BAY AREA COMMUNITY COUNCIL
NOVEMBER 2020 NEWSLETTER
The Bay Area Community Council is the leading organization in engaging community leaders in understanding and shaping the future of the greater Green Bay area.
President's Message
Dave Wegge

The Bay Area Community Council (BACC) is experiencing an exciting and productive 2020. BACC is walking-the-talk of our role in strategic foresight. For the past three years, BACC has trained leaders in nonprofits, business, education, and government to use the tools of foresight analysis to guide their organizations into the future. For the past three months, BACC has used a foresight tool, the Three Horizons model, to guide the future of BACC. The Three Horizon model is based on the work of Bill Sharpe in his book Three Horizons: The Patterning of Hope. At the October Board of Directors meeting the BACC approved a Three Horizons plan as a working document to guide our work from 2020 to 2030.

In applying this model, Sharpe suggests that after identifying the current state in the First Horizon, organizations should next envision their preferred future in the Third Horizon. The Second Horizon then provides the path to transforming the organization to reach their preferred future....


BACC foresight consultant launches new Brooklyn enterprise

Garry Golden, no stranger to us as facilitator of Foresight Analysis training to approximately three dozen leaders in our community and the BACC Board, has launched a new endeavor to help youth and the community at large become more comfortable with foresight. Check out Into the Future.
BACC Board members awarded for contributions to local community.

Current Board member Diane Roundy received the Outstanding Service Award from the Green Bay Area Public School District. As reported by Kim Schanock, Consultant and Contractor, Diane provided her time and talent to assist in establishing the GBAPS Education Foundation.

New Board member Gratzia Villarroel received the 2020 Founder's Award from St. Norbert College. The Founder’s Award at St. Norbert College is given to employees and students of the college in recognition of their contributions to the Norbertine spirit and tradition on campus.

We Can’t Buy It - Let’s Build It
Randall Lawton, BACC Board member, Economic Transformation Signals Team
 
(This article represents a small portion of the BACC Economic Transformation Signal Team report.)
“… the most successful startups operate in a well-connected, well-funded ecosystem. Supporting our startups is not solely the responsibility of our government and economic development organizations; it is up to all of us to get engaged. Big companies, investors, family offices, non-profits, retirees and foundations all have a role to play in seeding and growing the local companies of the future.” Cameron Cushman, Director of Innovative Ecosystems, University of Texas-Fort Worth

In the drive to create economic dynamism, our community clearly missed the early technology and start-up entrepreneurial thrust. As we watched early technology innovators on the West and East coasts, it became obvious we were missing opportunities and our local economy was falling behind. However, when the right infrastructure components are put in place and executed effectively, the economic dynamism of communities thrives. Greater Green Bay has recently experienced substantial - and accelerating - progress. Without the infrastructure and shifting mental model established over the past decade, we would not be ready for the giant steps now being taken.

 “Too many communities concentrate on attracting businesses from afar instead of growing them at home. In a thriving ecosystem, entrepreneurship empowers individuals, improves standards of living, and creates jobs, wealth, and innovation in the economy. But the success of an entrepreneurial ecosystem can’t be bought; it has to be built… together, we can grow inclusive and empowering economies and explore the best ways to support the makers, the doers, and the dreamers.” Wendy Guillies, CEO, Kauffman Foundation 2019 State of Entrepreneurship Address

FAVORITE RESOURCES AND NEWS YOU CAN USE

Recent news stories, articles, books, videos, Websites or venues of interest to the BACC supporters and newsletter readers, recommend by the BACC staff and directors. Also community events of interest to the BACC supporters

Aspen Institute. National Service: A Key to Recovery. October 16, 2020.



Lee, James H. "Urbanization: Post-Pandemic Scenarios," AAI Foresight, September 11. 2020.



What is new with the BACC Economic Transformation Signals Team?
submitted by Phil Hauck, BACC Board member

Is Bitcoin Real? Look at China
China’s central bank several years ago created the world first government-sponsored digital currency, called Digital Currency Electronic Payment, tied to the yuan. Recently, it announced that more than 3.1 million transactions have involved the DCEP, totaling $162 million, as part of a controlled test. It has included use of bar codes, facial recognition and tap-and-go transactions, for everything from bill payments and transportation to government services. It uses blockchain technology, which was created to allow processing of bitcoin transactions, to process and verify the transactions.

Tap The Expertise of Local Artificial Intelligence Experts
Joe Bashta, who moved from Australia to Green Bay to take advantage of local expertise for a family concern, runs Axicor out of the UrbanHub buildings on North Broadway. His expertise is taking your data base and figuring out what trends it’s hiding that you can use to provide better service for customers. Experienced with large, Australian companies, his mechanism has a “simulator” capability that can show how it can serve our much smaller company data bases.

Troy Parr, Threaded Digital Platform Solutions, long time leader in Oneida Nation infrastructure, has turned his avocation for Augmented Reality applications into a business, hooking up with Microsoft’s HoloLens capabilities. The application can be used to make radically more efficient training techniques, speed up detailed repetitive activities, visualize and change building and interior space configurations, and more.
SUMMARY OF OCTOBER 8 BACC BOARD MEETING

The BACC Board of Directors met over Webex on October 8, 2020.

The Board approved the nomination of Dr. Gratzia Villarroeal, Associate Professor of Political Science, St. Norbert College and President of the Board of Directors, Casa Alba to the Board of Directors. The Board also approved the slate of candidates for a three year term on the Board, beginning on January 1, 2020: Natalie Bomstad, Jeff House, John Katers, Randall Lawton, Nan Nelson, Randy Van Straten, and Dave Wegge.

Lynn Gerlach, communication consultant, updated the Board on rebranding efforts. The Board is considering a new organizational, vision, and mission statement. The Board is on target for an early 2021 rollout of its new brand.

Natalie Bomstad delivered a very positive report on the all virtual training that our 2020 fall foresight cohort is receiving from Garry Golden. Dave Wegge and Lee Bouche presented a strategic plan for the BACC based on the Three Horizons model, popularized by Bill Sharpe.