ScaleUp Partners Executive Brief - Inclusive Competitiveness

Inclusive Competitiveness * Scalable Enterprises * Job Growth * Wealth Creation * Net Worth * Exponential Impact * Access to Capital * Generational Assets * STEAM Education * Startup Culture * Vision * Strategy * Collaboration * Investments * Tech-Based Higher- Growth Entrepreneurship * Pipeline Development * Tech-Based Workforce * Rigorous Academic Research * Measurable Economic/Social Impact * Innovation Economy * Local Innovation Ecosystems * Entrepreneurial Education * Changing Economic Narrative * Connecting Economically Disconnected to Local Innovation Ecosystems/Opportunity
Inclusive Competitiveness
A new economic framework to improve the performance of underrepresented populations in the Innovation Economy
EXECUTIVE BRIEF
This is the language we speak

A Vision of ScaleUp Partners LLC
info@scaleuppartners.com | www.scaleuppartners.com
(917) 512-0164 | (541) 730-2164 | 516 Southeast Morrison Street, Ste. 400 Portland, Oregon 97214
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What: ScaleUp Partners LLC is a for-profit consulting pioneer in the growing national landscape of economic inclusion.
Who: Our three co-founders are national experts and economic development architects with unparalleled experience among underrepresented populations in the areas of:
 STEAM-powered education & entrepreneurship (science, technology, engineering, arts and math)
 Tech-based economic development
 Regional competitiveness strategies
 Local innovation ecosystems and regional clusters
 Digital media and marketing innovation
 Strategic proliferation and inculcation of new economic narratives
 Connecting economically disconnected communities to innovation ecosystems and opportunity
Competitive Advantage: We are expert pioneers and leading architects and consultants on Inclusive Competitiveness (improving the competitive performance and productivity of underrepresented populations in the innovation economy). Our vision, strategy and frameworks are currently having a disruptive impact across the landscape of economic development.
Problem We Address: The United States is facing an unprecedented “Browning of America.” By mid-century, Black and Hispanic Americans will comprise 42% of the U.S. population. Yet, combined these two demographics currently produce less than 3.5% GDP and just 1% job growth. Black American businesses alone (1.9 million) produce less than 1% GDP and zero percent job growth. That statistic hasn’t changed in 150 years since slavery! Many industries are asking the question: Who will create the jobs of tomorrow? America cannot reach her highest economic competitiveness goals when nearly half the country is producing so little economic impact.
Our Solution: Inclusive Competitiveness is the first transformative economic vision and strategy ever introduced in the U.S. with the intent of empowering underrepresented populations to be more productive in STEAM education, high-wage, tech-based workforce and high-growth, tech-driven entrepreneurship pipelines.
Our Traction: ScaleUp Partners has elevated the IC vision to a level recognized from the White House to Silicon Valley as the leading economic platform targeting people of color. Consider some of our pioneering efforts:
 Corporate Policy: Partnered with Microsoft at White House Tech Inclusion Roundtable
 Startup Culture: Produced nation’s first Gathering of Minority Angels and Entrepreneurs
 Health Industry: Produced first Minority Biomedical Entrepreneurship Conference
 Collaborating Policymakers: Produced first ScaleUp Rally for Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber
 Statewide Education-Economic Policymaking: Produced Inclusive Competitiveness Report that was unanimously adopted by the Ohio Board of Regents (Soon to be publicly released by Ohio governor)
 Cross-State Collaboration of Policymakers and Investors: Convened nation’s first-ever gathering of leaders and stakeholders to take substantive steps toward initiating Inclusive Competitiveness strategies in Mississippi and Texas.
 Institutional Impact: Initiated current effort to build a National Institute for Inclusive Competitiveness on the campus of Texas Southern University with support from dozens of HBCU in several states.
 Targeting Impact: Soon to introduce ScaleUp America Innovation Challenge as competitive platform designed to identify and resource ready-to-scale companies through the lens of innovation, inclusion and impact (social and economic). ScaleUp America Innovation Fund will support the challenge.
Our Partners: Education Institutions, Government Agencies, Regional Development Organizations, Policymakers, Foundations, Private Equity Investors. We seek to also partner with underrepresented investors & stakeholders.
ScaleUp Partners One Sheet Glance

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
BACKGROUND
 Problem Page 3
 Who We Are Page 3
 Our Priorities Page 3
 Our Approach Page 4
 What is Inclusive Competitiveness? Page 4
MILESTONE ACHIEVEMENTS
 Breakthrough Policy Page 7
 Influence & Impact Page 9
 Trim Tab Network Page 11
Note: The Trim Tab MethodTM was developed by ScaleUp Partners Co-founder, Johnathan Holifield, based upon the metaphor by R. Buckminster Fuller, who coined the term after the name of the small high-leverage component on a large ship’s rudder, which allows small movements of the Trim Tab by the helmsman to turn the rudder, which turns the ship. ScaleUp Partners has developed a strategic approach to identifying keystone organizations within an innovation ecosystem, along with the important individual players whose disproportionate impact within that ecosystem can attract and influence others with similar attributes and capacity to influence. We seek to turn these organizations and individuals (Trim Tabbers), who in turn, will turn the rudder (city, region), which will turn the ship (state, nation). Using this method, ScaleUp Partners has rapidly developed a national network of Trim Tab organizations and individuals. The Atlanta Convening is a gathering of select Trim Tabbers.
TARGET MARKET Page 18
ATLANTA DISCUSSION Page 19
 Action Steps Page 25

