On Wednesday, January 17th, REACH Central Coast hosts business leaders from SLO and SB Counties at the Ritz Calton Bacara to talk about technology, economic development and investing in communities.
Many people know the Central Coast as a place to bask on the beaches like Pismo Beach, or hike the hills of the Pismo Preserve, or explore wine country right outside of Pismo in the Edna Valley, and enjoy the temperate climate.
A growing coalition is working to make sure the region is also known for its innovation, future-focused industries and world-class assets.
“The Central Coast holds all the pieces for thousands more high-paying jobs in forward-looking industries,” says Melissa James, president and CEO of REACH, a private sector-led nonprofit that partners with government, education and civic organizations to increase economic prosperity across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. “By connecting dots, breaking down barriers and uniting across sectors, the region can provide more economic opportunity to more people.”
The region’s innovation took center stage at REACH’s inaugural Ideas + Action Summit in January, where two dozen speakers explored the region’s rapidly growing role in areas spanning space and aerospace, clean energy, and semiconductors (essentially the brains of modern electronics).
“The region’s research in these areas has informed quite a bit of invention globally,” Chad Shearer, an economist who works with organizations including the Brookings Institution and the Global Institute on Innovation Districts, noted in his presentation.
Through a set of interconnected initiatives, REACH is channeling the region’s potential into job growth, spurred by a vision of a Central Coast where all residents have the opportunity to build lives, families and careers.
One core area of focus is boosting the amount of housing available to the region’s workers — a key building block in any community, says REACH Executive Vice President Russ Levanway.
“By bringing government, business leaders and home builders together in new ways,” Levanway says, ”we can unlock the housing our region needs both to help Central Coast businesses expand and create new high-paying jobs and to ensure dynamic communities of thriving residents, expanding the quality of life the region has to offer.”
REACH
A regional economic action coalition
Mission: To increase economic prosperity through big thinking, bold action and regional collaboration.
Vision: The Central Coast will be a place where current and future generations have the opportunity to thrive.
Learn more at reachcentralcoast.org