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Are you a young professional who is passionate about advancing our city’s development, prosperity and sense of community? Do you want to be more involved in helping shape Sacramento’s future? Enter Study Mission 2019: Indy style.
Hold up, what is “Study Mission”?
Study Mission is the Metro Chamber’s annual program where a group of Sacramentans from diverse industries visit a city similar to Sacramento and hear from that city's leaders and experts on a range of topics. The “mission” consists of behind-the-scenes tours, unique lectures and a submersive pulling-back-of-the-curtain to understand how that city is economically and culturally successful. After Study Mission, participants return to Sacramento, and armed with the knowledge from the trip, are even more empowered to improve the city and make the community a better place for all.
This year’s Study Mission is traveling to Indianapolis, Indiana from September 10th to 13th. But why Indy you say? Since Sacramento’s leaders visited Indy on the Metro Chamber’s 2005 Study Mission, the city has seen an explosion in convention growth, the establishment of a major tech sector, public school magnet programs and downtown housing. In the past decade, Indy has doubled its economic impact from about $500 million to $1 billion. The city has $2.8 billion in investments in downtown Indy that are in the works through 2022. And 350,000 people visited the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2018, an all-time record.
But, why should a young professional go on Study Mission?
Study Mission is an incredibly valuable experience that gives young professionals the opportunity to elevate their voices and stand out among other leaders. On this trip, you will gain exclusive access and exposure to regional stakeholders—locally and nationally—providing you with the ability to network in close proximity to the region’s leaders. You’ll discuss ideas about what’s happening in other cities and look for strategies to relate those ideas back to Sacramento. Attending Study Mission gives you a valuable perspective when stakeholders are having conversations about where Sacramento should go.
Attending Study Mission is also an opportunity to benefit professionally by meeting more people, establishing more relationships and sharpening your civic-minded skills. By building valuable connections focused on advancing a city’s development culturally and economically, you’ll be able to follow up and continue the conversation with 150 to 200 other incredibly smart and talented people that also attended Study Mission.
In the past five years, Sacramento has come incredibly far. As the farm-to-fork capital of the world, the food scene is off the charts. Young professionals everywhere are opening up their own companies and making a difference. Our city has a great opportunity to define what it will be. Seizing the opportunity to join Study Mission is an opportunity to help shape what the conversation is and will become through discussion and collaboration with the people in charge. And on the flip side, the people in charge get to hear from smart, young leaders when they otherwise may not have had the opportunity to do so.
But, Money.
Want to attend Study Mission but aren’t sure about funding? Do not fear, EDGE is here! If you are a current EDGE member, you are eligible to apply for a Leading EDGE financial award. Awards range from $500 to $2,500, and give active EDGE members the opportunity to participate in this signature Metro Chamber program that builds lasting connections and promotes fostering prosperity. You can learn more about Leading EDGE or apply for the 2019 Study Mission award here. The deadline to apply is July 12th.
Get money. Go to Indy. Learn. Network. Return and #MarkYourMark.
This is a guest post by Amanda Sebastiani, chair of the Empower Committee. Amanda currently works at Trifecta Nutrition as a senior graphic designer. In her spare time, she is an avid runner, local music and creative scene supporter and co-founder of CreativeMornings Sacramento.