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ScaleUp Partners Executive Brief
What is the problem we’re addressing?
Increasing job growth, prosperity and regional economic competitiveness is a high priority challenge in most metro regions of the nation. Yet, the approach to addressing these challenges uniformly lack full participation of underrepresented populations at the level of vision, strategy and investment. In every region of the nation, including those regions where Black and Hispanic Americans represent the majority of the population, the regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS) plans fail to include an overarching vision of productivity from Black and Hispanic residents and lack the key ingredient for socio-economic sustainability: Inclusive Competitiveness.
Who are we?
ScaleUp Partners LLC evolved out of the ScaleUp America Campaign, initially produced as a ScaleUp Rally for Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber in 2012, and emerging from CGI’s High Growth Entrepreneurship Working Group in 2013 as one of five codified commitments. Our work is built upon the ground-breaking work of Johnathan Holifield, the visionary architect of the concept of “Inclusive Competitiveness.”
Over four years our team has built a diverse network across various Communities of Influence at the national and regional level. We have tilled the ground of 20th century socio-economic disconnect and successfully sown the seeds of 21st century Inclusive Competitiveness in many regions across America, from the White House to Silicon Valley. We have elevated our authoritative voices through national media, along with keynotes and panel participation at major events. We have produced well-researched data and information, successfully moved major institutions, and inspired the state of Ohio and others to adopt Inclusive Competitiveness strategies. We’ve transferred our practice into practical experience and expertise that is unparalleled.
What are our North Star priorities?
ScaleUp Partners has three priorities that have guided our work more than four years:
 Change the economic narrative across underrepresented populations in urban and rural regions
 Promote Inclusive Competitiveness as a national vision and economic imperative
 Connect economically disconnected communities to local innovation ecosystems and opportunity

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What is our approach?
ScaleUp Partners has developed an unprecedented “Inclusive Competitiveness” process and framework that results in development of scalable local models/platforms designed to increase the economic productivity of underrepresented populations. The model/platform is the ScaleUp Innovation Challenge customized for each target metro region. (i.e. ScaleUp Jackson, ScaleUp Oakland, ScaleUp Houston).
What do we seek to scale up?
ScaleUp Partners serves in a consulting role to local leaders and stakeholders who are interested in scaling up the competitiveness and measurable performance of underrepresented populations in two primary pipelines of productivity in the innovation economy: higher-wage workforce and higher-growth entrepreneurship (with an emphasis on higher-growth entrepreneurship). NOTE: Our focus is on competitiveness and performance, not merely participation or representation.
What is Inclusive Competitiveness?
Inclusive Competitiveness is the process and/or framework designed to improve the competitiveness and performance of underrepresented populations in the Innovation Economy. Our Inclusive Competitiveness approach complements and enhances (not replaces) existing processes and frameworks focused on improving the overall economic competitiveness of a region. Inclusive Competitiveness expands the landscape of contributors to the region’s productivity pipelines through inclusion of competitive talent from underrepresented populations.
Why should anyone care about Inclusive Competitiveness?
In the 21st century Innovation Economy paradigm, regions with higher concentrations of Black and Hispanic residents that seek greater economic productivity (i.e. more businesses, more revenue, more jobs and more income) and development of a workforce pipeline to fill existing and new jobs, must include enabling policies that lead to a viable vision and enduring strategy for investing in underrepresented populations. Inclusive Competitiveness fills this void.
As the nation’s demographics change, the public faces the prospect of a growing swath of lower-producing and/or non-producing populations that could necessitate disproportionately diverting community investments from job-filling and job-creating

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activities to more social and human services causes – leaving without redress the rapidly growing need for 21st century workers and entrepreneurs. Thus, the national challenge is how to develop greater economic productivity from underrepresented populations.
NOTE: Of course, not every region is ready or capable of adopting Inclusive Competitiveness policies, vision and/or strategy. An assessment of the level of readiness and capability among key leadership and stakeholders in each targeted region must be conducted to determine if a region is poised for Inclusive Competitiveness.
How is Inclusive Competitiveness measured?
Meaningfully advancing Inclusive Competitiveness requires determining opportunities for improving the competitive performance of underrepresented populations that will also boost regional economic competitiveness and productivity along existing priorities, strategies, objectives and metrics. In sum, Inclusive Competitiveness must be embedded into the leading regional economic competitiveness goals and not be relegated to an ancillary, disconnected matter.
Through an initial feasibility study (conducted in alliance with local education, community and economic development partners), ScaleUp Partners will establish a baseline measurement of the landscape of Inclusive Competitiveness by measuring the current level of productivity from underrepresented populations in two primary pipelines fueling the economic ecosystem: workforce and entrepreneurship (i.e. number of qualified employees to fill jobs, and number of talented entrepreneurs with scalable enterprises capable of creating jobs) that also link to and otherwise support existing regional economic competitiveness vision and strategy. The study will include a SWOT analysis with recommendations for improving the competitiveness of underrepresented populations by bolstering productivity through workforce and entrepreneurial pipelines. Some of these data exist in fragmented pieces buried within research conducted in some regions.
NOTE: Currently, no comprehensive data and/or analyses of the competitiveness of underrepresented populations at the local level exist anywhere in the country.
Where is Inclusive Competitiveness currently working?
Nowhere in America is Inclusive Competitiveness (yet) incorporated into regional economic competitiveness strategies or plans. Today, every metro region in the nation lacks policies, vision and strategy for improving the economic competitiveness of underrepresented populations.

