March 2026 - Cvsg - list.chattanooga.digital

Learning about Venture by channeling the "Voice of the Community"
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. March 29, 2026

March 29, 2026

In business there is a powerful concept for informing strategy, setting goals and priorities, “The Voice of the Customer,” which expresses customer value, why customers spend money with a company. Let’s think about a parallel concept for the Study Group: “The Voice of the Community.” If you think about it, one reason Chattanooga Venture was so successful was because it channeled to Voice of the Community. The other reason it was successful was because it turned that talk into action. Going forward, I would like to have the Study Group focus on this challenge: How do we channel the Voice of the Community? Where should we go and to whom should we listen? We will start with your learning objectives and projects and intentionally identify, engage, and capture inputs of various stakeholders. Your “job” as Study Group members will be to identify points of engagement: dates & times, locations, stakeholder representatives, etc., to engage community members. We will use Venturing.Chattanooga.Digital <https://venturing.chattanooga.digital/> as our online home for coordinating and discussing this work. What do you think about this? Can you identify points of engagement? This will be the major topic for our next regular meeting on April 7th. In parallel, we will develop means to do the actual listening. We are going to re-establish a Facilitator Bank like Venture had. Members of the bank will go through a learning program about community engagement and facilitation that will involve facilitating multiple “Community Confabs.” We will deploy local, community-based social media platform as a tool for engaging community members, gathering inputs to the Voice of the Community, and sharing results (specifically, we are actively evaluating Friendica <https://friendi.ca/>, an open source, global, decentralized social network, for these purposes). If you’re interested in joining the Facilitator Bank or previewing Friendica, let me know. More on both of those topics soon! — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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Help on Monday
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. March 20, 2026

March 20, 2026

If anyone is willing to help with set up on Monday, please come to Adelle’s about 4:00 PM. We only have 35 registered guests, so we probably won’t need to do much set up. If you can hang around after 7:00 to help break down, that would be helpful, too! — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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Dialogue session on Monday
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. March 18, 2026

March 18, 2026

We have 27 people registered so far folks, so please share with others who might be interested: https://luma.com/kieooku0 is the registration page. This session should be especially interesting for anyone interested in or working on environmental issues. I hope you will join us! — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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CVSG goals and objectives
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. March 17, 2026

March 17, 2026

Thanks to everyone who shared their learning objectives during our last regular meeting on March 3rd. I got six of the forms back from folks. While these have different particular issues and objectives, all said they wanted to see an overall community vision and for their personal visions to fit within it. If you would like to share your objectives for the group, you can do that by clicking here and completing the brief online form <https://cloud.eduity.net/apps/forms/s/753R2pYTPTMGBsTQoLjC7sXL>. The goals we identified at our January meeting were to: Better understand “the Chattanooga Way,” what Venture did and how it did it by reviewing how it addressed issues in its “commitment portfolio” and how those emerged from its “challenge agenda” and how that agenda was set. Identify questions people have about Venture. Gather input about what people want and value in our community as we do. Connect and engage people representative of our community, particularly those who can engage and speak for various parts of the community, to learn with us. Establish infrastructure to achieve these goals: for capturing historical information about Venture and related initiatives, connecting people to learn, identifying and sharing critical factors for community venturing, maintaining a network of learners. Educate people about Venture and community venturing, raise awareness of the study group, and seek support for our program. The best way to do these things is to apply lessons from Venture, to do them the Chattanooga Way. To that end, I propose the group adapt and adopt Venture’s general approach and set of topics to identify what people see as our challenges as a community and what they would like to see for and in our community: People - care, education, and wellness for all Place - our built and natural environment Play - our arts, culture, and recreation Purchase - our earning and spending power Public - essential services that benefit all Let’s start engaging others in the community in the dialogue, remembering that the overall purpose is to turn talk into action. How should we do this? I’ll provide a general framework based on lessons from Venture at our next regular meeting. Any thoughts you might have would be welcomed in the meantime! PS, who can help with logistics, etc., next Monday? Please, share information about that event and invite others who are interested in the topic to attend! — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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CVSG goals and objectives
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. March 16, 2026

