It seems I’ve been missing something- the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce set up a group of young professionals, and a site- with a hip name: Generation Dayton.
Using web 2.0 technology- they’ve built an online forum for the group. It’s a great idea- except for one thing- it’s not an open site. Part of the web 2.0 community building premise is that everything is OPEN. Hiding behind passwords, memberships, etc- is not the way to build a vibrant open community. Here is their verbage from the opening page:
Dayton, Ohio Young Professionals – Generation Dayton – Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce [1]
Generation Dayton is a dynamic program of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, targeted at the diverse pool of talented young professionals who live and work in the Dayton region. The organization provides area young professionals with exciting opportunities to develop the professional skills needed to succeed in their chosen career, to build relationships with existing business and community leaders, and to forge friendships with peers in a professional and FUN environment. Generation Dayton keeps our region’s young professionals interested, involved, engaged and connected to one another and the greater Dayton region! Typically, members of Generation Dayton are professionals between the ages of 21 and 40 who represent various sectors of the Dayton region.Find a mentor, learn the ropes of the business world and become Dayton’s next great leader as a member of Generation Dayton where we are forging a new generation of talent!
If the Chamber really wants this program to take off- open up the forums- let everyone in that wants in. If you want a way to justify your dues- this isn’t it.
My 2Cents – I listened as one of the young advocates of this program explained the dynamics on Thursday night a Paccia. Based on her description it seemed to be doing a very important service for the business community. It was providing a way for younger suits to make linkages across business lines. Young computer people meeting attorneys, bankers and other young professionals. The person describing the process understood the limitations of the process and did point out some obstacles, but all in all it seemed to be working. I was inspired as I listened to her (she may just be a good salesperson) and it gave me hope and ideas. I will also say that being at Paccia and listening to jazz always gives me hope and ideas.
The dynamic that she indicated that was lacking was how to get young marrieds with children into the mix to interact as this group is somewhat fearful of downtown. This is not an unusual phenomena as I have had discussions with the young and old at the watering holes south of town that would never consider going downtown.
Never the less it gave me hope that the Chamber put together a program that is working. It would be interesting to take it to the next level by singling out those in the community that form a social nexus (ie people who know people). If these people, that have a great deal of acquaintances as well as influence over those the meet could be harnessed together to work on common issues or programs impacting Dayton, it would be great.
many of the active members of gen day live and work downtown and are very interested in contributing to the downtown community…they existed as a group before they were merged with the Chamber and there are trade-offs with this affiliation…though i believe you will find our individual members to be great allies… so make friends! ;)
I’m out of the age bracket- too old.
Guess I’ll have to start lying about my age to make friends.
not necessarily…there r events that r open to non members, we had a q a with area business owners a few weeks back, or u could b one of those mentors…