The 2024 Symposium will explore the theme of “From Policy to Practice” by examining and critiquing policy ideation and implementation in the economic development scene
Thursday, February 29th, 2024
04:45 PM 06:00 PM
Evening Networking Reception
Friday, March 1st, 2024
Registration
09:00 AM 09:30 AM
09:30 AM 09:45 AM
Opening Remarks by EDC Leadership
09:45 AM 11:00 AM
Panel 2:
Inclusive Prosperity: Rethinking Economic Strategies Across Communities
Against the backdrop of our 21st-century urban and suburban realities, a pressing question emerges: how can economic development policy be more inclusive when translated to implementation, especially for historically left-behind communities? This panel seeks to delve deep into the intricacies of this challenge, dissecting the roots of investment disparities and exploring actionable solutions.
Panel 1:
Building State Capability
How do we chart a path for economic development that expands economic opportunity, creates broad-based prosperity, and enhances sustainability? Governors, mayors, county executives, and civic leaders who confront this challenge must contend with limited budgets, a dizzying array of policy options, competition between regions for resources, and a national government with objectives that may not aligned with their own. How can we build up state capability to not only attract policy investments, but also execute long term strategic goals that expands economic development opportunities for everyone? This panel aims to explore strategies for building state capabilities to attract and manage investments effectively.
Lunch & Networking
11:00 AM 12:00 PM
12:00 PM 01:45 PM
Keynote Fireside Chat by Kylie Patterson & Prabal Chakrabarti, moderated by Andrea Levere
Kylie Patterson, Chief Opportunity & Inclusion Officer, CHIPS
Prabal Chakrabarti, EVP of Regional & Community Outreach Department, Boston Fed
01:45 PM 02:15 PM
Afternoon Coffee Break
02:15 PM 03:30 PM
Panel 4:
It’s about the People: What the Semi-conductor Industry Can Teach Us About Rethinking Workforce Skilling Programs
The recently passed CHIPS and Science Act has ambitious goals to remake U.S. manufacturing capabilities in the semiconductor space. In response to the legislation, the private sector has pledged more than $200 Billion in new investments. However, a critical issue confronting this boom in semiconductor manufacturing is whether the U.S. has sufficient skilled labor workforce to build, staff, and maintain the upcoming projects and pipelines. This panel will use the U.S. semiconductor industry as a case study to explore the root causes of workforce shortage in growing sectors, successful approaches to closing skills and labor gaps, and identify learnings on how the public and private sectors can partner to advance shared economic goals.
Panel 3:
Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
This session will focus on developing an ecosystem perspective to economic development, specifically within an innovation ecosystem. Innovation and entrepreneurship vary among geographic communities within the U.S., and many factors influence the relative density and composition of innovation within an economy. Geographies with similar population sizes can have very different rates of innovation and different economic impacts from innovation. But why is that the case? How can we cultivate innovation ecosystems for economic benefit? What levers can we pull to invest in ecosystems? This panel will focus on bringing together ecosystem builders to share their experiences on why this holistic perspective to economic development holds promise for shaping the long-term economic trajectory of communities.
Yale Faculty Panel
This panel will highlight Yale faculty members from various fields and expertise to discuss career pathways in economic and policy research and recent projects that encompass the University and the state of Connecticut. If you are exploring job prospects in the intersection of economics, business, and policy, this is the panel for you.
