B3K Prosperity – the "Better Bakersfield and Boundless Kern" initiative is a public-private collaborative effort to develop a roadmap and investment plan for economic growth and inclusion in Kern County. B3K is made up of a Core Team, Advisory Team, Executive Committee, Research Committee and Steering Committee.
On October 14, Steering Committee members met to hear from Sheri Gonzales, Vice President of Kansas City Civic Council and Director of KC Rising and Ben Sio, Chief of Staff at Center State Corporation for Economic Opportunity in Syracuse. Sheri and Ben provided insights on their experiences and challenges as they worked toward inclusive economic growth initiatives in their regions. Steering Committee members reconvened on October 22 to reflect and discuss the models from Kansas City and Syracuse and how they can apply to B3K Prosperity and Kern County region.
Alexia Svejda, Economic Development Specialist from East Kern said, "What Sheri Gonzales with KC Rising shared resonated with me. This is someone who has been in the trenches, who is genuine in relaying challenges and successes. I took two pages of notes! She said 'Culture beats strategy. Be brutally honest and respond with humility.' We need that cultural/societal shift where we become all-inclusive. We do need to be honest, honest about where we are now, with each other, with ourselves, honest about where we need to be."
B3K Prosperity from the Lens of Local Leaders:
Community Voices: Local government is the leading edge of economic development by Ryan Alsop, Christian Clegg and Ron Strand (click here)
Community Voices: Economic diversification and entrepreneurship
For more detailed information on B3K process, outcomes, and stakeholders, please visit our website: www.B3Kprosperity.org
