CLA-OC this month reconvened top Orange County executives and stakeholders to review the critical factors responsible for driving growth of our innovation ecosystem, along with plans to elevate the OC region among the nation’s most active.
New job growth is essential to the health of our economy, and data presented indicates that new startups disproportionately account for job gains and productivity nationwide. These innovation jobs – such as tech, medical devices, and artificial intelligence – have an economic multiplier effect that super-charge nearly all sectors of our economy, and emphasis is therefore on:
- Innovation talent development and retention
- Venture capital and angel-round funding
- Connecting local startups with resources to thrive and launch
- Promoting the region’s opportunity and communicating our progress
CLA-OC is advancing a business-led system to accumulate necessary data on each of these fronts that will guide the investment of collective leadership and capital – referred to as its “flywheel approach.”
The hour-long virtual meeting revealed significant progress in gathering necessary data and aligning stakeholders. Educational partnerships are forming at the high school and community college levels, and business leaders are coalescing an “OC Master Fund” aimed at participating in early-stage innovation startups.
To learn how you can support these efforts, contact Carey Ransom at CLA-OC ([email protected])