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NOTE: ScaleUp Partners are first-movers in this field. Because our work is a pioneering effort and the need is so great, we are developing relationships with partners across the country to assist. We are introducing the policies, vision and strategy of Inclusive Competitiveness as a solution to a historic problem, which has resulted in today’s Demographically-driven Inclusive Competitiveness Imperative (DICI).
The DICI: By mid-century, Black and Hispanic Americans alone will represent 42% of the total population of the United States. Yet, these two demographics combined produce less than 3.5% of GDP and provide a mere 1% jobs.
The imperative for America is the current downward trajectory from the No. 1 nation in the world for economic competitiveness in 2008, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness rankings. Going forward, America simply cannot reach its highest economic competitiveness goals with nearly half of its population contributing so little economic productivity. Put simply, there is no precedent in history of nation’s maintaining or growing prosperity with economic productivity ratios similar to the data presented above.
Inclusive Competitiveness

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Oct. 14, 2014 Board of Regents Outlines Eighth Condition Report The Ohio Board of Regents (BOR) at its Tuesday meeting discussed an outline for the higher education agency’s eighth annual condition report, which will focus on adult learners. In other action, BOR also voted to approve the final draft of its report “Inclusive Competiveness: Empowering Underrepresented Ohioans to Compete in the Innovation Economy.”

8 Regent Patricia A. Ackerman, chair of the BOR Subcommittee on Inclusive Competitiveness, said the aim of the report is to “provide all Ohioans -- especially underrepresented groups that include women, African Americans, Latinos and rural populations -- a tool to think anew about Ohio’s innovation economy and energetically pursue a contributing role in it.” “The force of policy -- defined as influential actors’ expression of important policy objectives -- is required to build the inclusive innovation economy infrastructures needed to form and attract the financial investment essential to further extend the benefits of 21st century opportunities to underrepresented Ohioans,” the report states. “New market behaviors are needed to create, sustain and ultimately achieve the desired education and economic inclusion and competitiveness impact -- especially the creation of portals to empower underrepresented Ohioans and connect them to resources and economic opportunities in regional and state innovation ecosystems, industry clusters and emerging technology sectors.” The report makes the following recommendations to BOR Chancellor John Carey: - Encourage the University System of Ohio and other higher education institutions to introduce, articulate and inculcate inclusive competitiveness economic narratives in schools, institutions and communities throughout the state, emphasizing a deep saturation of the narrative throughout Ohio’s underrepresented areas. - Encourage the University System of Ohio and other higher education institutions to promote interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to inclusive competitiveness. - Encourage continued and increasing support for the Believe in Ohio Youth STEM Commercialization and Entrepreneurship Program.

9 - Encourage continued support for the Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program. - Encourage the Third Frontier Commission to continue its efforts regarding the minority and rural outreach provisions of the initiative governing law and broaden outreach to include women. - Collaborate with the Ohio Department of Education to foster articulation and dissemination of inclusive competitiveness narratives to K-12 educators via educational service centers that are recognized providers of professional development. Story originally published in The Hannah Report on October 14, 2014. Copyright 2014 Hannah News Service, Inc.
What other Impact has ScaleUp Partners Influenced?
Following many event productions, media impressions, keynotes, panel presentations, session facilitations, strategy meetings and policy consultations, we see growing evidence across the landscapes of tech-based economic development, education and policymaking that ScaleUp Partners is transforming the mindset of leadership, policy and strategies toward Inclusive Competitiveness outcomes. Here are a few examples:
Industry: Since our presentation of Inclusive Competitiveness at the State Science Technology Institute Conference in 2012, the association of tech-based economic development organizations has elevated Inclusive Competitiveness as an Innovation Economy priority.
Policy: Following our presentation to the Clinton Global Initiative High Growth Entrepreneurship Working Group, our ScaleUp America campaign was selected as a confirmed commitment adopted by CGI for support from its members.
Education: Our work with the UNCF resulted in production of the first-ever HBCU Innovation Summit, in which delegations of presidents, provosts and deans from 18 HBCU campuses attended a successful summit at Stanford University, with participation from the White House, Google, Facebook, Texas Instruments, Andreesen Horowitz and strong support from the Kapor Center for Social Impact.
Education and Economic Policy: Following a presentation to the Ohio Board of Regents titled, New Policy and Action to Improve the Performance of Underrepresented Ohioans in the Innovation Economy, by ScaleUp Partners co-founder, Johnathan Holifield, the OBOR and Chancellor commissioned the Subcommittee on Inclusive Competitiveness and selected Regent Patricia A. Ackerman, Ph.D. as chair. The Subcommittee convened leaders from around the state, held public feedback gatherings

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and produced an unprecedented amount of information that ScaleUp Partners was commissioned to synthesize into a report with recommendations.
That Inclusive Competitiveness Report was unanimously adopted by the Board of Regents as a statewide blueprint detailing how the University System of Ohio – 14 research universities, 24 regional campuses and 23 community colleges – can lead the way to dramatically improve access, opportunities and outcomes for underrepresented Ohioans within the state’s Innovation Economy.
Research: The HBCU/MEI Council of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities has adopted Inclusive Competitiveness as its vision and guidepost.
COMMITTED TO ACTION CONNECTIONS AND TRIM TAB NETWORKS

