Login

Ideas: Talent, Innovation, and Place

Why "Venn"? When Jim worked at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), he worked with members to develop a framework for the role of universities in creating community and economic impact. The framework revolves around the Venn diagram of talent, innovation, and place to emphasize the idea the a higher scale of impact can be achieved by working at the intersections of talent and workforce development, innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems, and social, cultural, and community outcomes. These ideas also drive our work at Venn Collaborative.

Talent

People at their brainpower are at the heart of every workforce, community, or economic development initiative. Communities and regions depend on the knowledge, skills, abilities, and mindsets of their citizens to develop and thrive. At Venn Collaborative, we‘re interested and knowledgeable about a variety of issues related to talent:
  • knowledge transfer by colleges and universities in partnership with communities
  • human capital development for the 21st century knowledge economy
  • college and university programs—credit-bearing and continuing education—that are responsive to industry and workforce development needs
  • service and experiential
    learning
  • development of lifelong learning strategies among higher education and partners
  • better connections between education and workforce development systems
  • better pathways from K-12 to college to career

Innovation

The word “innovation” is used in many ways. At Venn Collaborative, we are interested in innovation as problem solving, creating, and turning ideas into actions and useful tools. In particular, we‘re interested in an knowledgeable about: 
  • the roots of innovation in basic scientific research
  • technology development and tech transfer
  • the intellectual, creative,
    and business processes that lead to innovation and application
  • connections between innovation and entrepreneurship
  • social innovation and entrepreneurship
  • the societal, economic, technological, policy, artistic,
    and cultural outcomes of innovation

Place

Talent and innovation can only turn into opportunity and prosperity if they happen in great places to work and live. At Venn Collaborative, we‘re interested in all of the elements that create these great places, from good education opportunities, to health care, to cultural assets, and more. We are knowledgeable about and interested in:
  • attractive, competitive communities
  • creating places
    where people want to live, create and take jobs, raise their families, and participate in civic life
  • the role of health care,
    education, environmental sustainability, housing, safety,
    public spaces, and culture and entertainment
  • the networks and connections required to build community
  • good government and civic services
  • community and place identity and the stories we tell about places
  • equity of opportunity and social
    justice

Intersections

Mostly, Venn Collaborative is interested in exploring the Venn of talent, innovation, and place—finding all of the ways that these many elements overlap, combine and turn into leverage for economic and societal impact.

If you're interested in any or all of the above, join us as we explore talent, innovation, place, and the intersections at Venn Community. Click below and be sure to click on Join Now on the next page.
Join the Venn Community