Regional economic development has long focused on activating existing assets in the region to create economic growth and social prosperity. But there is a tremendous number of assets that go unactivated. The people in a region are the the greatest assets, but we often work to activate only some, not all, of these assets. Equitable and inclusive economic development and growth requires us to pay attention to ALL of the assets, and this week's guest on The Collaborative Effect, Sheila Martin, hopes to make this happen. 

Sheila Martin is founder and principal at Triple Helix Partnerships. Sheila has over 30 years of experience analyzing regional economies and building collaborative capacity within regions. Sheila is committed to equitable economic development and policies that promote social mobility. Learn more about Sheila at the Triple Helix Partnerships website. 

Why is it that when we get stuck in our collaborative work we find it difficult to recognize our situation and break out of it? Instead, we often double down on trying to fix the problems rather than shifting our attention to the opportunities that might be presented by refocusing on new issues and approaches. This kind of shift is what our guest this week, Liz Nilsen, wishes for us and our collaborations. 

Liz Nilsen is associate director of the Agile Strategy Lab at the University of North Alabama. At the Agile Strategy Lab, she creates programs that nurture the next generation of thinkers and doers. Liz is also co-author of the book, Strategic Doing: 10 Skills for Agile Leadership. Learn more about Liz and Strategic Doing at the Strategic Doing website.  

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer and editor who loves the outdoors. She’s the author of five walking books focused on helping others, including those with mobility issues, to get out and enjoy the outdoors. When it comes to collaboration, Marjorie believes in interdependence and asking for help, but spreading the net wide so interdependence doesn't become a burden. Learn more about Marjorie and her work at marjorieturner.com.

Ky Holland is a founding member of Alaska Version three, which is engaging Alaskans in the creation of the next Alaska by accelerating the transformation of Alaska's innovation economy. Ky is also an associate at Venn Collaborative. Learn more about Ky at kyholland.com. Here are links to resources that Kai mentioned during the conversation:

Henry Pavey is the Director of Collaborative Impact, a consultancy practice focused on collaboration and partnership work based in the uk. He is a collaborative working thought leader, a trusted advisor, and partnership builder and facilitator. Henry believes that leaders must focus at least as much on partnership development as they do on organizational development, and he works toward that impact. Learn more about Henry at collaborative-hyphen-impact.uk.

In this episode, Jim Woodell recaps Season 1 of The Collaborative Effect, and offers a preview of Season 2. Jim reviews the 5 Considerations for Strengthening Collaboration introduced in the Introducing The Collaborative Effect episode, with examples of these considerations from his Season 1 interviews. Whether you're new to The Collaborative Effect or a returning listener, we offer you a warm welcome to Season 2!

Peya Robbins is a multi-passionate entrepreneur who geeks out about problem solving, community-building, and organization. She is the founder of Pey Pey the VA - a bespoke virtual assistant agency supporting online entrepreneurs looking to change the world. Learn more about Peya at PeyPeytheVA.com.

Dorothy Air is co-founder of Partnerships Playbook Consulting, and a faculty member at Venn Collaborative's Venn Workshop. She specializes in strategic planning and collaboration, and she is experienced in university innovation and industry partnerships. Learn more about Dorothy at the Venn Collaborative website.

When we recorded this podcast, Brett Brenton was senior director of learning at Forward Cities. Brett is now north central regional impact manager for MyFutureNC, a North Carolina nonprofit organization focused on educational attainment through cross-sector collaboration between leaders in education, business, and government. Learn more about Brett on LinkedIn or at the MyFutureNC website.

Ann Rupnow is entrepreneurship and economic development coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's College of Business. She is also the faculty advisor for UW-Eau Claire’s Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization. She talked with us about how she uses her skills as a connector and a generalist to help entrepreneurs step forward a level. Learn more about Ann on LinkedIn or at the UW Eu Claire website.