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National Media: ScaleUp Partners has a strong award-winning track record in media, and has relationships that span the landscape of national media, including: NPR, PBS, New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, Black Enterprise and others. Additionally, ScaleUp Partners contributes to the Governing Institute magazine, Oregon Business magazine, Huffington Post and others. We’ve been covered by Entrepreneur magazine, Venture Capital Journal and many regional and local news media.
Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber: ScaleUp Partners co-produced the first-ever ScaleUp Rally hosted by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber in 2012. Designed as a gathering for 200 leaders and stakeholders in Oregon and other states, the rally brought together national and local leaders across sectors of policy, industry, education and funding landscapes to discuss ways to break down the walls of competitive silos and channel collaborative resources to the local level and scale up what’s working. The rally participants were treated to a rare (if ever) performance by Google and Microsoft on stage together. This rally initiated an invitation from the Clinton Global Initiative.
ScaleUp Rally in Portland, Oregon (Nov. 2012) at the headquarters of global marketers Wieden+Kennedy. Co-produced by ScaleUp Partners’ co-founder Mike Green with stage appearance by co-founder Johnathan Holifield. Hosted by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber. Rare duet performance by Google and Microsoft representatives.

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Clinton Global Initiative: ScaleUp Partners is a member of the Clinton Global Initiative High-Growth Entrepreneurship Working Group and has an official commitment to CGI to form a model platform in four regions that focus on scaling up local enterprises through the lens of innovation, inclusion and impact (economic and social).
Left: ScaleUp Partners’ co-founder Mike Green makes a commitment to take action during a meeting of the High-Growth Entrepreneurship Working Group at the Clinton Global Initiative 2013. Upper Right: Mike Green with Rhea Williams-Bishop, Executive Director of the Mississippi Center for Education Innovation at CGI 2013. Bottom Right: Mike Green is interviewed at CGI 2013. See writeup in Entrepreneur magazine: At CGI America, A ‘Shark Tank’ for Entrepreneur Development.
Business Oregon: ScaleUp Partners has a strong relationship with Business Oregon at both the state and local level in Portland, Oregon. Business Oregon is currently supporting a contract with ScaleUp Partners for services in the region.
ACT Foundation: The vision of ACT Foundation is a National Learning Economy in which individuals are valued for their knowledge and skills, and their ability to perform is rewarded with life and career success. ScaleUp Partners’ co-founder Johnathan Holifield was invited to be a member of the ACT Foundation Aces Applied Research Network, a national advisory board formed to provide the foundation reach across organizational boundaries, sectors and the nation, to develop strategic approaches to support working learners in their journeys toward successful careers and lives. Launched in 2013, the ACT Foundation has recently published a groundbreaking publication, National. Learning. Economy. The NEW American Dream, describing the foundation’s vision and initial

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investments to help America’s working learners achieve greater life satisfaction and economic security.
SSTI (State Science Technology Institute): ScaleUp Partners produced a game-changing session on Inclusive Competitiveness at the SSTI National Conference, the national industry association of technology-based economic development (TBED). The session information and data were presented at the closing plenary and subsequently adopted by SSTI as a priority pursuit for its membership in the field of tech-based economic development.
HBCU Community: ScaleUp Partners enjoys strong relationships across the landscape of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Fayetteville State University, in particular, has adopted Inclusive Competitiveness as its vision and framework in leading a coalition of HBCU research campuses connected to the HBCU/MEI Council of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities.
NorTech: ScaleUp Partners enjoys a strong relationship with NorTech, a TBED organization covering Cleveland and 21 counties in northeast Ohio. Johnathan Holifield, a co-founder of ScaleUp Partners, created the nation’s first leadership position focused on Inclusive Competitiveness and was Vice President of Inclusive Competitiveness at NorTech.
Microsoft: ScaleUp Partners has an ongoing relationship with Microsoft’s team of producers focused on STEM education and hackathon activities that expose students to tech-based problem-solving.
Council on Foundations: ScaleUp Partners was featured on the Council of Foundations webinar Blurred Lines and New Approaches to Working with Business, Nonprofits and Government. (See video. Start at 44:00)
Google: ScaleUp Partners was approached by Google and Microsoft following a presentation at SXSWedu in March 2014 (in partnership with the Mississippi Center for Education Innovation). Subsequent meeting at Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA focused on discussions of engaging underrepresented populations to build a more robust pipeline of software engineers.
New Schools Venture Fund: ScaleUp Partners was invited as guest of New Schools Venture Fund to its 2014 Summit in San Francisco. New Schools Venture Fund also hosted a local planning committee meeting led by ScaleUp Partners in Oakland to test the temperature of the local leadership for a ScaleUp Oakland Summit.
Kapor Center for Social Impact: ScaleUp Partners enjoys a strong relationship with the Kapor Center dating back to 2011 when Mitch Kapor provided support for our production of Gathering of Angels at Rutgers Business School in partnership with the