March 16, 2026

Thanks to everyone who shared their learning objectives during our last regular meeting on March 3rd. I got six of the forms back from folks. While these have different particular issues and objectives, all said they wanted to see an overall community vision and for their personal visions to fit within it. If you would like to share your objectives for the group, you can do that by clicking here and completing the brief online form <https://cloud.eduity.net/apps/forms/s/753R2pYTPTMGBsTQoLjC7sXL>. The goals we identified at our January meeting were to: Better understand “the Chattanooga Way,” what Venture did and how it did it by reviewing how it addressed issues in its “commitment portfolio” and how those emerged from its “challenge agenda” and how that agenda was set. Identify questions people have about Venture. Gather input about what people want and value in our community as we do. Connect and engage people representative of our community, particularly those who can engage and speak for various parts of the community, to learn with us. Establish infrastructure to achieve these goals: for capturing historical information about Venture and related initiatives, connecting people to learn, identifying and sharing critical factors for community venturing, maintaining a network of learners. Educate people about Venture and community venturing, raise awareness of the study group, and seek support for our program. The best way to do these things is to apply lessons from Venture, to do them the Chattanooga Way. To that end, I propose the group adapt and adopt Venture’s general approach and set of topics to identify what people see as our challenges as a community and what they would like to see for and in our community: People - care, education, and wellness for all Place - our built and natural environment Play - our arts, culture, and recreation Purchase - our earning and spending power Public - essential services that benefit all Let’s start engaging others in the community in the dialogue, remembering that the overall purpose is to turn talk into action. How should we do this? I’ll provide a general framework based on lessons from Venture at our next regular meeting. Any thoughts you might have would be welcomed in the meantime! PS, who can help with logistics, etc., next Monday? Please, share information about that event and invite others who are interested in the topic to attend! — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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What did you think about learning objectives?
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. March 3, 2026

March 3, 2026

For those who attended the regular meeting today, what did you think about the learning objectives and related discussion? I personally found it to be informative. It starts to get towards a larger purpose even as it focuses us on each person’s goals and interests. For those who didn’t attend, would you be interested in sharing your learning objectives? What community goal or issue is important to you—what are you working on? What do see as your role in achieving this goal or addressing this issue? What do you need to know to be successful in engaging and mobilizing the community to achieve this goal or address this issue? How will you know if your work has been successful? How will you measure progress toward and what are indicators of success with your goal/issue? Would you like to see an overall vision for your community? Do you want to see your issue as part of that vision? Why or why not? FYI, be sure to reply to this address: cvsg(a)list.chattanooga.digital — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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Venture's legacy organizations
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. March 3, 2026

