I Will Stay In Dayton If….

In a recent article on CNBC.com (March 23), Bert Sperling, known for his expertise on best places to live, eat and retire (just to name a few), shared some wonderful insight on where he sees Dayton in the near future. He comments that, “Dayton’s industrial heritage is transitioning to today’s new technologies;” he believes the City has all the right assets for an economic comeback.

With our award winning, nationally recognized universities and colleges, a thriving healthcare industry and expanding military base, Sperling believes Dayton is poised to bounce back.  So what will it take to keep Dayton moving in the right direction? What will get people, particularly those elusive and desirable college graduates and young professionals, to come and stay in Dayton?

According to a survey conducted by updayton, a local initiative launched in 2008 to attract and retain young talent in the area, hundreds of young professionals pointed to four specific areas that needed improvement – they will stay if they have access to more jobs, better neighborhoods, increased diversity and more nightlife and entertainment options. Young creatives have spoken, and updayton is dedicated to making their voices heard.

Each year updayton hosts the Young Creatives Summit to engage and empower young people to implement their own solutions to meet these needs. This year’s Summit, to be held on Friday, April 15 at the Dayton Convention Center, will bring together nearly 200 young professionals and creatives to craft and implement four unique projects to address these pressing issues. To strengthen these efforts, updayton has partnered with organizations focused on solutions for each of the key concerns to work closely with these highly energized volunteers.

Summit attendees interested in creating more livable neighborhoods will partner with CityWide Development to provide vital input on current neighborhoods in and around downtown and on the development of a new neighborhood near Brown Street.

Other projects include working with the Human Relations Council to make Dayton an immigrant friendly city, creating a new entertainment option for First Friday in cooperation with the Downtown Dayton Partnership and partnering with the Southwestern Ohio Council on Higher Education (SOCHE) to connect more college students and recent college graduates to local internships.

Linking the talent of the young professionals with the resources of these organizations greatly increases the potential for success and sustainability. Volunteers from the Summit may decide to focus on small manageable projects in order to serve the mission of the larger organization, but often times it is the small steps that lead to big results. Collaboration is key in moving Dayton forward; updayton is grateful for the support of these four partner organizations.

To register or get more information about the 2011 Young Creatives Summit, click here.