Mega-Regions

[BRoss]

KC, Omaha, Des Moines and St. Louis promote mutual interests

What do Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines and St. Louis have in common?

All four Midwest metros are in jeopardy of being left behind in a global economy dominated by mega-regions with more than 10 million people, according to the Greater Kansas City Civic Council.

That’s why the Civic Council, an organization of top corporate executives, has been working quietly with its peers in other communities on an initiative called the Heartland Civic Collaborative. Its goal is to find ways the four metros can work together and bulk up to promote their mutual interests.

Call it a sort of mini-mega-region.

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When it comes to promoting a collaborative effort for entrepreneurs, Jeff Slobotski is one step ahead of the game. He runs Silicon Prairie News (http://www.siliconprairienews.com), an online magazine based in Omaha that also serves Kansas City and Des Moines. It’s supported by the Kauffman Foundation.

“We’re trying to focus on entrepreneurial startups and companies to create awareness and build an eco-system in the region to promote them,” he said. “It’s exciting to see the more traditional business community becoming aware of this.

“I already see a high level of collaboration and support in these three cities. Geographically, there’s a three-hour distance between them. Somebody from the outside looking at it would see a nice triangle, a three-city region.

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“There are huge opportunities to attract workers and companies who don’t want the sticker shock of the high-cost areas of the coast,” she said. “That said, there’s still an enormous convergence of power and innovative industries in those cities.

“Affordability and high quality of life are good assets, but I think the question is how you take that asset and also support the emergence of high-value industries.”

From what Slobotski has observed in Kansas City, Omaha and Des Moines, a better approach would for the area to get cockier.

“It’s community pride instead of aw-shucks, we’re the Midwest,” he said. “It’s a region being more confident of its strengths. You can make your mark and make a difference.”

“The idea is to develop the brand, back it up with facts and figures, and then promote it.”