March 3, 2026

Here’s information about Chattanooga Venture initiatives and legacy organizations. Bulleted items are related but not directly associated with Venture task forces. We will publish this on the Venturing platform. Please review and let me know what you think! Association of Visual Artists (AVA): The Association for Visual Arts’ mission is to strengthen and promote the artistic ecosystem of Chattanooga’s visual artists, art enthusiasts and arts-based institutions. AVA operates three art galleries (the Main Gallery, the Landis Education Gallery, and the Stage) as well as CHA Art Space and Chalk Alley. It also offers programs such as monthly critique groups, artist talks, member socials, workshops, exhibition receptions, coaching for artists, professional photography, and display screen rental. AVA hosts 4 Bridges Art Festival, the First Horizon Emerging Artists Program, Between the Bridges Festival, and the Propeller Program. A directory of local art galleries, museums, and other arts-based community organizations is located on AVA’s website. The Bessie Smith Cultural Center: The mission of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center is to preserve and celebrate African American History and Culture in Chattanooga through art, education, research and entertainment. The Bessie operates two permanent exhibits — Walk Through Time: The Chattanooga African American Experience and Chattanooga’s Black Soundtrack — as well as a rotating exhibit. The Bessie also hosts the annual Bessie Smith Legacy Gala, where the Bessie Smith Legacy Award is unveiled. The Bessie Smith Performance Hall is available for event rental. The Bessie also offers various educational resources, including tours and programming for schools, lectures and discussions, Bessie’s Front Porch, the Oral History Project, Bessie’s Book Club, and teacher resources. Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise (CNE): Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise’s mission is to create economically diverse neighborhoods filled with financially empowered citizens and housing for all. CNE offers lending services, housing counseling, real estate development, lighting walks, and rental properties. Chattanooga News Bureau: none Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences: Deeply rooted in the Paideia Philosophy, the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences provides a Classical, Liberal Arts Education that cultivates lifelong intellectual and civic development through the practice of civil discourse. CSAS operates school age child care, a student shuttle in addition to buses, and various athletics and clubs. Child Care Task Force: none Clean-Up Of Chattanooga Creek: none GreenSteps: GreenSteps’ mission is to eradicate litter and reduce waste with education & community clean-ups. GreenSteps hosts community clean-ups, educational sessions, and tree plantings. Tennessee River Rescue: The Tennessee River Rescue is a community-led initiative that consists of an annual clean-up of the Tennessee River. Community Forums: none Community Gardens and Farmers Markets: none The Chattanooga Market: The Chattanooga Market aims to provide healthy, fresh produce, artisan foods, as well as locally-produced arts and craft wares to Chattanoogans and community visitors. The Chattanooga Market hosts public markets, some of which have hosted charities including but not limited to Erlanger Foundation, Down Syndrome Community of Greater Chattanooga, Stadium Corporation, and Chattanooga Food Bank. Markets include the Chattanooga Market, Erlanger East Market, Erlanger Market, Holiday Market, River Market, and special events. Creative Discovery Museum: Creative Discovery Museum’s mission is to inspire all children to explore, innovate, create, and play. CDM’s exhibits include TreeHouse Adventure, STEM Zone, ArtSpace, Tennessee RiverPlay, Little FarmHouse, UnEarthed, and temporary exhibits. CDM also hosts parties and is available for rental and offers programs such as PlayGym, Little Explorers, Club Discovery, Homeschool, and camps. CDM offers educator resources such as STEM tours, school group tours, classroom lessons, family nights, and educator benefits and hosts the annual AmuseUm event. Design Review Process: none Down-To-Earth Expo: none The Environmental Forums: none green|spaces: green|spaces’ mission is to work toward regional sustainability by progressing the way the community lives, works, and builds in Chattanooga and the surrounding region. green|spaces runs advocacy and incentive campaigns, education and training classes, design competitions, informal lunch and learns, a material and methods library, and other programs. Specific programs include Build It Green, The Green Prix, Understory, Sustainability Professionals of Greater Chattanooga, Empower Chattanooga, Healthy Homes, green|leader, and green|light, as well as partner initiatives Climate Action Plan and Youth Sustainability Board. green|spaces also operates a green business directory. The Facilitators’ Bank: none (operated under the Regional Planning Agency for a time) Gangs Task Force: none Handicap Services: none Human Rights and Human Relations Commission: Created via a city ordinance since rescinded and terminated. Joint City/County Jail and home for male status offenders: none Labor/Management Relations: none Miller Park Entertainment and Night Fall: Nightfall provides a multi-week schedule of diverse, quality musical entertainment in the heart of Chattanooga. Neighborhood Network: Neighborhood associations operate independently with support from City of Chattanooga Neighborhood Services (https://chattanooga.gov/stay-informed/neighborhood-programs/neighborhood-as…) Non-Profit Incubator: none Partners For Academic Excellence (PACE): none Public Education Foundation (PEF): Public Education Foundation’s mission is to cultivate relationships and create opportunities that empower all educators and students for success in learning and in life. PEF hosts initiatives in student support, such as Camp College, Gateway Scholars, and BlueSky Game Design Challenge; teacher development, such as Project Inspire Teacher Residency, STEM Fellows, Chattanooga Fab Institute, and CS Cohort of Cohorts; and leading leaders, such as Innovative Leadership Series, Volkswagen eLabs, and Fund for Teacher Fellows. Recycling Task Force: none; City of Chattanooga established a recycling program. Reformation of City of Chattanooga government: The City of Chattanooga operates city utilities, such as stormwater and wastewater, waste and recycling, urban forestry, transportation, street maintenance, public wifi, and public authority; community services, such as Head Start, senior programming, community centers, and assistance programs; and safety services, such as police, fire, victim services, the Family Justice Center, legal resources, and code enforcement. The City also operates public parks and recreation. Initiatives include Airport Inn Conversion, HUD Consolidated Plan 2025-2029, Plan Chattanooga, Chattanooga