Rich Overmoyer

The TechBelt Initiative began as a regional conversation about developing a strategy to reinvigorate the Cleveland-to-Pittsburgh corridor and surrounding region. The continued transition to a technology and knowledge-based economy combined with our industrial and academic assets, dictates that the region is poised for renewed growth. To achieve success we must identify opportunities to collaborate in the creation of new products, technologies, companies and wealth. The conversation has resulted… Show more

The TechBelt Initiative began as a regional conversation about developing a strategy to reinvigorate the Cleveland-to-Pittsburgh corridor and surrounding region. The continued transition to a technology and knowledge-based economy combined with our industrial and academic assets, dictates that the region is poised for renewed growth. To achieve success we must identify opportunities to collaborate in the creation of new products, technologies, companies and wealth. The conversation has resulted in the formation of a collaborative effort known as the TechBelt Initiative.

This Initiative is one of several public-private partnerships that Fourth Economy has supported, built and managed. Show less

Fourth Economy profiled the country’s best examples of urban transformation and helped the Indiana Economic Development Corporation create the Regional Cities Initiative. The goal of the program was to incentivize economic and community development stakeholders to work together to create a plan for investing in quality of place improvements as a way to retain and attract talent. Fourth Economy also helped Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. and the Northern Indiana Regional Partnership (South Bend)… Show more

Fourth Economy profiled the country’s best examples of urban transformation and helped the Indiana Economic Development Corporation create the Regional Cities Initiative. The goal of the program was to incentivize economic and community development stakeholders to work together to create a plan for investing in quality of place improvements as a way to retain and attract talent. Fourth Economy also helped Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. and the Northern Indiana Regional Partnership (South Bend) prepare their Regional Development Plans, both of which were awarded $42 million in matching dollars from the state. Show less

The Rhode Island Foundation and the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation (Commerce RI) today released a new economic action agenda developed in partnership with hundreds of community and business leaders.

Hundreds of ideas were distilled into 21 broad recommendations to create jobs and to grow industries in five overarching categories:

Increasing Impact of Competitive Advantages: Rhode Island’s assets must be leveraged to create additional economic impacts
Promoting Emerging… Show more

The Rhode Island Foundation and the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation (Commerce RI) today released a new economic action agenda developed in partnership with hundreds of community and business leaders.

Hundreds of ideas were distilled into 21 broad recommendations to create jobs and to grow industries in five overarching categories:

Increasing Impact of Competitive Advantages: Rhode Island’s assets must be leveraged to create additional economic impacts
Promoting Emerging Opportunities: There are emerging economic opportunities in the state that will provide increased job creation potential as they evolve.
Supporting Intersections and Connectivity: There are many good things occurring in Rhode Island and an opportunity exists to enhance their impact through better coordination and information sharing.
Building Capacity and the Business Ecosystem: Rhode Island has opportunities and needs related to its business ecosystem, which must be addressed to improve the job creation potential of all companies and institutions.
Supporting the Talent Pipeline: Rhode Island must enhance and grow the capacity of its workforce training capabilities and the services it provides to employers.
Read the executive summary or the full report. The recommendations are based on the results of more than 20 focus groups that identified unique market opportunities at the intersections of manufacturing and design, the food value chain, logistics and connectivity, technology, biotechnology and public health, marine and water, the natural resource-based economy, finance and insurance, tourism and hospitality, arts and culture, and the business ecosystem.

The process was led by Fourth Economy Consulting. The recommendations will inform the RhodeMap RI comprehensive planning process, which will result in an economic development plan for the state by October 2014. In the meantime, we hope that progress on many of these actions will begin (or continue)! Show less

The Rhode Island Foundation and Commerce RI secured the services of Fourth Economy to assist them in engaging private sector representatives around an Economic Intersections action agenda development process. Economic intersections are a process of organizing community stakeholders to focus on existing and emerging market opportunities. The process engages individuals form various backgrounds in a discussion to seek out new collaborative approaches to matching community and economic assets to… Show more

The Rhode Island Foundation and Commerce RI secured the services of Fourth Economy to assist them in engaging private sector representatives around an Economic Intersections action agenda development process. Economic intersections are a process of organizing community stakeholders to focus on existing and emerging market opportunities. The process engages individuals form various backgrounds in a discussion to seek out new collaborative approaches to matching community and economic assets to the market opportunity. This approach, pioneered by Fourth Economy, is an advanced way of doing industry cluster planning as it combines classic cluster theory with information culled from regional and global market behavior. Show less

Fourth Economy provide facilitation and report development for the Greening the Pittsburgh Wet Weather Plan.

In the spring of 2012, a group of business leaders convened in the offices of the Allegheny Conference for a review of the Pittsburgh H2Opportunity report and a preview of Carnegie Mellon’s report, Sustainable Water Innovation Initiative for Southwestern Pennsylvania commissioned by Sustainable Pittsburgh for World Environment Day 2010. These leaders quantified an immediate and urgent need for a concerted water innovation and market development effort akin to what is underway in other regions… Show more

In the spring of 2012, a group of business leaders convened in the offices of the Allegheny Conference for a review of the Pittsburgh H2Opportunity report and a preview of Carnegie Mellon’s report, Sustainable Water Innovation Initiative for Southwestern Pennsylvania commissioned by Sustainable Pittsburgh for World Environment Day 2010. These leaders quantified an immediate and urgent need for a concerted water innovation and market development effort akin to what is underway in other regions. While the immediate opportunities within the water sector are apparent, they are also diverse and varied, making it challenging for any one company, researcher or non-profit organization to easily identify and access key points for market entry. To address this challenge, industry leaders expressed their interest in forming The Water Economy Network to advance regional water innovation, leverage market development opportunities and solidify our region’s competitive advantage. Show less