According to Craig Taylor, the University of Minnesota is and always has been important to urban and regional economic growth, and as we become more of a knowledge-based economy, institutions like the University are being viewed as engines for economic growth. Taylor is currently the Director of the Office for Business & Community Economic Development at the University of Minnesota, an Office he founded and designed after he came to the University eight years ago. From its inception the Office Business & Community Economic Development was designed to expand the University's role in supporting the economic growth and development of Minnesota communities.
Taylor earned his B.S. Degree in Urban Government and a Masters Degree in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota. He has also completed Executive Management Development programs at Harvard's Graduate School of Education and the University of Minnesota's' Carlson School of Management. He is scheduled to begin working on his Ph.D. in the spring of 2007. Taylor is a former corporate executive with over 20 years of experience in business, economic and community development. His contributions in these areas have earned him numerous local and national awards. With passion and dedication he continues to push the University to explore new ways to use its resources and powerful influence to improve the quality of life for underserved citizens and socially and economically challenged communities.
From the beginning Taylor's vision was to develop an economic strategy that would leverage the assets and resources of the University (i.e. intellectual property, research capabilities and technology transfer) to have an impact in several broad areas: business and non profit development, technology, purchasing/supply chain management, student development, leadership development and job creation. Taylor is excited about the contribution his Office is making in the community. "I am very fortunate to have a job that I love doing and feel very passionate about. The University provided me with a great opportunity to create a new Office (business), something I would have never been given the resources and support to do in the corporate world. The fact that our programs continue to have a tremendous impact and benefit to the broader community is exciting."
The various programs and services provided by the BCED are designed to extend, apply and exchange knowledge between the University and community by applying scholarly expertise to various socio-economic and community problems, helping communities, organizations and individuals respond to their changing environments, and by making the knowledge and resources created at the University accessible to the communities it is a part of. "The work that our Office does in the realm of economic and community development is cutting edge. There are very few universities or colleges that have a commitment to do the multiplicity of things that we are doing to help build stronger communities and to enhance the socio-economic conditions of urban areas," says Taylor.
Taylor's work at the University and in the community has also positioned him to play a key leadership role in the University Northside Partnership. Taylor has experienced a long history of living and working in and with North Minneapolis neighborhoods. As part of the UNP vision, the Office for Business & Community Economic Development is working to establish the University Center for Economic Development (UCED) in North Minneapolis. The Center's goal will be to promote economic growth and expansion, and innovation and increased productivity in these neighborhoods. The Center will also serve as a clearinghouse for information, a gathering place for education and networking, and a laboratory for innovation, technology transfer and research. Services to be provided by the UCED that are currently being considered include: a business incubator, student entrepreneurship program, technical and management assistance to non-profits and small businesses, wealth creation seminars, and classes for small businesses and nonprofits in finance and business management.
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