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Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development (CUEED). The Kapor Center is a primary sponsor of the 2014 ScaleUp Partners Atlanta Catalytic Convening.
Level Playing Field Institute: ScaleUp Partners enjoys a strong relationship with LPFI, an extraordinary STEM-education platform targeting low-income college-bound students from underrepresented populations. LPFI is founded by Freada Kapor Klein and supported by the Kapor Center.
Andreesen Horowitz: ScaleUp Partners is connected to Ken Coleman, Special Advisor to Andreesen Horowitz. Mr. Coleman has advised ScaleUp Partners on occasion.
Silicon Valley Community Foundation: ScaleUp Partners is connected to Emmett Carson, CEO of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, one of the largest community foundations in the nation. Introduced by Ken Coleman of Andreesen Horowitz and through internal connections with Chief Giving Officer, Eleanor Clement Glass, ScaleUp Partners has been advised by Mr. Carson.
UNCF / HBCU Innovation, Commercialization & Entrepreneurship: ScaleUp Partners played an instrumental role in the formation of the HBCU ICE platform and served in a consulting and advisory role in the production of the first HBCU Innovation Summit at Stanford University in 2013.
SXSWedu Conference: ScaleUp Partners has been invited as a featured session in back- to-back years at SXSWedu Conference (2013-14), landing the coveted invitation from among 700 applicants each year.
National Urban League: ScaleUp Partners has been invited by the National Urban League to design and moderate a session at its Urban idea Forum in Washington DC (Nov 2014). Additionally, the Urban League of Portland, Oregon requested ScaleUp Partners to write the section on Economic Development and Wealth Creation for its 2014 State of Black Oregon Report, a signature publication produced every five years.
Urban League Young Professionals: ScaleUp Partners was invited to keynote the Urban League of Portland Young Professionals training workshop in summer 2014.
National Black Information Technology Leadership Organization (NBITLO): ScaleUp Partners was invited to lead a session on “How to Compete in the Innovation Economy” at the 2014 NBITLO Urban tech Weekend in Houston, TX.
Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development (CUEED) at Rutgers: ScaleUp Partners produced the first-ever Gathering of Angels two-day summit in partnership with CUEED. We vetted and showcased 13 tech-based startups led by minority founders, male and female. The event attracted several investors, including Goldman Sachs, and was spotlighted in Entrepreneur and Black Enterprise magazines. It featured panels of the most prominent black speakers on networking, wealth creation

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and high-growth entrepreneurship, including participants in the NewMe Accelerator in Silicon Valley. One of the enduring outcomes of that gathering is the Platform, which resulted from the meeting of Hank Williams (NewMe Accelerator) and Shahara Llewellyn (New York philanthropist and investor).
SBIR/STTR: ScaleUp Partners served as consultants and advisors for the planning committee of the 2012 SBIR/STTR National Conference and also produced the session on diversity in the competitive grants process.
USDA: ScaleUp Partners has connections within the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was invited to the White House Rural Opportunities Investment Summit in summer 2014 to discuss connecting rural regions to local innovation ecosystems and economic opportunity.
DOE: ScaleUp Partners has connections at the Department of Energy and has been engaged in discussions of support from DOE in production of an Inclusive Competitiveness Summit focused on the energy sector.
EDA: ScaleUp Partners is connected to the Deputy Secretary and COO of the Economic Development Administration. He assisted ScaleUp Partners in developing the language that secured the support of members at the Clinton Global Initiative’s High-growth Entrepreneurship Working Group.
White House Social Innovation Fund: ScaleUp Partners engaged in a direct discussion with Michael Smith, the Director of the White House Social Innovation Fund, soon after his appointment to get a sense of what his aspirations were and how to effectively navigate the funding channels. He expressed great enthusiasm for our work and freely provided advice on successful engagement with funding resources.
White House Tech Inclusion Roundtable: ScaleUp Partners co-founders, operating as America21, were invited to participate in the White House Tech Inclusion Roundtable. The Activating Local Communities and HBCU Innovation initiatives that emerged from the roundtable ideation process were based on the thought leadership of principals of America21. The ALC project was co-led by Microsoft and America21. The HBCU Innovation & Entrepreneurship project was co-led by America21 and Mitch Kapor.
SBA / Dept. of Commerce: ScaleUp Partners has responded to an RFP from the SBA issued in July 2014, titled ScaleUp America. The RFP includes specific language and exact usage of our branded name, ScaleUp America, established at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2013. The SBA seeks to fund efforts that focus on expanding entrepreneurial training in target regions across the nation.
Fund for Our Economic Future: ScaleUp Partners is connected to various principals at the Fund for Our Economic Future, a policymaking and investment platform

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in Northeast Ohio and was instrumental in advocating for and informing the Fund’s new Growth & Opportunity Initiative.
Cleveland Foundation: ScaleUp Partners co-founder Johnathan Holifield successfully secured a $250,000 investment in 2014 from the Cleveland Foundation to support Inclusive Competitiveness work in Cleveland, Ohio.
Jumpstart Inc and Jumpstart America: ScaleUp Partners is connected to Jumpstart Inc. and Jumpstart America through several relationships with present and former principals who we have advised on occasion and continue ongoing relationships today.
Black Ivy Alumni League: ScaleUp Partners is directly connected to the president of the BIAL and enjoys a strong relationship with the organization.
Black Data Processing Associates: ScaleUp Partners is directly connected to the president of BDPA and enjoys strong relations with, and participation from BDPA in overlapping efforts and productions.
BioEnterprise: ScaleUp Partners enjoyed a successful production of the first national Minority Biomedical Entrepreneurship Conference (MBEC) in partnership with BioEnterprise, one of the nation’s leading bioscience venture development organizations, a coalition of health technology organizations and institutions.
United Athletes Foundation: ScaleUp Partners was invited by the United Athletes Foundation to its private dinner in New York following the UAF ringing of the bell to open the Stock Market in 2013. UAF has maintained its support for our endeavors and seeks ways for collaboration with our efforts that engage students.
National Minority Angel Network: ScaleUp Partners enjoys a strong relationship with the National Minority Angel Network, which has participated in our past productions and maintains both a professional and personal relationship with us.
Mississippi Trim Tabbers: David Bickham, Chief Strategist at Bickham Innovation Catalysts LLC, serving as a Strategic Regional Partner, catalyzed and nurtured opportunities for ScaleUp Partners to develop key relationships with influencers across the innovation ecosystem in Jackson and the state of Mississippi. These relationships include: Alex Walker Foundation, Mississippi Center for Education Innovation, Jackson State University, Midtown Partnership, Mississippi Center for Public Policy and other local and regional Trim Tab organizations and high-influence individuals, such as Marcie Skelton (Director, Alex Walker Foundation) and Rhea Williams-Bishop (Director, Mississippi Center for Education Innovation), whose embrace of Inclusive Competitiveness ideals and commitment to development and implementation may lead to the establishment of the nation’s first model infrastructure.

