In order to fully understand the business climate potential of the tri-county Project 17 region, we need to inventory the assets and resources available to businesses and to individuals interested in building businesses. To that end, in November, 2010, Project 17 partners Andrea Nield of the inland Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and Alex Adams, creator of HawkVision Software in Royal Oaks, established the Asset and Resource Inventory Initiative of Project 17.
The Asset and Resource Inventory is the brain-child of Congressman Sam Farr who understands that in order to move the region forward, we need to take inventory of what we have and who we are. Further, Small Business Development Center Director Andrea Nield has given direction to the project from her experiences with the State of California during the Base Reuse Authority Closures (BRAC) in the 1990s and with her regional economic development work in Ventura County in the 2000s. Andrea’s direction: Let’s understand the business supply chains in the region. Alex Adams of A2 Technology Systems has provided leadership in designing a highly agile internet software on which to put the inventory data base. Alex has convened regional business, economic development and education leaders to help design the processes and delineate the uses of the data base.
In cooperation with regional partners, Project 17 has applied for a grant from the Taskforce for the Advancement of Regional Innovation Clusters (TARIC) to pay for development and deployment of the inventory database.
In February, 2011, Jo Marie Diamond of the Connectory in San Diego East County visited the Marina Technology Cluster to demonstrate the design and capabilities of the Connectory, a data base of businesses and their capabilities from San Diego through the northwest states. In addition, Chris Yonge of Studio Cruz in Santa Cruz showed how Google Earth can be used for mapping of resources, and Alex Adams described how additional links can be achieved through the use of HawkVision.