Another BrightSpot:

Here is a national magazine giving a "shout out" about Tucson's entrepreneurial culture. As a long time civic and now small publishing entrepreneur, Community Renaissance would add this caveat:  entrepreneurs in the Tucson Region often have to bypass traditional business pathways in order to get launched and, if your "business" involves civic entrepreneurship you have to endure being undervalued and underpaid for work that does not support the civic status quo.  Still, entrepreneurship is a "brightspot" in the region as I wrote about in earlier posts on Ignite Tucson, Tucson Food Truck Round-Ups, locally owned restaurants, entertainment venues such as local bookstores and Local First Arizona.

http://startuptucson.com/2013/entrepreneur-magazine-names-tucson-emerging-entrepreneurial-hub-2/

Snap Surveys: an activity of Talk UP^ Tucson presentation/houseparty/salon gathering etc.

As a "next step" for my 2013 book Talk UP^ Tucson..., when a person or organization buys two books (or more), I will come and do a presenations, reading, sharing, etc. based on the book.  I have done three events so far, meeting my minimum goal of one event per month.  At Kellond School's 3rd grad class where I volunteer during the year, we brainstormed responses to "what do you like about the Tucson region?" and I wrote down their responses with the cup (half full, or, in this case, brimming).

At Centra Realty in June, I did that activity and added a "snap survey" activity.  I asked the group to rate the Tucson region on a 1 to 5 scale (one=low, five=high) on the "Four Pillars of Gross National Happiness."

1. Promotion of equitable and sustainable socio-economic development
2. Preservation and promotion of cultural values
3. Conservations of the natural environment
4. Establishment of good governance
(source:  http://www.ghhusa.org/what-is-gnh/

I did the same activity yesterday at a friend's book-house party.

I am looking for locations/invitations to do more events like this and gather enough informal data to share in a fall newsletter. So let me know if you would like to participate.  Books are available at Mostly Books www.mostlybooksaz.com and Antigone Books www.antigonebooks.com