Oregon needs to exploit its unique position as a lead state in developing clean energy. We have already invested billions of tax dollars to attract companies to develop our renewable resources. However, we invest almost nothing to develop a world class talent pool that will provide the innovation and technical skill necessary to make our state the ‘go to’ place for renewable energy education, research, and innovation for the foreseeable future.

A team of citizen volunteers have been working on a proposal (OESTRA) that follows the recommendations of the Pew Charitable Trust and uses some of the best from successful programs in other states like Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. Tobias Read, Chairman of the House Sustainability and Economic Development Committee, is preparing legislation based on this proposal. The proposal would bring eminent scholars to Oregon to teach top decile students, establish applied research labs that will employ and train graduate students, capture Federal grants, and stimulate investment in renewable energy innovation and technologies. At a cost of $4 million/year it will establish Oregon as the center for renewable energy innovation, provide a basis for reducing utility costs, lowering dependence on fossil fuels, and building an economic development model based on clean energy and family wage jobs. A significant part of this proposal is the inclusion of an ROI model that can measure the benefit from these investments.

The American Innovation Council, let by Bill Gates and Jeff Immelt, has embraced this approach. The Obama Administration is in the process of implementing the Council proposals. The recommendations include putting an additional $16 billion into renewable energy research and development projects that will enable us to become energy independent and reduce our carbon footprint. The next six years will be a critical time for Oregon to capture these research investments and build an important public/private partnership. This alliance will elevate our higher education system, provide job growth in applied research around clean energy, and grow the number of technology based companies so necessary for Oregon’s future.

Meyer should leverage its prominence in Oregon's non-profit community with a $1 million "challenge grant" that will serve as a catalyst to attract other dollars; especially one-time start up funds from other foundations, private industry sources, and key federal granting agencies. A Meyer grant will also send a strong message to the Governor and Legislature that future jobs in Oregon will depend on public/private investments in clean energy and technology.

Josh Bratt, CIMA®
Vice President | Wealth Advisor
Senior Consultant, ICS
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney | Global Wealth Management Group
1001 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 2200
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You ask what Oregon's #1 problem is. It's unemployment. $1 million should be able to encourage some great business thinkers (like Jim Collins of the aforementioned book) to move their think tanks here. In return, Oregon would receive: national attention of the right kind; sound advice on the ground level; a workable economic vision for the future; and a host of smart entrepreneurs as well as extra venture capital. Just spare us the Richard Florida types.
Why would smart people like Collins want to move here? If sustainability is the future and Oregon is the leader in the field, what better place for an expert to show us how to sustain ourselves?
If this idea has any traction, give credit to Nigel Jaquiss at Willamette Week.

We propose algae farming to create fuel and other valuable products. Oregon could easily become a leader in this rapidly advancing technology. No other resource has as much potential for making oil. Algae removes CO2 from the atmosphere at a higher rate than any other living organism, it removes pollutants from water, it can be used for fertilizer and livestock feed, and it can be converted into fuel! There is great opportunity for many new jobs and training by advancing this industry in Oregon. In addition, there are educational and community partnerships to be made, as well as money to be earned! This investment will bring back profits that can be dropped back into the community. Can you imagine a State were schools were funded by something more than taxpayer money and lottery funds? WOW!
Amazing
Luscious
Green
Adaptable
Energy

$1 million is not a lot of money, so the idea of a large start-up is not possible. The choice of how to use this money should be based on the LONG LASTING benefit to the greatest number of people and significantly increase their sustainability, long term self-suffiency, and ability to "pass it on" to affect those around them in their community. EXAMPLE: 10 qualified non-profits that work with large constituencies in need, each receive $90,000 plus uniform training curriculum (cost to MMT included inkind) and money ($6000) to hire .25 FTE trainer the trainer= 100,000 investment in each of the 10. RULES stating that Adminstration of the grant can only equal 3% or less. Uniform criteria set by MMT for criteria of who wins a scholarship and training package from each non-profit, to be disbursed to a minumum of 20 new entreuprenuers. Free training will help candidates identify a viable product or service, and learn how to manage tax and financial regulations, as well as other management issues. These issues are at a microlevel so this is not rocket science training. Goal is sustainable living wage income that will lead to the ability to sustain several people--dependents, employees, subcontractors, consignees, etc. Emphasis will be on screening applicants' ideas to optimize success of the enterprise. The important idea of Microenterprise is that it should not be a "dream big" "likely to fail" idea. Rather, on something that is probably going to stay in business and bring a decent income with VERY LOW OVERHEAD. This means a number of factors need to be resolved, namely the issue of location and space costs. It could be very interesting if non-profits also worked to create Co-ops for the winning applicants. All in all, this work could lead to the sustainable employment of a minimum of 200 people the first year, 300 the second year, 400 the third year, and so on, possibly showing a great gain over a ten year period as a few of the entrepreneurs could reach the level of significantly contributing to the economy. In tandem with this program, future grants from MMT each year could continue to train the entrepreneurs for not only optimum success but continued employable skills building. This is a HUGE issue in my personal experience with helping HUNDREDS of jobless people. I know many of you at MMT, so I will contact you later in the year in case you want to talk more. THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS!

