We Want Your Feedback!

As we prepare for the upcoming year we want to get your feedback on your experience with Metro EDGE so far, and learn more about your areas of interest for 2012 as it pertains to our region.

Please take a moment to fill out this brief survey. It will only take a few minutes to complete and your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Your honest and open feedback will be completely confidential and will only be used as a tool to help us learn how we can continue to improve upon the great things already taking place. We value your opinions and look forward to your responses as we aim to make Metro EDGE the best resource for the next generation of leaders in our region.

This information will not be distributed in any capacity and will only be used for Metro EDGE purposes.

Sacramento Business Journal

Survey: Young professionals favor redeveloping downtown plaza

Monday, July 11, 2011, 1:52pm PDT
A survey of young Sacramento-area professionals found that many thought redeveloping the downtown plaza is important to the future of the city.

Metro Edge, an organization of professionals under the age of 40, found that those surveyed were split on how the plaza — currently under the ownership of Westfield as the Westfield Downtown Plaza — should be redeveloped. Some favored high-end retail, others favored mixed-use housing and retail and still others supported a sports and entertainment complex.

“Sacramento’s young professionals understand the economic impact of a strong retail hub in the downtown area,” said Alexis Fitzpatrick, chair of Metro Edge, in a statement. “It is important Downtown Plaza be redeveloped not only to attract new investment opportunities, but to keep the downtown area a desirable area for local businesses.”

To read the full article with more results go here »

Sacramento Bee

Read the full story here »

Our event team has put together some amazing raffle prize baskets for you, each valued at over $200. Just another enticing bonus for everyone who comes out for Young Leaders Connect this Thursday.

You will be able to earn free raffle tickets by networking (what a shame) and participating in a few activities. You will also be able to purchase raffle tickets to increase your odds.

Raffle Prize Packages Include:

• 4 Kings Tickets – Section 119, Row D – game not yet specified
• Trumpette Gift Basket
• Mortons $100 Gift Card
• B Street Theatre tickets for 2 with a $50 gift card to the Paragary Restaurant Group
• Music Circus tickets for 2 with a $50 gift card to Grange
• Cosmopolitan Cabaret tickets for 2 with a $50 gift card to the Paragary Restaurant Group
• Three month family membership to California Family Fitness
• Wine Lover’s Package: Two bottles of 2007 Rail Bridge Merlot and a tour and tasting at Pine Ridge Winery in Napa
• many more…

Thank you to all of the businesses and community members who have donated to our raffle!

REGISTER NOW! We’ll see you and 200+ of our closest friends there!

You’re gonna love these sweet raffle prize packages.

Check out our growing list of raffle prizes for the highly anticipated Young Leaders Connect event on May 26th! Register before May 23rd and you’re automatically entered to win a special 7-Course Tasting Menu Dinner for 6 at the Chef’s Table at Mulvaney’s…yum!

Finalized Packages (only a few of many!)

• 4 Kings Tickets – Section 119, Row D – game not yet specified
• Trumpette Gift Basket
• Mortons $100 Gift Card
• B Street Theatre tickets for 2 with a $50 gift card to the Paragary Restaurant Group
• Music Circus tickets for 2 with a $50 gift card to Grange
• Cosmopolitan Cabaret tickets for 2 with a $50 gift card to the Paragary Restaurant Group
• Three month family membership to California Family Fitness
• Wine Lover’s Package: Two bottles of 2007 Rail Bridge Merlot and a tour and tasting at Pine Ridge Winery in Napa

Thank you to all of the businesses and community members who have donated to our raffle!

REGISTER NOW! Tell your friends!

Sacramento Business Journal’s Top 100, 40 Under 40 finalist list is out. We’re quite proud of the 16 EDGE members on the list. Congrats to:

Mark Adams, AHI Construction
Kurt Hoffmann, InterWest Insurance Services
Becky Johnson, Siemens
Alison MacLeod, KP Public Affairs
Lisa Martinez, Downtown Sacramento Partnership
Katie McConnell, Clair Pringle & Associates LLP
Joaquin McPeek, Office of Mayor Kevin Johnson
Sean O’Brien, Merrill Lynch
Benjamin Phillips-Lesenana, Sacramento Sustainability Forum
Ryan Porter, Rudolph & Sletten Inc.
Bobby Roy, California Dept. of Education
Cyril Shah, The Shah Group/Raymond James Financial Services
Heath Smalley, The Transect Group
BJ Susich, Boutin Jones
Callista Wengler, Paragary Restaurant Group
Ardie Zahedani, The RCH Group

For more information on the event and to see the full list, go here.

