Join Us in Growing Long Beach Together – 2023 Economic Forum
*From the article here: https://lbbusinessjournal.com/business/is-a-recession-looming-long-beach-economists-think-not-but-challenges-remain/
Long Beach is at a transition point in its economy, experts said at the Accelerate Long Beach Economic Forum on Thursday, Nov. 2, and entrepreneurial startups will be key to making that transition successfully.
The forum was put on by the Long Beach Economic Partnership and Sunstone Management, Inc., was the presenting sponsor. Sunstone’s CEO and managing partner John Keisler provided the keynote address after Dr. Robert Kleinhenz of the Cal State Long Beach Office of Economic Research presented his economic status report and forecast.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson opened the forum talking about how the city’s last major economic transition took place in the early 1990s, when the Navy closed the Naval Shipyard and the military left the city. This time, the major transition will be away from an economy based on oil production.
“The challenge is to grow the economy in other sectors,” Richardson said. “We have a rich history in aerospace and aviation. Now we have the fastest growing space sector in the country… And that’s just one sector.”
Bo Martinez, who followed John Keisler as the city’s director of the Economic Development Department, said, “None of this is going to happen without PPP (Public-Private Partnership). We’re fortunate to have the partners we do, including Sunstone… Small business is big business in Long Beach.”
Keisler built on those comments in his speech.
“I was blessed to have a career in public service,” he said. “I saw how economic development can lift a community… Our startups, our tech startups, can help modernize the industries we rely on.
“Long Beach is at a great place at the right time. It costs a lot to live here because we invest a lot. We invest a lot on education, on infrastructure… Long Beach’s secret (to success) is our public-private partnership with government.”
Keisler also talked about how the Long Beach Accelerator provides technological assistance to entrepreneurs in its program, and how the Launch Beach: 100 Startups coalition will continue to support and promote businesses. The key, he said, will be access to capital for the business founders.
Read the 2023 CSULB Office of Economic Research presentation here: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:us:f9a3c7dc-4170-408e-b80f-10bc6d2160f1
Accelerate Long Beach is back in person next week.
*from the article here: https://lbbusinessjournal.com/business/news/accelerate-long-beach-returns-in-person-next-week-with-a-focus-on-the-future/
The regional economic forum, which is hosted by the Long Beach Economic Partnership, regularly touches on different aspects of Long Beach’s economy, and this edition’s theme is “Navigating the Future.”
“Our theme for Accelerate 2022 is ‘Navigating the Future,’ because we know local businesses are holding out hope for more certainty and stability,” Ryan Altoon, chair of the LBEP Board of Directors, said in a statement. “We can make that future easier to navigate by bringing together experts and data to share an overall picture of our economy’s opportunities and challenges as we move out of the pandemic and into an era of what we know can be inclusive economic growth, recovery and vitality.”
The forum will include economic forecasts, a special announcement from the Port of Long Beach and a discussion about advanced air mobility, among other conversations.
The advanced air mobility discussion will include National Air Transportation Association’s President and CEO Curt Castanga, Wisk Aero’s Director Ecosystem Partnerships Emilien Marchand and Joby Aviation’s Head of U.S. State and Local Policy George Kivork.
“These experts are considering what infrastructure and other steps will be needed to pave the way for advanced air mobility as well as how the future air taxis could be used,” Leah Goold-Haws, the Long Beach Economic Partnership’s interim director, said in a statement. “Long Beach has been identified as an ideal location for this emerging technology because of our proximity to Los Angeles and Orange as well as our city’s history of embracing aviation, aerospace and tech companies.”