National Park City, One Chattanooga, and efforts to end gun violence and homelessness, as well as various transportation projects. Additionally, the City is engaged in multiple environmental initiatives: Free Tree ReLeaf, RainSmart Water Conservation, and Clear Chattanooga, as well as projects involving stormwater, invasive plants, rain management, water quality monitoring, biosolids management, green infrastructure, water quality buffer, stormwater control measures, and land development water quality. The City’s website also hosts many resources, including payment and application guides, volunteering opportunities, documents and inspection information, reporting assistance, public data, City Council materials, economic information, business resources, and more. Resident Management For Public Housing: none River City Company: River City Company is the economic development engine for Downtown Chattanooga. River City Company’s vision is to create a world-class downtown for all and work toward that goal every day by fostering a vibrant and thriving downtown that is the economic, social, and cultural center of Chattanooga. River City Company’s current programs include downtown Chattanooga’s Thanksgiving celebration, Emerging Producers, the downtown street banner program, Miller Park programming, Scenic City Sideshows, Noontunes, Reindeer on the Riverfront and Lighted Boat Parade, Ice Cream Crawl, Summerween, Witch and Warlock Paddle, and Artspark. Current projects include the Chattanooga Express Card and development on Hawk Hill, Riverfront Parks, Broad Street, and the Riverfront District. River City Company also owns and operates Miller Plaza. Ross’s Landing Park And Plaza: Ross’s Landing is operated by Chattanooga’s parks and outdoors department. Facilities include an amphitheater, a river pier, Chattanooga Green, a handicapped-accessible playground, a marina, and walkways. Ross’s Landing is also open for reservations. Sign and Billboard Ordinance: Chattanooga’s Sign and Billboard Ordinance was updated on April 1, 2025 to allow more flexibility, clarity for businesses, and support for public art. Spouse Abuse Shelter (Chattanooga Safe Space): The Family Justice Center’s mission is to meet people where they are and provide inclusive survivor centered services that promote healing, transformation and hope for the future; foster public safety; and drive social change through education and coordinated community collaborations. The center offers counseling, a lethality assessment program, outreach, and community resources. Chattanooga Room in the Inn: Chattanooga Room in the Inn’s mission is to empower women and children experiencing homelessness to rebuild their lives by providing transitional housing, support, and hope. The Room in the Inn’s main program, Shelter to Stability, provides a safe and supportive place for homeless women and children to live, along with resources needed to move toward stability and to find permanent, safe housing. Other programs include child advocacy, an aftercare program, and a thrift store. Partnership for Families, Children and Adults: Partnership for Families, Children and Adults’ mission is to improve the lives of our neighbors through a continuum of emergency services, stability resources, and self-sufficiency programs, ensuring a stronger, safer, and more informed community for all. It offers victim support, including rape crisis support, domestic violence support, and a 24/7 crisis hotline; stability services for kids and youth, including the HOPE Initiative, life skills training, and transitional housing; deaf services, including interpreting services, ASL classes, case management, employment support, community engagement, and assistive technology; elder support services, including a home care program and senior volunteer opportunities; and family support services, including workshops for parents during divorce or separation. Teenage Pregnancy Task Force: none The Tennessee Aquarium: The Tennessee Aquarium’s mission is to connect people with nature and empower them to make informed decisions about water and wildlife. In addition to its exhibits, the Aquarium also offers special events and programs for youth and families, such as camps, Sea Sprouts, and Sleep in the Deep. The Aquarium is open for rentals. It also operates the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, which furthers the Aquarium’s impact by conducting scientific studies, restoring the region’s natural ecosystems and educating members of the public to take conservation action. TNACI’s current projects include species conservation efforts for the Laurel Dace, lake sturgeons, Southern Appalachian brook trout, and barrens topminnow. The Tennessee Riverwalk: The Tennessee Riverwalk, also known as the Tennessee Riverpark, is a paved urban scenic pathway that runs for approximately 16 miles along the southern bank of the Tennessee River. The Riverwalk is operated by Chattanooga’s parks and outdoors department and can be used for bicycling, in-line skating, walking, jogging, and other fitness pursuits. The Chattanooga Rowing Center is located on the Riverwalk, as well as a kayak and canoe launch. A portion of the Riverwalk near the new Erlanger Park baseball stadium is currently subject to a temporary closure. Tivoli and Memorial Auditorium Renovation: The Tivoli Theatre Foundation operates the Tivoli Theatre, the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium, and the Walker Theatre. Alongside regular programming, the Tivoli Theatre Foundation hosts educational programs such as Camp Broadway, Summer Tech, and TivEd. The Tivoli also hosts the annual Jewel Awards. Walnut Street Bridge: The Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a historic truss bridge constructed in 1890 and designed by Edwin Thacher. It is operated by Chattanooga’s parks and outdoors department and is currently undergoing construction. Warner Park and Zoo improvements: The Chattanooga Zoo’s mission is to engage and inspire the Chattanooga community to better understand and preserve wildlife by creating meaningful connections between people and animals. In addition to its regular programming, the Zoo also participates in initiatives in wildlife rehabilitation and conservation, including the Hellbender Conservation Program, Species Survival Plan, and Saving Animals From Extinction. The Zoo also offers educational programs, including field trips, outreach, Zoo Camp, twilight programs, and other education opportunities for homeschool students, preschoolers, scouts, and teenagers, as well as teacher resources. The Zoo is available for event rentals. Warner Park also hosts the Warner Park Pool, Frost Stadium, Miracle Playground, and softball fields. Warner Park is operated by Chattanooga’s parks and outdoors department. — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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Agenda and background for 3/3/26 regular Study Group meeting
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. March 2, 2026

