The Londoner, Tomorrow’s leaders prepare for action
March 28, 2007
Fourth think tank session tomorrow for London group, Emerging Leaders
By BEN BENEDICT, The Londoner
March 28, 2007
The faces of tomorrow - London’s Emerging Leaders at a recent meeting discuss a host of issues and opportunities for the city. The group will soon be entering its next phase that encourages civic action from this 22 to 44 year old demographic.
Phase one is about to wrap up, momentum is building for phase two and a call to action. London’s Emerging Leaders are on the move.
As an organization, Emerging Leaders is a group of young Londoners determined to develop the next generation of local leaders in business, technology, education, research, political, creative and cultural sectors by targeting the city’s 22 to 44-year-old population. Its goal is to connect them to each other and to the London community in general, as well as provide an avenue for this demographic to weigh-in on some of the city’s most important questions.
To date Emerging Leaders - whose steering committee includes Lindsay Sage, Jeff Sage, Joel Adams, Sunil Godse, Ben Jackson, Andrew McClenaghan, Roxanne McClenaghan, Anthea Rowe, Jodi Simpson, Lee Smithson, Brian Spencer, Marcia Steyaert, Kadie Ward and Katherine Wiggett - have hosted three think tank events. Entrepreneurialism: Attraction, retention and employment was the inaugural event. City infrastructure, recreation and leisure followed. Arts, culture, community development and philanthropy was the third event.
Tomorrow, March 29, the fourth and final think tank takes place, focusing on creating a culture of entrepreneurialism. A wrap-up party will be held at Rockwaters Brewing in the Galleria Mall following the meeting.
Lindsay Sage is co-chairperson of Emerging Leaders and has been a driving force within the group that was “created by the demographic for the demographic with support from founding sponsors. We want to act as a bridge.”
Emerging Leaders contribute not only to the community’s knowledge base and important attraction and retention efforts of young people, but helps to create a strong bridge between London’s established business class, community and cultural leaders and the city’s next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, creatives and philanthropists, she says.
“The thing we’re encouraged by right now is that there are as many people coming out from the arts, business, non-profit and education sectors. There is also as many 22-25 year olds as the older grouping. They are also well educated with 50 per cent having university degrees,” Ms. Sage says. “It shows that a high functioning portion of the community is interested in taking leadership positions.”
By its own definition, an Emerging Leader is: Someone who is between the ages of 22 and 44 from a range of sectors including business, technology, education, science and research, political, creative or cultural; some who is creative, entrepreneurial and innovative in thought process and action; someone who is community-minded or interested in issues and challenges facing the London community and demonstrates community leadership or intentions towards them; and someone who is willing to contribute meaningfully to think tank sessions and share knowledge and ideas with peers.
“We want to thank the whole community for their support. Close to 600 people have come out so far and that number will continue to grow,” Ms. Sage says. “It was those willing to buy into the process and share their values that have made the whole project successful.
“The intention isn’t that London will change overnight but emerging leaders and the established leaders will work together for positive outcomes in future. People have been talking for years about how so we attract and retain this demographic so this was an opportunity to actually ask Londoners in that demographic what it is they need and how we collectively make those improvements to make it happen rather than simply complaining.”
The vision of the Emerging leaders is a collective of like-minded individuals who believe that London can be among North America’s top ranked 21st century cities, in terms of both economic prosperity and quality of life.
“We collected thousands and thousands of lines of data with a whole range of ideas from practical solutions to big ideas,” Ms. Sage says. “We’re going to create a report but we don’t expect someone else to initiate it. It’s why we want to start on these projects because we want to be action orientated. In the report will be certain proposals and action items. From there we’ll engage community partners to initiate them.”
That introduction process has already begun with efforts initiated though Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best, a participant and demographic member.
“The first one is the mayor’s project on emerging leader appointments to boards and commissioners - anything the city is involved in,” Ms. Sage says.
The key to this past year’s efforts will be the next phase and integration projects like the mayor’s. Their next project will be announced at the think tank session tomorrow. Currently there are six working groups lead by volunteer steering committee members and there’s no shortage of ideas.
“If it’s something that the Emerging Leaders come up with at a think tank, is community orientated and is in line with the Emerging Leaders values and interest then we’ll look at it but nothing in isolation,” Ms. Sage says. “It’s about community ownership in the future of the community. The appetite is here in a sincere and actionable way for all of this.”
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