The Sharing Economy and Greater Des Moines

Speaker Maureen Collins — a trainer and author specializing in community economic development, entrepreneurship and technology innovation — spoke March 22 in Des Moines about disruptive technologies.

She said the Iowa economy, like the rest of the country, is undergoing profound change.  Technology innovation is creating exciting opportunities for new and existing businesses across industries, yet many of these new business models are testing the foundations of public policy.

Understanding where we are headed, she said, is a critical part of successful community and economic development.

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Des Moines Business Record VIDEO

As part of her visit to Des Moines, Collins gave a Reader’s Digest five-minute version of her presentation to the Des Moines Business Record. In it, she describes the challenges city planners and officials face as they attempt to guide and support businesses based on emerging technologies such as Uber, AirBnb, and 3-D printing, rather than overly regulating or banning them. The Business Record also wrote an article about the trends she discussed.

ARTICLE: “Speaker: Driverless cars, printable steaks pose policy questions for communities“

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