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PolicyBridge Report: Fusion of Inclusion: Expanding Minorities’ Technology-Sector Presence Is Critical to Fueling Northeast Ohio’s Competitive Drive. ScaleUp Partners co- founder, Johnathan Holifield, was retained to provide subject matter expertise to the nation’s first regional assessment of minority competitiveness within industry clusters, including STEM degree attainment, employment and entrepreneurship.
WHAT IS INCLUSIVE COMPETITIVENESS?
Inclusive Competitiveness is achieved as a result of policies, strategies, practices and metrics to improve the characteristic performance of underrepresented populations within innovation ecosystems and clusters, emerging industry sectors, and other areas critical to overall economic competitiveness.
Inclusive Competitiveness neither alters nor replaces, but rather complements and enhances, existing and emerging economic competitiveness metrics and strategies, exclusively focusing on the characteristic performance of underrepresented populations.
Johnathan Holifield Architect of Inclusive Competitiveness

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Who is our target market?
Influential actors in targeted regions who publicly express concern with the performance of underrepresented populations and are willing to invest to increase their competitiveness (not merely representation or participation) in pipelines of productivity: i.e. high-wage workforce and high-growth entrepreneurship.
Who are some examples of influential actors?
 Regional Development Organizations: In Atlanta, that would be the Atlanta Regional Commission and subsets thereof. The ARC has formed a steering committee and working groups with an outcome of a Regional Economic Competitiveness Plan. The question is whether this RDO is interested in an “Inclusive Competitiveness” plan.
 Municipal and Regional Governments: Mayor and city councilors, along with other elected officials.
 Chambers of Commerce: Local, regional and ethnic chambers, plus subsets thereof.
 Industry Leaders: Includes large corporations, mature small companies and trade associations.
 Economic Development Organizations: Tech-based and traditional.
 Education Leaders: Includes Boards of Regents and equivalents, Universities, K- 12 Public School Districts
 Community Development Organizations: Includes traditional and non-traditional nonprofits and informal groups.
 Churches, Professional Associations and Groups: Includes influencers who can serve as a convening authority of any influential niche group within underrepresented populations.
 Wealthy Individuals, Financial Leaders and Investor Groups: Includes the full landscape of leading influencers across the financial landscape.
 Public-Private Partnerships: Includes subset groups and programs.
 Foundations and Other Policymakers: In addition to various types of foundations, also includes elected, formerly elected and appointed individuals and the political groups associated with petitioning the masses and marketing messages.

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THE ATLANTA DISCUSSION
The process of developing a model infrastructure for Inclusive Competitiveness is not for the faint of heart. It is not achieved by an ancillary addition to an existing framework nor a short-term small investment in a new or existing program.
Inclusive Competitiveness (the improved competitiveness and productivity of underrepresented populations in the innovation economy) can be achieved by an intentional investment by collaborative leadership toward developing a robust pipeline of productivity that flows from the trenches of early childhood education through the strength of higher education and life-long learning frameworks into the core of existing regional economic development strategies and outcomes.
Inclusive Competitiveness is a seamless bridge that ultimately infuses economically disconnected communities with a necessary infrastructure that complements existing economic frameworks in the region with competitive productivity from underrepresented populations at every point in the pipeline. Inclusive Competitiveness rests upon the inculcation of a new economic narrative with a focus on entrepreneurial education that develops new talent and connectivity to existing entrepreneurial resources that cultivate and scale up high-growth enterprises from all areas of talent in the region.
Our approach is three-fold:
1. Changing the economic narrative: No significant progress can be made in any region when the target population lacks understanding of the language and lexicon of the innovation economy, its frameworks, networks and opportunities inherent in local innovation ecosystems. Therefore, any approach must include raising awareness and engagement among underrepresented populations.
2. Promoting Inclusive Competitiveness as a national economic imperative: No region will respond to efforts to overcome the inertia of the status quo without a demographically driven economic imperative. That imperative must be backed by a vision and strategy that drives the motivation to act reasonably within a framework and process that leads to desired outcomes over time. Thus, the necessity of inculcating the vision and strategic approach of inclusive competitiveness within a target region cannot be overstated.
3. Connecting the Disconnected: Connecting economically disconnected communities to local innovation ecosystems and economic opportunity requires

