- Date published
Feelin’ Lucky
We’ve been feeling extra fortunate lately to live in a community with so many people and organizations working hard to grow the economy.
In honor us feeling so #blessed, we’ve rounded up eight local orgs that are working their tails off to drive economic development in Springfield. Check em out!
City of Springfield
The City of Springfield has lots of initiatives focused on kicking our economy into overdrive. The city’s commitment to economic and workforce development has helped the area become a great place for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Some highlights from the city’s efforts include the Brownfields Program, the Kearney Street Redevelopment Program, creative tax structures, and the establishment of three Opportunity Zones in North, Central, and Downtown Springfield.
Missouri State University
Aside from being the region’s fifth largest employer, MSU is making its MISSOURI STATEment by driving economic development in our community. The University is making Springfield a powerhouse for innovation, design, entrepreneurship, and the arts through the creation (and hopefully the expansion!) of the IDEA Commons District.
The Jordan Valley Innovation Center (JVIC) promotes research and development in applied science, engineering, and biomedical sciences in our community. Springfield Innovation, Inc. promotes the commercialization of research through entrepreneurial action in partnership with Missouri State University and the efactory. All of this plus the injection of thousands of university students into our community each year adds up to a major ED win.
The Network
For young professionals, there’s no place like The Network. The group is part of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and provides professionals under 40 with networking opportunities, exclusive events, and professional development.
Members are often tapped for local board appointments and advisory committees, giving young professionals a seat at the table and allowing them to shape the future of our community. With a focus on retaining the best and brightest young professionals in our region, The Network is setting Springfield up for success.
Small Business & Technology Development Center
The Springfield chapter of the SBTDC is hard at work helping small business owners take their venture to the next level. Their staff provides ongoing trainings that cover everything from Business Planning 101 to advanced classes on marketing, human resources, and accounting.
They also log hundreds of hours of consulting each year, sitting down one-on-one with business owners to talk through everything from financial projections to marketing plans. They’ve had a hand in assisting hundreds of small businesses and the addition of hundreds of new jobs in our region.
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce organizes educational programs, networking opportunities, and many other benefits for its member businesses. With the belief that every business benefits from economic growth and the creation of new jobs, the Chamber assists business leaders with everything from site selection to workforce development tools.
Springfield Business Development Corp.
The SBDC is a subsidiary of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce that is even more laser-focused on economic development than the Chamber at large. The SBDC works to create jobs, spur business investment, and grow our region’s workforce.
They market Springfield nationally to attract new businesses in addition to helping local companies grow and expand. They’ve even launched a talent attraction initiative that makes it easier for local companies to recruit candidates from outside the area.
Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Springfield CVB promotes economic development through travel and tourism. And they do a dang good job. Springfield has a steady stream of visitors who visit our community, stay in hotels, eat at restaurants, and so on.
With exciting new additions like Wonders of Wildlife, the $2 million annual economic impact of tourism in Springfield is expected to grow. We’re also pretty fond of their #LoveSpringfield campaign on Instagram, encouraging locals and visitors to share their favorite parts of the Queen City.
Springfield Creatives
Springfield Creatives is a community of our area’s brightest creative professionals. Aside from all their impressive creative skills, members of the group are also hard at work making Springfield a better place to live and work.
The group even has a dedicated Outreach & Advocacy Committee that focuses on advocating for members’ vision for Springfield’s creative and cultural future.
