Brazil Meets Peoria: Over the past few years, we’ve been making a concerted effort to build relationships with foreign embassies and consulates, often gatekeepers and advisors to companies in their home countries. One such relationship is paying off, and we are getting to show off Greater Peoria to a delegation of 33 Brazilian business and institutional leaders July 21-24. The Brazilian Techs Connection is a mixture of startups, seasoned companies, industry groups and academics from the Mato Grosso region of Brazil. We’ll share more about their visit in a few weeks, but for now we’d like to invite you to welcome them to Greater Peoria. We are hosting a public reception on Monday, July 22 from 6 – 8 pm at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. There will be a short program, free appetizers and drinks, and plenty of time to visit with our new friends. Please RSVP here.
Quantum Workforce: Sally and Jeffrey attended an event at Western Illinois University to provide input and brainstorm with several stakeholders across Illinois in support of the Chicago Quantum Exchange’s (CQE) efforts to secure a $160 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. The CQE is part of the State of Illinois’s effort to make Chicago and Illinois the center for quantum technologies research, manufacturing innovation, education, workforce development and economic development. Jeffrey and Sally were able to make some very good connections with partners at regional universities and community college and spread the word about the work of the Regional Workforce Alliance, CareerSpark, the Workforce Equity Initiative, the IT Workforce Accelerator and many other great programs that set Peoria apart as a great example of collaboration and scaling efforts. We look forward to continued collaboration with WIU, Monmouth College, and the Chicago Quantum Exchange as we look to make our region’s workforce ready for the next generation of career opportunities!
2nd Quarter Report: Time flies when you are having fun, and if you can believe it we are halfway through the year! Hot off the presses – and in the mail to many of you – is our 2nd quarter report which highlights some of the work we’ve done over the past three months. You can read the digital version here.
Upcoming Events: Seems like there is lots going on in the next month or so. Here is a rundown of things we think you might want to check out:
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- Distillery Labs Ribbon Cutting: Maybe the party of the summer. Blood, sweat, tears and 8 years of work is about to pay off. Join us to celebrate the grand opening of Distillery Labs on July 30 at 4:30 pm. Comments, ribbon cutting and then a party. Free to attend, but registration requested here.
- Lunch with Consulates: Remember when I said that building relationships with foreign consulates is important? Here’s another chance for you to interact with them. You are invited to a lunch and discussion with Ambassador Reyna Torres Mendivil of the Consulate of Mexico and Consul General Madeleine Fequiere of the Consulate of Canada on August 8 at the Par-A-Dice hotel in East Peoria. Canada and Mexico are two of America’s largest trading partners. The lunch and discussion is open to the public and will feature a conversation about trade policy and how our three countries cooperate economically. Their visit to our area is a joint project of the Peoria World Affairs Council (PWAC), East Peoria Chamber of Commerce and GPEDC. Tickets are only $25. You can register here
- Gen. Petraeus: Speaking of PWAC, they are hosting Ret. General David Petraeus at a luncheon on August 19. He is the former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; former Commander of the U.S. Central Command; and former Commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan. He has served during a period of significant achievements in the global war on terror, the establishment of digital initiatives, and significant investments in the human capital of the CIA and other agencies. He will share his deep insights on the history of conflict and the lessons that may prepare us to face future challenges. Get tickets ($25) here.
Have a great weekend.
Chris