Who gets hurt if Kings leave town? Annual cost could top $100 million

by Kelly Johnson, Staff writer  |  March 4, 2011

Metro Edge, a young-professionals program of the Sacramento Metro Chamber, conducted an online survey of the group’s 380 members that had received 146 responses as of Wednesday morning. “What we found was if the Kings relocate, this would have a huge impact on local business,” Metro Edge chairwoman Alexis Fitzpatrick wrote in an e-mail. Preliminary results indicate that two-thirds of those surveyed patronize other businesses each time they go to a Kings game.
“The prospect of losing the Kings is a pressing issue and as the next generation of Sacramento’s business leaders, we are standing up and asking others to take notice,” Fitzpatrick said… More
( Sacramento Business Journal)

It’s the middle of February and this week’s forecast for Sacramento calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s. Runners and walkers will be circling the Capitol, families will be feeding ducks at McKinley Park, and there won’t be a single pair of mittens on freezing hands in the entire Sacramento region. On a beautiful weekend like the one on the horizon I doubt you would find any Sacramentans miserable about the place they call home. And yet, that’s exactly what Forbes Magazine labeled the city we call home – 5^th on their index of America’s Most Miserable Cities.

The Bee was right to say this “miserable” ranking has hit a nerve.  As a region we have clear challenges, but to be ranked as the fifth most miserable city is absurd. Yes, Sacramento has been struggling to recover from the recession. The two biggest economic drivers of the region, government and real estate, have been hit hardest in the last few years. We want and need more jobs. We want and need the housing market to revive. Sacramento’s higher than average unemployment rates have caused the quality of life in the region to be far less than its potential, but as a community we are working to improve these statistics.   Even in this economic downturn, Sacramento has made great strides to make this region a desirable place to live and do business. Everyday Sacramento is proving their economic vitality and making it a better place to live, work and play.  Just look to K Street’s newest residents, Dive Bar, Pizza Rock and District 30 – a great place to experience downtown’s revitalization in progress.

Clearly the writers and editors of Forbes don’t live here – or visited for that matter – or they would have realized the quality of life that has and will continue to thrive in this region. When I think about this city, I think of our flourishing farmers markets with some of the best produce in world, eating at our renowned local restaurants, cycling on the American River Parkway, experiencing our celebrated art community on Second Saturday art walks or the newly expanded Crocker Art Museum, enjoying great live music at Concerts in the Park on warm summer nights and cheering for our beloved sports team, the Sacramento Kings.

I could go on and on about what makes Sacramento a special and very un-miserable place to live.  One of the best examples is the region’s impressive collection of young professional talent. At Metro EDGE, we’re uniting these up and comers with the common goal of making Sacramento the best city it can be. We simply won’t settle for being named a “miserable” city and believe we’re up for the challenge to prove Sacramento is a model city for economic revitalization.

Alexis Fitzpatrick
2011 Metro EDGE Chair

am extremely honored and proud to be Metro EDGE’s 2011 Chair. As a Metro Chamber program, EDGE represents the new generation of business leaders – dedicated to making Sacramento shine as a great community to work and play. I am incredibly excited to be a part of such a dynamic program with all of you.

Last year, I had the opportunity to sit on the Philanthropy committee as Co Chair. Through the Philanthropy committee, I was able to fully embrace the opportunities that EDGE had to offer me both personally and professionally. This year, as Chair, I have even greater opportunity to give and get through this wonderful program. I plan to spend this year committed to providing you with the resources and pathways to success. I encourage you to join me as advocates for EDGE and our vision of making the Sacramento Region a National destination.

