History
Since 2007, principals from industry, education and the Piedmont Triad Partnership (PTP) joined forces to establish a Creative Economy Initiative throughout the 12 county Piedmont region. This effort was made possible with support from the Wired grant funded by the US Dept of Labor, which ended in June 2010.
To ensure the momentum will not be lost from the successful work accomplished, the Center for Creative Economy has been established as an independent non-profit organization. The center serves as a catalyst for the creative economy in the Piedmont Triad region and throughout the state.
Accomplishments/Background
The result of the Creative Economy Initiative has been a transformation of the region’s creative cluster which we now understand is comprised of 30,000 workers. Prior to these efforts, there was no organized infrastructure, no definition of the sector or projects focused on job growth. The Creative Enterprises initiative has invested and developed the creative economy substantially by creating the following programs:
Infrastructure
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Idea Index- Build the Brand of You www.ideaindex.com
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A robust, interactive site that enables innovators, creatives and businesses to connect, exchange ideas, develop opportunities, and recruit talent to maximize success in the global economy. Unites commerce and social media for a rich interactive experience.
- Everwondr Event Website www.explorethepiedmont.com
- Film Scout – Mobile app for scouting film locations; www.filmscout.com
Professional Development
- Design- Triad Design Leadershop www.triaddesignleadershop.com
- Digital Marketing Boot Camp www.digitalmarketingbootcamp.com
- Entrepreneurship for Creatives
- Triad Interactive Learning Center- Online learning management tool. www.triadinteractivelearningcenter.com
Programs
- Design Link- Regional Architecture Hub http://designlinknc.com
- Interactive Digital Media/ Surgical Technology Serious Game
University Transformation Team
- The Chancellors and Presidents of the 20 Triad universities and colleges formed the University Transformation Team. When challenged to choose a focus for regional collaboration to improve economic development, they chose Design and Innovation. The first projects undertaken by the team were to support the Creative Cluster’s Serious Games Initiative and to develop a focus on Film and New Media.