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some visible platform that recognizes the talent and value inherent in underrepresented populations residing in communities that are hidden in the blind spots of local leadership. Currently, it is no one’s job to canvass communities and identify existing value that is investment-worthy. But in every region there must be at least one champion of this cause who is willing to weather the storms of controversy and the challenges of resistance to change.
ScaleUp Innovation Challenge
Why an Innovation Challenge? Every region is familiar with competitive platforms that invite local startups to compete for equity investments. But no region in the country has produced a ScaleUp Innovation Challenge that targets scalable enterprises and initiatives with a focus on: innovation, inclusion and impact (economic and social). The introduction of such a platform requires a buy-in of local leaders and stakeholders to the idea that investment-worthy talent and value currently exists but is overlooked because it’s no one’s job to identify, cultivate and connect such value in underrepresented populations to local and regional resources needed to scale it up.
ScaleUp Partners is introducing a model platform at the local level that incorporates our Inclusive Competitiveness process to help targeted regions invest in scaling up existing economic productivity among underrepresented populations. The model is a local ScaleUp Innovation Challenge branded with the city name: i.e ScaleUp Jackson, ScaleUp Oakland, ScaleUp Houston, etc.
The difference between the ScaleUp Innovation Challenge and similar challenges are our focus, criteria and outcomes:
 Focus: Identify ready-to-scale business enterprises and social initiatives and connect them to needed resources to scale them up
 Criteria: Innovation, Inclusion and Impact (economic and social)
 Outcome: A measurable increase in job growth and the competitive performance of underrepresented populations in the Innovation Economy
ScaleUp America: Once the local models have proven successful, in three different region types and sizes (Jackson, MS; Oakland, CA; Houston, TX), we will launch a national ScaleUp America Innovation Challenge, supported by a ScaleUp America Fund. We anticipate 2016 for the launch of a ScaleUp America Innovation Challenge.

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Assumptions:
We believe that value currently exists within underrepresented populations to fill job openings as qualified employees and also create new jobs as talented high-growth entrepreneurs. This is untapped value hidden in the recesses of local regions. Our model process and platform, ScaleUp CITY NAME is designed to assist local leaders and stakeholders find and invest in developing and scaling up this value.
Statement of Benefit:
The ScaleUp Innovation Challenge is designed to help increase the overall productivity output of underrepresented populations, thus adding to the overall prosperity and sustainable economic competitiveness of local regions. It is also a highly visible platform that invites greater participation from among underrepresented populations, thereby stimulating preparatory activity to compete all along the pipeline. Think of the ScaleUp CITY NAME as the professional sports team in which the city takes pride in supporting, and for which the schools actively develop a pipeline of competitive talent.
Outcome of Platform – Impact:
The ScaleUp Innovation Challenge will help identify new talent within underrepresented populations to fill existing and emerging jobs and grow new job creators in the region. The criteria of inclusion for competing enterprises ensures a level of outreach into underrepresented populations to secure existing talent and prime the pump for new talent to flow into the pipeline.
Output of Process – Activities and Participation:
 Collaboration of local leadership and shared understanding around a common economic vision of Inclusive Competitiveness
 “Concurrent learning" among diverse individual and organizations, many of whom historically have not been engaged in areas that directly reflect regional economic competitiveness priorities
 An immersion experience that can serve the important purposes of deeply educating diverse individual and organizations on, and aligning them with, regional economic competitiveness priorities
 Establishment of a scalable platform for empowering underrepresented populations and engaging them in local innovation ecosystems
 Development of a process of identifying and resourcing ready-to-scale enterprises through a lens of innovation, inclusion and social impact

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ScaleUp Partners Digital Media Platform
ScaleUp Partners can capitalize upon its experience and expertise in media by developing a media platform with a focus on covering the landscape of the innovation economy from the distinct perspective of inclusion. The media platform is a standalone product that can also be used to promote Inclusive Competitiveness ideals, ScaleUp Partners activities, engagements, events, products and services while educating the public on a new 21st century economic paradigm.
Why a media platform?
ScaleUp Partners must not rely on traditional media, which has long-ignored the space of economic inclusion. Moreover, most journalists are inexperienced and blind to the spaces of economic inclusion, regional planning, job growth and wealth creation. The expense of marketing and advertising through traditional media is better channeled toward our own competitive advantage in the space to compete with current media for market share while elevating our own authoritative voice in the space and dominating the market as pioneers of a new economic paradigm. A ScaleUp America digital media platform can generate revenue that pays for itself.
Institute and/or Center for Inclusive Competitiveness
Established in partnership with an education leader in targeted regions, a National Institute for Inclusive Competitiveness can be the regional authority for research, educational curricula, training, convening, reports, economic measuring tools (i.e. indices), activities, events and competitions. The National Institute for IC will lead and coordinate the collaboration of local leadership around a shared understanding and vision of Inclusive Competitiveness ideals, strategies, investments and outcomes. It will help develop and manage dual pipelines of productivity (i.e. workforce and entrepreneurship) that produce increased competitiveness among underrepresented populations to bolster the overall competitiveness of the region. A National Institute can also be connected to themed regional nodes operating as Centers for Inclusive Competitiveness that focus on cultivating talent pipelines to support each region’s most developed sectors of economic growth and opportunity.
Examples:
 Houston could be the home of a National Institute for Inclusive Competitiveness.
 The Jackson Center for Inclusive Competitiveness might be focused on Telecommunications and Health Technology (or some other growth industry in the region).
 The Oakland Center for Inclusive Competitiveness might be focused on Information Technology and BioTech (or some other growth industry).

