This document summarizes a community meeting to discuss priority projects for Hoosick Rising, an initiative to revitalize the community. The meeting objectives were to get updates from leaders, discuss the Hoosick Rising status and a SWOT analysis, review project ideas, and vote on priority projects. Participants broke into teams to lead implementation of the selected projects. The goals are to engage entrepreneurs and the community, and take actions like those of a startup community to continually drive new initiatives.

1. Community Project Ideas Session
September 25, 2014
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2. Tonight’s Objectives
1. Exciting updates from community leaders
2. Hoosick Rising Update
3. Community SWOT Summary
4. Review of Project Ideas
5. Vote: Project Ideas
6. Get involved
2
Tonight is about identifying
priority projects and
implementation teams to
keep Hoosick Rising.

3. 3
Hoosick Rising Status Update
 Economic Profile
 Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (SWOT)
 Community engagement and capacity building
 Initiatives & Priority Projects
 Action Plan Matrix (“Live” document)
o Final Strategy
o Quarterly Check-In

4. 4
SWOT
• Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development: Opportunities
for networking and fostering makers/creators
• Built Environment: Downtown, Residential, commercial, public
spaces and places.
• Marketing the Region for Tourism/Visitation/Recreation
• Historic and Natural Resources: Access and Quality
• Education and Workforce: Youth through retirement
• Thinking beyond Hoosick's borders: Opportunities to partner with
Route 22 Corridor communities

5. 5
SWOT Summary: Hoosick Strengths
• Small town living
• Private investment by community-minded
entrepreneurs
• Schools and youth programs
• Historic and natural resources
• Hoosick Rising – making things happen
• Active non-profit orgs

6. 6
SWOT Summary: Hoosick Weaknesses
• Population decline
• Disinvestment in built environment
• Proximity to large markets
- Small labor pool
- Limited consumer demand
• Limited collaboration/communication between local
businesses
• No higher education institution

7. 7
SWOT Summary: Hoosick Opportunities
• Regional partnerships
• Growing artist/entrepreneurial environment
regionally
• Trend back to urban-small city living
• Agriculture/Farm-to-table/Sustainable Food
- Various Ag Initiatives
- Made in NY movement

8. 8
SWOT Summary: Hoosick Threats
• Growing tax burden on residential properties
• Loss of large employer
• Aging population
• Drug use rising
• Negativity

9. 9
A Challenge:
Act Like a Startup Community

10. 10
Rule 1:
Entrepreneurs must lead

11. 11
Rule 2:
Leaders must make a long-term
commitment

12. 12
Rule 3:
The startup community must be
inclusive of anyone who wants to
participate.

13. 13
Rule 4:
The startup community must have
continual activities that engage the
entrepreneurial stack.

14. 14
What am I signing up for?
Team Member
• Be an active member of team
• Focus on implementation
• Work collaboratively with other team members and teams
• Complete assigned tasks
Team Leaders – Project Managers
• Form team
• Lead development of implementation plan
• Oversee completing implementation plan - set deadlines
• Report out to Hoosick Rising project manager
• Feed information to social media advocates

15. 15
Projects & Initiatives

16. 16
Sooo….What’s Next?
Your October to-to list:
• Get involved in an initiative, email Christa
• Invite 5 new people to get involved
• Get Social: Talk, Tweet, Post about Hoosick Rising
• Send us you great ideas
christa@camoinassociates.com