With a new year comes new challenges and I have been focusing my attention on ours. We should all be aware of the issues we face literally at the core of our city – Sacramento’s downtown core must be revitalized. We know that if an arena is not built soon in the downtown area, we risk losing our professional sports team and also the battle of making Sacramento the great city we know it can be. With that being said, we have several things in the bag – Sacramento is a hub for political movement and the clean/green industry. We also have great local restaurants, farmers markets and Second Saturday festivities. To succeed in our goals we must continue to support our city by supporting our local restaurants, events and retailers – I know, it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!

It’s up to us, the young leaders of our City, to be the voice and movement of change. I am dedicated and up to the challenge to make Sacramento a national destination known for providing a home full of life, fun, great work and fantastic play. I’m also here to provide you with the opportunities you need to network, become educated, mix with the Sacramento region’s decision makers, and provide an outlet to be heard, to advocate, and to promote a better living.

How can EDGE be the change? Collectively we are EDGE and we need you to be right there with us. I encourage you to sign up for boards you’re passionate about, rally for what you think is important, capitalize on what Sacramento has to offer and challenge yourself to be heard.  The 2011 calendar of events and opportunities has been rolled out and there is great opportunity for all of the above.  I look forward to the 2011 year and the ability to meet each and every one of you.

Alexis Fitzpatrick

Wow! What an exciting inaugural year (or two) for Metro EDGE! We’ve come so far from our soft launch at Lounge on 20 where we wrote on napkins the change we want to see in the Sacramento Region, our home! Many of your words included wanting ways for young people to get engaged and involved.

At our launch, and throughout the past 2 years, we’ve tried to offer our members a chance to collaborate and take action. Mike Heller, Adrienne Bankert and Mayor Johnson spoke about the importance of creating a Sacramento that we want to live in, not just waiting for it to be handed to us.

The Hyatt Regency, Drexel University, Shady Lady, Paragary’s Restaurants, Hot Italian, L Wine Lounge, The Greens Hotel, Sacramento RT, Fremont Community Garden, the Boys and Girls Club, Soil Born Farms, Revolution Wines, Mulvaney’s B&L, B Street Theater, and so many more local businesses supported our ardent desire to learn, grow, and give as young professionals and leaders in Sacramento.

In thinking about what we’ve experienced as a new program, I thought I would share what I’ve learned while serving as your inaugural Chair:

1. Sacramento will be a destination for anyone (not just us YPers) to live, work and play if we TAKE ACTION and keep momentum.
2. HAVE A VISION and ask for help! Metro EDGEr’s have volunteered with passion, enthusiasm and willingness to get their hands dirty (sometimes literally) to give back to Sacramento.
3. Engage in something BIGGER THAN YOURSELF! Trying to affect change in Sacramento is so much more effective than complaining! We have had many naysayers, but we believe that we can and will make a difference.
4. Find a local cause you’re passionate about and GIVE, GIVE, GIVE. You’ll have no regrets!
5. Everyone has GREAT idea about what Sacramento should be… SHARE your ideas and COLLABORATE with peers, co-workers, other businesses and friends. Then DO SOMETHING!
6. If you aren’t sure where to start, ask what you can do to HELP!

Thank you for all the wonderful memories and learning experiences you’ve offered to strengthen our Leadership Council. We appreciate listening to your feedback while hearing your goals and vision for Metro EDGE and for Sacramento. Finally, thank you for believing in Metro EDGE and for supporting us with your time, energy and enthusiasm. Thanks for stepping up to the EDGE with us!

Autumn Heacox, 2009-2010 Chair, Metro EDGE

Rebecca Ryan, founder of Next Generation and author of Live First, Work Second took time out of her busy schedule to speak to Metro EDGE about a variety of topics relating to young professionals. Ryan, who was the keynote  at this year’s State of Downtown, speaks frequently on how to build a “next city,” key to her strategy is attracting talented young professionals.

Check out the short video interviews below. [Be sure to turn up the volume!]

Is Sacramento a Next City?

What Young Professional Can Do

The Next Generation

The Young Professional’s Role

What do you think? Do you agree/disagree with Rebecca Ryan? We’d love to hear your thoughts!