Build out the Billings entrepreneurship ecosystem to support new, innovative, diverse business startups
Business Advising and Lending

BSED ROLE

Lead effort through Business Advising & Lending Programs

STRATEGIES

Complete the Rock31/BSED facility development project (August 2022) to its full vision; execute the Rock31 program plan, build Rock31 membership, and roll out acceleration programming; build awareness of all the business advising and lending programs and tools

OUTCOMES

The combined results of Rock31 and all our Business Advising and Lending Programs as measured by clients served, training sessions, capital investment, federal contracts secured, loans to local businesses, jobs created and retained, new business starts, co-working space members, Accelerator graduates, Founders Group participation, student participation in incubator program

Complete list of outcomes provided in program workplans and goals

Act now to redevelop downtown, building essential workforce housing and connecting/complementing medical corridor investment
Executive Director, Community Development & New Business Recruitment

BSED ROLE

Facilitate partnership with DBP, Homefront, City of Billings, and key employers

STRATEGIES

Partner to create a Development Action Fund to attract and incent the development of downtown housing/mixed-use development that complements the investment in our medical corridor; develop a marketing/outreach strategy and solicit for developer proposals; update 2017 downtown housing study to guide decision making for City/BSED and private developers; seek a more development-friendly approach from the City

OUTCOMES

Attract investment that leads to 500 new workforce/market housing units in the downtown core; complete housing market analysis for development recruitment tool; develop the downtown housing recruitment packet

Invest in the quality of our community through a comprehensive parks and trails development and funding plan
Community Development

BSED ROLE

Partner with City leadership, TrailNet, project advocates

STRATEGIES

Facilitate working groups that feed the policy-making process; provide research and data that articulates the value in parks and trails development; build public awareness regarding parks and trails investment; complete $1.0 million in phase-one Coulson Park development

OUTCOMES

Public awareness increased; funding strategy for parks and trails identified and on the ballot; first phase of Coulson Park under construction

Grow, retain and attract a qualified workforce
BillingsWorks

BSED ROLE

Facilitate partnerships between BillingsWorks
Steering Committee, education partners and industry

STRATEGIES

Curate & share quarterly job market/industry data reports and solutions for employers to help them make data informed strategies related to talent attraction and retention; collaborate with Think Billings to advance talent attraction and retention resources with targeted marketing campaigns that align business recruitment efforts and talent attraction efforts; sustain partnerships, focus on education and industry alignment and collaboration through participation in STEM Yellowstone & Internships, leading Yellowstone County Summer Jobs Program and the Summer Intern Leadership Institute; convene the BillingsWorks Steering Committee on a quarterly basis

OUTCOMES

Build and deploy quarterly job market and industry data reports with solution-based strategies; Collect data from talent campaign to better understand where people are coming from, what they are looking for in a new place, and what community assets they value to continue to build better campaigns and marketing resources for our employers; Execute the planning and programming of the 2023 YCSJP and expand into county school(s), and 2023 SILI cohort