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Why a need for an Institute and Centers for Inclusive Competitiveness?
There is no question that a region’s economic fate is tied directly to how successful it will be at creating a robust pipeline of diverse talent who can create new and grow existing businesses and be competitive employment prospects and how well the region connects diverse residents to top economic opportunities. The only remaining question is how to bring together both economic competitiveness imperatives.
To effectively increase and sustain regional economic competitiveness and a healthy economic ecosystem, any region with higher concentrations of Black and Hispanic residents must have a local authority dedicated to connecting the disconnected and improving the performance of the underrepresented populations in the local innovation ecosystem. It is clear that regional economic growth and prosperity doesn’t necessarily translate into opportunity for all residents and communities. The trickle-down approach to economic competitiveness – based on the faulty premise that regional economic growth and prosperity will organically be disseminated broadly to reach all people and communities – doesn’t work without intention and passionate commitment.
For example, currently, underrepresented populations are served by a rich and diverse set of not-for-profits that typically provide direct services to residents, often with a focus on areas such as education, employment and human and social services. The business services provided are overwhelmingly focused on areas such as the construction sector and supplier diversity initiatives. Unquestionably, these initiatives serve important needs. However, as are the customary practices of successful economic competitiveness organizations, existing services in underrepresented communities have not been complemented and supplemented with intermediary leadership functions, strategies and mechanisms to intentionally “push out” the best opportunities from regional economies through all communities and populations and “pull in” these human and geographic assets to connect to such opportunities.
NOTE: There are no intermediary functions, strategies and mechanisms or leadership authority in any region of the country devoted to improving the economic competitiveness of underrepresented populations in the Innovation Economy.
Moreover, no policies, vision or strategies exist specifically tailored to the unique challenges inherent in uplifting a historically denied and economically deprived landscape of people. Current efforts in economic development of regions wrongly assume that standardized strategies and processes deliver opportunities that are equally applicable to all residents. Therefore, the result is a uniform phenomenon of disconnect with underrepresented populations nationwide.

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To effectively increase and sustain regional economic competitiveness and a healthy economic ecosystem, any region with a high population of Black and Hispanic residents must have a local authority dedicated to connecting the disconnected and improving the competitive performance of underrepresented populations in the local innovation ecosystem.
The expectations of the National Institute would be to serve as a national beacon for Inclusive Competitiveness vision, strategies and frameworks that develop talent pipelines in dual pipelines of productivity (high-wage workforce and high-growth entrepreneurship) and scale up success.
The policies, vision, strategies and processes of the National Institute would be shared across all regions through nodes operating as Centers of Inclusive Competitiveness to penetrate local knowledge networks and influence the economic vision and strategies of the region.
NOTE: Minus a local authority with deep understanding of underrepresented populations, the stagnant inertia of local economic disconnect of underrepresented populations cannot be effectively mitigated or resolved. And the overall economic competitiveness goals of the region cannot be reached with so much of the population producing paltry percentages of the region’s economic competitiveness activity.
A National Institute for Inclusive Competitiveness could serve as a model influencer that helps reshape attitudes and train leadership while supporting the work of each Center for Inclusive Competitiveness in developing an active pipeline of competitive workers and job-creating entrepreneurs among underrepresented populations.

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ACTION STEPS
The following are initial phases of our work to inculcate Inclusive Competitiveness outcomes within a target region:
Phase 1: Discovery Process
Assessing Current Landscape: Convening, data-gathering, interviewing, determining willingness and capacity of the region to support various IC goals
Identifying Trim Tabbers: Canvass local region for influential actors, developing map of Communities of Influence
Mapping the Local Innovation Ecosystem: Identify industry, education, entrepreneurship, investing policies, resources and networks
Producing Feedback Loop: Synthesizing information, reporting, presenting recommendations for next steps
Phase 2: Activity Process
 Creating Awareness: Elevating knowledge of IC across a targeted region
 Inclusive Competitiveness Summit: Convening of Communities of Influence
 Inclusive Competitiveness Vision: Adopted and codified vision, strategy, plan
Phase 3: Permanent Infrastructure
 Inclusive Competitiveness Institute: Investment in permanent Institute and/or Center for Inclusive Competitiveness
 ScaleUp Innovation Challenge: Establish ScaleUp Innovation Team (SUIT) and produce local competition for scalable enterprises and initiatives
 IC Innovation Hub: Active measurable output of Center for Inclusive Competitiveness

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MIKE GREEN, CO-FOUNDER
Award-winning Journalist; New York Times Leadership Academy Fellow; Digital Media Innovations Strategist; Tech/Social Entrepreneur; Columnist; Mentor
About ScaleUp Partners LLC
SUA is a for-profit nationally networked consultancy dedicated to:
 Changing the economic narrative across Black and Hispanic, urban and rural communities
 Promoting Inclusive Competitiveness as a national vision and 21st century economic imperative
 Connecting economically disconnected populations to local innovation ecosystems, job growth and opportunity
JOHNATHAN HOLIFIELD, CO-FOUNDER
National TBED Leader; First VP of Inclusive Competitiveness, NorTech; Founding leader of CincyTech; Attorney, Former Cincinnati Bengals runningback
DWAYNE JOHNSON, CO-FOUNDER
Managing Partner, Globe Three Ventures, Executive Director, Technology Association of Oregon Foundation Center for Inclusive Innovation; Small Business Advocate; Investor; Babson MBA
FULL BIOS: WWW.SCALEUPPARTNERS.COM
Click to watch our brief ScaleUp America video

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(503) 512-0164 | 516 Southeast Morrison Street, Ste. 400 Portland, Oregon 97214
Inclusive Competitiveness is a 21st century economic imperative.

ScaleUp Partners Executive Brief - Inclusive Competitiveness

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ScaleUp Partners Executive Brief - Inclusive Competitiveness