Stronger together and united in connecting and collaborating, the Independence business, school, resident and city services communities came together at the first annual Community Expo at the Middle School. Its halls were lined with local vendors, nonprofits and service organizations. The schools hosted athletic clinics, with musical and theater groups performing on stage.
“There was a lot of energy, networking and connecting of residents to businesses they might not have known about,” says Jessica Hyser, economic development director.
“This event highlights something Independence does really well, which is building bridges, and we’re really proud of how the business community, city and schools open a lot of doors for residents and students,” Hyser points out.
The goal: Create a stronger, more informed, more connected community. And, to highlight synergies across Independence. All told, participants included 40 businesses across industries, five city departments and seven community partners.
Cleveland Clinic offered health screenings, while Street Bean Coffee Co. offered fresh-brew specialty drinks and Indy Sewing Studio set up a stand for kids to make petal bags.
“The event was a platform and opportunity to bring together so many people from our community, including five city departments on site sharing their programs and resources,” says Irene Kalal, economic development coordinator. “This platform was definitely well-received and showed how every entity in Independence plays a part of contributing something valuable to the whole.”
Superintendent Kelly Cogan adds, “With so many businesses and industry, there are many opportunities for us to have mutually beneficial relationships. We invite any experience when we can showcase the talent of our students and welcome the community into our schools.”
