Read the full article by Hannah Ross at Sacramento News & Review and Sacramento Business Journal
As Sacramento looks to build a more sustainable and inclusive economy, in part thanks to an influx of state funding set to benefit growing sectors, Valley Vision asked residents how they would like this development to look.
In its latest Inclusive Economy poll, Sacramentans identified community-driven, inclusive growth and green “climate-friendly” developments as the top two priorities from a list of regional economic concerns.
CleanStart, a local clean-technology development nonprofit, is helping facilitate this inclusive green-tech growth. CleanStart has been working to bridge gaps in clean-tech accessibility since 2005, and with the help of SMUD’s Shine Award and an Innovation Grant from the City of Sacramento, they have launched the Clean Tech for All initiative, a 10-month-long series of workshops that seek to engage the Alkali Flats community on the potential impacts of clean tech in their neighborhood.
The Initiative will emphasize gathering community input on desired improvements and connecting regional clean-tech entrepreneurs with residents directly, to tailor their products to hyperlocal needs. CleanStart believes this strategy will help combat a trend in clean tech predominantly targeting upper-income groups, leaving disadvantaged neighborhoods behind on important innovations.