Earlier this month, Innovate Alabama held an event to celebrate early successes in bringing a culture of innovation to Alabama.

The creation of Innovate Alabama was based on the recommendations of an Innovation Commission appointed by Governor Kay Ivey. Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice played a key role on that committee.

Rice spoke at the event and was present. capital journalTodd Stacy.

“Obviously, this is more than just a leg up, it's something that really has an impact, and it's already having an impact, so we want to celebrate that,” Rice told the group.

“So, I grew up in Birmingham until I was 12 years old, and I moved to Denver, so when I got the call from Governor Ivey saying there was this commission on innovation, would you be willing to serve?” Well, Governor, I haven't lived in Alabama for a while,'' and she said, “Okay, when you're from Alabama, you're always from Alabama.'' So I thought, Okay, that's true. I was happy to be able to participate in it. ”

Mr. Rice served as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State under President George W. Bush. She currently serves as director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

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“The Hoover Institution is a policy institute, a policy think tank made up of about 40 very senior academics and tenured faculty, many of whom, like me, are at Stanford University. These are people who are co-appointed,” Professor Rice explained.

“In addition to our work on national security, economics, K-12 education, and technology, we've added state and local practices, as you can imagine from where we're sitting. Because we believe that innovation can go a long way. Economic development has to happen at the local level. There are things that Washington can do. Each state is going to be the level of government where that happens because things are different.”

Rice said he is impressed with the work Innovate Alabama has already accomplished.

“Well, I'm really amazed at how much has actually been accomplished, because of course the committee's recommendations have since led to innovations that have given Alabama staying power.” Rice said. “I've been on many committees before and the report ended up sitting on someone's dusty bookshelf. That's clearly not the case here.”

Innovate Alabama was able to raise $43 million in funding for Alabama's startups and small businesses. 192 jobs were created in the first year.

One aspect of Innovate Alabama's focus is how to best attract and retain professional talent. Part of this is promoting a lifestyle that young people want to participate in. The committee identified outdoor recreation as a key strength for the state to further develop.

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“These people really value not only their livelihood, but their lives,” Rice explained. “They value being able to get outdoors and explore. They hike. My godchildren, they're fresh out of college and they hike, they fish, they love the outdoors. .Alabama has incredible natural offerings, including beautiful lake structures, beautiful hiking trails, and beautiful rock formations that really appeal to young people.”

Rice said Innovation Alabama is “centered on key pillars like talent development and access to resources for entrepreneurs, and finally, the lifestyle that draws people to Alabama makes it a great place to live.” “This is going to be a long-lasting series of efforts.” For a long, long time. ”

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