7th Annual Conference on Economic Opportunity

Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009 Conference on Economic Opportunity 2009

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Photos by Max Photography

Capital One Bank

PeopleFund proudly welcomed over 200 community members, business owners, students and local leaders to the 7th Annual Conference on Economic Opportunity on October 24th, 2009 at ACC’s Eastview Campus. Our largest event to date included an interactive program featuring Suzi Sosa’s Economic Outlook Presentation, twelve breakout sessions led by expert panelists, and a community development survey highlighting participants’ input on the key economic issues in the Central Texas region. Participants spent the day exchanging ideas and exploring solutions alongside key players in the Central Texas regional economy. David Hinson, the newly-appointed National Director of the Minority Business Development Agency, closed the program with a call-to-action for event participants to explore strategic partnerships in order to take their businesses further along the path to prosperity.

Notable Statistics

Texas has a strong economy—70% of all new jobs in 2008 were created in Texas and the unemployment rate is 1.4% lower than the national average. However, Texas also has the 3rd highest poverty rate in the US, and the highest proportion of people lacking health insurance.

Download a handout of Suzi Sosa’s Economic Outlook Presentation »

Please note that the handout is for personal review and not intended for distribution.

Community Development Survey

Participants completed a brief community survey at the beginning of the program that asked them to provide their thoughts and insights on the health of our regional economy. The afternoon survey results presentation sparked compelling discussions, and highlighted poor quality or insufficient education, jobs, and housing as the top three barriers to economic opportunity for Central Texas.

Session Recaps