Economic Development Fall 2016
ENTREPRENEUR ALLIANCE - RAISING SHARK BAIT By Robyn Jefferson, Entrepreneurship Alliance Intern It is happening again. High school students from three local schools are engaging in starting their own businesses. These folks have only a reality-television sense of what it is to be an entrepreneur. The students have willingly enrolled in a year-long class during which they will create their summer job. Did they know they were signing up to potentially be shark bait? The 2016-17 Entrepreneurship Alliance school year kicks off with three local high schools challenging students to choose their summer job path. This year, Grayson High School is joining South Gwinnett and Brookwood high schools in the most important work our schools can do today - preparing their students for engagement in the workforce. This year, the EA entrepreneurship effort will culminate in a countywide Shark Tank, based on the popular television show. The top two students from each program will move on to compete against other GCPS high school entrepreneurship student winners in a countywide “Shark Tank” competition hosted by the city of Snellville and the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. The Entrepreneurship Alliance is requesting local business
leaders, entrepreneurs and service providers to serve and engage in one of three roles: •Entrepreneurship Story Teller – Through the fall the EA is seeking individuals that will tell their story to and engage with a group of aspiring student entrepreneurs. The commitment is about 40 minutes. •Entrepreneurship Mentor – At the Ideation Symposium and/ or through late winter and early spring the aspiring entrepreneurs will be focusing on their business idea, refining their business plans and preparing to rise to the level of being able to pitch at the Shark Tank. They will get guidance from business folks. •Shark Tank Jury Member – The Shark Tank Jury members are local and regional business owners who will commit to a donation to the Shark Tank Venture fund and a long afternoon of serving on the jury. We need your engagement to shape the next generation of business owners. Anyone interested in learning more about the program or is interested in contributing as a community partner, should contact Snellville Economic Development Director Eric Van Otteren, at evanotteren@snellville.org or by calling 770985-3502.
Alphabet Soup - the Trilogy By Eric Van Otteren, Economic Development Director In the spring edition of the Snellville Spirit, I shared about the Urban Redevelopment Agency and its dog-friendly efforts like a water fountain for pooches on the Towne Green. In the summer edition, I talked about the Downtown Development Authority and its wayfinding initiative. In this, the third column in the series, I will share a little about the Development Authority of Snellville. After being inactive for the past several years, the DAS was reinstated earlier this year with the task of selling the old police department building and with helping to advance the Towne Center @ Snellville. The DAS has many of the same powers as the Downtown Development Authority. One key difference is the DDA is restricted to a predefined district, the commercial area of downtown. The DAS is not limited to commercial areas. It may work anywhere within the city limits, including residential areas. With this in mind, the DAS may work with the DDA to develop housing options in The Towne Center as their coverage area does overlap. At their cores, the DDA and DAS serve the city in a key role of offering a more flexible method of selling property. The DAS 12
was recently charged by Mayor and Council with the task of selling the old police department building on Springdale Road. The building has several issues and has been vacant for a number of years. The vacancy period was primarily due to the nationwide recession and the challenging location of the building. The DAS is making good steps in the sales process and hopes to dispose of the building within the next year or two. The directors for the DDA and DAS overlap, creating a well-placed synergy between the authorities. There are slightly different qualifications for the directors on each authority. Some of the directors may serve on both authorities. The next meeting of these organizations is Sept. 15: •Urban Redevelopment Agency - 4:30 p.m. •Downtown Development Authority - 5 p.m. •Development Authority of Snellville - 5:30 p.m. The meetings are held in Snellville City Hall, 2342 Oak Road, and are open to the public. If you are interested in volunteering, please feel free to come to a meeting and learn more. The volunteer application may be found on the city’s website, Snellville.org. Search for “Application for Board Appointment.” Snellville, Where Everybody’s Proud to be Somebody