Split the money 3 ways:
~$300K for a marketing study and compilation of existing data of non-Oregon PERCEPTIONS about Oregon with respect to commerce, liveability, etc. - Find out what the non-Oregon investors, industrialists, corporations, bankers, etc think of Oregon.
~$200K to bring heads of Oregon commerce and government up to speed on the results with distribution and various public presentations (we're still not talking about solutions, only helping Oregonians understand how the rest of the world sees us). From those gatherings bring together a mix of 100 Oregon movers and shakers from as many commercial interests as possible throughout the state to brainstorm with the marketing and/or advertising firm. Select the top three perceptions to overcome in order to promote Oregon, and outline a marketing campaign plus a funding plan from Oregon resources (Oregon Growth Fund, Chamber of Commerce, etc) to pay for the campaign. This will also require the Oregon Legislature to see what it can do to help correct any barriers to commerce in perceptions.
~$500K - execute the marketing campaign across the US to promote Oregon as a resource and desireable location for companies outside Oregon to tap into, as well as for outside investors to choose to look at and seriously consider. More funding will likely be needed to fully execute this sufficiently but we need to identify and promote our strengths, correct our weaknesses (real and perceived) to foster a sound foundation of diverse commerce. We cannot survive if we are simply trying to be our own best customer, we must be seen as a valued resource by the rest of the US and world.

New Minternet (i.e. Mobile-Internet) - based EC Systems will enable towns, cities and counties around the world to: (1) reduce traffic congestion and many other transport-ation, energy and environmental problems; and (2) create a wide variety of new business, employment, education and recreation opportunities for local residents, at a low cost to both users and taxpayers.

The million dollars that the Meyer Memorial Trust (MMT) is making available to the "Ideas 4 Oregon" program could be used to attract millions of additional dollars from federal, state and local government agencies and from high-tech corporation to form a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) -- under one of several existing federal PPP programs -- that would develop and test these four core software packages for all EC Systems here in Oregon and license them for use throughout Oregon, other states and other countries.

These four core packages have already been designed using funds from the U.S. Depart-ments of Transportation and Energy and concepts developed in other countries. The EC Systems that use them will give ordinary citizens and their local business, government and community leaders new tools to help them make existing public transportation, education, economic development and other systems much more cost-effective.

I’ve just finished a feature-length article for the Cascade Business News on Maupin’s recent “ micro-enterprise successes.” Micro-enterprise meaning that people with passions and skills were provided with the coaching/mentoring/resources necessary to see their dream of becoming an independent business owner become reality. And, in a rural area like Maupin with no industrial base, living wage jobs are impossible to find. The only solution is to help community members explore/develop their passions with the help of a skilled and resourceful “enterprise facilitator.” This is what the little town of Maupin (500 year-round residents, swells during the summer months due to Deschutes River rafting tours) did. It’s a model for other rural communities around the state. My article covers Maupin’s challenges and successes – and contrasts their use of “enterprise facilitation” to the traditional economic development model of trying to “lure” companies away from other regions.
Here’s a snippet of the article:
Maupin’s economy is based almost entirely on its one major asset – the Deschutes River. Important access points for whitewater rafters, kayakers, anglers, and bird watchers abound along the river and the community truly values its greatest natural resource.

But it wasn’t always a recreation-based economy. Until the mid-1980’s Maupin enjoyed a wood products industry base and was known as a “mill town” like many other Oregon rural communities.

“We’re a recreation town that can’t get away from the fact that we were a mill town. The mill closed in the mid-80’s and Maupin would be dead now if the river wasn’t here, it’s our greatest resource. We’re a young recreation town struggling to settle into becoming a recreation-based economy. Our problems revolve around jobs and affordable housing,” said Rob Miles, owner of the Imperial River Company, a lodge and recreation provider located right on the Deschutes River.

Although log home construction provided jobs in recent years, the recent recession put a damper on the construction industry leaving seasonal-dependent tourism jobs as residents’ only options. Some residents commute the 39 miles to The Dalles for work but, again, the recession has made jobs harder to find.

Lynn Harris, a longtime resident of Wapinitia, 15 miles west of Maupin, understood the challenge well. “I had been working for Oregon Log Homes as a bookkeeper and, when the economy slowed down, I thought to myself – now what? I knew there were no jobs in South County, I figured it was time to get creative and follow my passions.”

The current recession (and much-publicized jobless recovery) has forced many rural Oregonians to consider other ways of making a living – namely starting their own businesses or working for themselves – right in their own communities.

But how does someone who’s always worked for others start their own business? Who do they turn to for advice, mentoring, and direction?
Dr. Ernesto Sirolli's model for Enterprise Facilitation works, especially in these economic times! I'd be happy to send along the full article with profiles of the four Maupin businesses; as well as details about other enterprise facilitators currently working throughout rural Oregon. Thanks for the consideration.

So many bright, well-educated graduates from our universities are unemployed or underemployed. Meanwhile, many entrepreneurs and small businesses are working to develop new clean energy, energy efficiency, green building materials and other clean tech technologies without the resources they need to achieve market success. If we leveraged the networks of many existing organizations, we could easily place unpaid or stipend-based interns (think Americorps scaled back) at these companies. These grads get resume-building experience and these businesses access inexpensive human resources for 6-12 months and get closer to market launch, adoption, or penetration or private investment they need to become self-sustaining businesses. These internships would also help support Oregon's leadership position in the clean technology sectors on which we are basing our economic development strategy.

Fred Meyer’s big idea (his retail stores) made Oregon consumers better off, and generated profits for himself, which he then donated to help future generations through MMT. MMT should encourage future Fred Meyers by using its $1 million to teach Oregonians the value of the profit motive and how it makes both sides of economic transactions better off. This could take the form of finding the best curricula on the free enterprise system (or creating such a curricula) and encouraging its adoption in public and private schools throughout the state. Remember, MMT is a non-profit but its funding stems from meeting Oregonians’ needs in a for-profit world. Leverage that concept and you will truly fulfill your mission.