A Collaborative Partnership Among:

Shoals Entrepreneurial CenterUniversity of North Alabama

Shoals Chamber of CommerceAnd

Mane Capital Fund

Funding Provided through theAppalachian Regional

Commission’s Partnerships and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER)

Initiative

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Shoals Shift: Building a Digital Technology Cluster in the Shoals

Strategic Doing is an agile strategy discipline for designing and guiding collaborative networks, moving them toward measurable outcomes, and making adjustments alongthe way Purdue Center for Regional Development

Brainpower & 21st Century Skills

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Quality, Connected Places

New Narratives

A Vibrant Region Needs a Portfolio of Strategies

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Establishing a core team to guide the transformation

UNA introduced the Strategic Doing™ process to convene and inspire community partners to be part of transforming the way the region views economic development

Shoals Shift

• A collaborative project to impact the future of the Shoals by building a digital technology hub – a “Tech Town”

• Using Strategic Doing Process, a new way to think, behave, and do using flexible agile methods

• Launched Jan 2014 with core team who meets every 4-6 weeks to guide the network

• Over 25 initiatives completed, many repeating regularly

Brainpower• Black Rocket Coding Camp• Strategic Doing Training• Pathways to Innovation Team• MBA Innovative Economic Development• Hour of Code• HCI/UX• Innovation Engineering• UNA Student Consulting

Innovation•Shoals Alabama Launchpad•Strategic Networks Group

•Co.Starters•Innovation Fellows

•3 Day Startup•Mane Capital Fund

•Growth Wheel•Shoals Idea Audition

Quality Connected Place• The Generator• FLPL Collaboratory• Shoals Big Idea• Institute for Innovation and Economic

Development• UX Accelerator Lab

New Narratives•Tech Meetup

•NW AL Software Developers Meetup•Biz Buzz Meetup

• Propel•Shoals Shift website

•Innovation Speaker Series•LeoCon E-Games

Shoals ShiftCollaborations

August 24, 2016THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press SecretaryAdministration Announced New Economic and Workforce

Development Resources for Coal Communities through POWER Initiative

Shoals Entrepreneurial Center Receives $997,150 POWER Grant for

Shoals Shift Initiative• Shoals Shift project funds

• Wide range of entrepreneurial programming

• Improved access to capital and credit

• Introduce strategies to SME’s to increase their efficient use of broadband technology

• Project Area: A nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee.

• The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10 million in private investment.

• Major partners include University of North Alabama and Shoals Chamber of Commerce.

Accelerating the growth of a Digital Economy with the ARC POWER grant implementing 3 interconnected strategies using

4 NEW and 8 existing initiatives

POWER Funds are designated for each of the following initiatives: Building an

Innovation Discovery Pipeline

• Shoals Idea Audition• CoStarters• Launchpad Proof-of-

Concept Competition

• 3 Day Startup• Shoals Big Idea

Contest• UNA Generator and

SEC Incubator• Mane Capital Fund

Cultivating a Culture of Collaboration and

Entrepreneurship

• Strategic Doing• Shoals Shift Digital

Communication Platform

Strengthening Existing Businesses

• Strategic Networks Group Broadband Initiative

• GrowthWheel Visual Toolbox

• Student Consulting Teams

Shoals Idea Audition-------------

Shoals Big Idea

Co.Starters Shoals Alabama Launchpad

Alabama Launchpad

Mane Angel Capital Fund

Shoals ShiftInnovation and

Entrepreneurship Pipeline

UNA Student Innovation Initiatives

UNA Student Innovation Initiatives

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2 area Meetups for like minded IT experts

First Regional Alabama Launchpad Competition

7 Entrepreneurs graduated from the first class!Next session starts January 2017

UNA Shoals Shift project selected as winner for Innovation and Talent category, Represents Leading Economic Development Initiatives Across North America

Shoals Shift project receives National Awardfrom University Economic Development Association

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Shoals Shift: Building a Digital Technology Cluster in the Shoals