 22 topics (see below) over  
three sessions.  As I was walking around taking pictures, I heard  
vibrant and wise discussions - people in my home town are obviously  
passionate about positioning our region for economic success.

What a great morning!

On June 3, 2011, over 100 Arizonans gathered at the beautiful new  
Chandler City Hall to discuss regional collaboration to create vibrant  
city environments to attract and retain talent and investment.  The  
Open Space strategy session, designed to engage cities, businesses and  
communities to raise the level of thinking on how we position our  
region for economic success, made it possible for the participants to  
generate topics and focus on what they most cared about.

Following a morning of lively and meaty discussions, more than half of  
the participants committed to be hosts or participants in further  
conversations on the most exciting ideas for positioning our region  
for economic success.

For more of the story from http://vibrantphx.com/....look below my  
signature.  For those of you on Facebook, I've posted photos from the  
event on my profile.

Warm wishes from a golden Phoenix sunset,

Christine

Christine Whitney Sanchez, Partner
Innovation Partners International
480.759.0262
www.innovationpartners.com


Mayor Jay Tibshraeny of Chandler, Arizona and Mayor Georgia Lord of  
Goodyear, briefly opened the morning with former SunCor Development  
Co. President Steve Betts providing background discoveries of the  
Metro Phoenix DNA Project.

The remainder of the morning was led by the participants themselves –  
they created their own agenda by hosting discussion sessions on topics  
they have passion for.

The Open Space meeting was guided by Christine Whitney Sanchez,  
partner with Innovation Partners International, a strength-based  
consulting firm with international experience and credentials in  
leading groups and communities to new heights.  Open Space is a non- 
hierarchical, transparent process that makes it easy for large groups  
to build on each other’s ideas and self-organize for taking action on  
the most exciting ideas. It is a fun and dynamic way to release the  
wisdom of the many.

Twenty-two participants hosted the following breakout discussions:

Abandoning the past to enable the future
Dichotomy of highly educated workforce & education funding
Transforming University Education
How do we retain the creative talent that we already have?
What types of companies have talent we want & how do we attract them?
What is your city doing for me?
True & Terrifying Tales of Young Entrepreneurs
The urban forest & economic redevelopment = lush desert lifestyle
An environmentally & economically sustainable Arizona
Where has the sense of caring for each other gone in our state? How do  
we get it back?
Why are you afraid of telling the truth? Unlocking community by being  
authentic.
Why are you scared of me? Exploring relationships w/ creatives
Grow a culture & network of innovation
Creating creative gathering spaces
Arts & Culture
How do we wake the “sleeping giants”? (moms, dads, neighbors)
Primary Education Revitalization
The legislature and our image
Friends in “Low” places. Identifying other user partners to develop  
our communities
How do we make AZ’s natural assets (the outdoors) part of the  
conversation to attract talent?
Attracting international interest – Being globally connected
Bridging the gap between generation leadership
Each breakout group posted their most potent and actionable ideas.   
One half of the participants were so passionate about the ideas that  
emerged that they listed their contact information to host another  
conversation and explore next steps.

The document below represents original discussion topics, hosts,  
action ideas, participants who committed to host the next conversation  
and people who have committed to participate in the next  
conversation.  If you are interested in joining a conversation, please  
contact the host listed in the chart.

Visit the next actions online here.
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