March 2, 2026

The preliminary agenda for our next regular meeting, this Tuesday, March 3 at noon, is to: Review the Study Group’s purpose and goals/intended outcomes (listed below) Share your personal/organizational learning objectives Please come with some ideas about, if not fully defined, objectives for what you would like to accomplish or be able to do as a result of participating in the CVSG. Generally, learning objectives should start with an action verb, have measurable or observable results, and include conditions or criteria for those results. Have preliminary breakout “working group” discussions about: Planning and logistics for dialogues and other large group learning activities (see notes, etc., below) Expanding and focusing outreach efforts to increase participation and support Configuring, seeding, and utilizing our online platform Now for some background: The purpose of the Chattanooga Venturing Study Group is to learn from Chattanooga Venture and similar initiatives about how (and why) to engage and mobilize community members for inclusive, positive, sustainable change. The regular first Tuesday meetings of Study Group will function primarily as a learning forum, drawing on lessons from Chattanooga Venture and applying those insights to real projects and civic challenges represented by participants. The Study Group is not a decision-making body, but rather a space for reflection, shared learning, and informed dialogue. At the end of each regular meeting, attendees should leave with (1) practical, relevant insights how the Group’s purpose relates to their own goals and learning objectives, (2) greater understanding of how their goals fit with others’ goals and objectives, and (3) their role and tasks for achieving our shared goals, or intended outcomes, for the Study Group, which are: Capacity, Design, Structure: create durable capacity and build an “engine” to sustain the work. Inclusive Civic Participation: get citizen input on a comprehensive set of regional issues via dialogue among representatives of a broad range of local groups. Collaboration & Network-Building: interconnect people across complementary interests and common values as the basis for creating a unified vision to guide collaboration. Local Learning/Our Narrative: understand and steward Chattanooga Venture’s story, its legacy and lessons learned; clarify what’s special about Chattanooga (what attracts people, keeps them here, or pushes them away); and become advocates of our city’s narrative. Strategy: map community assets to surface untapped energy, leverage existing strengths and opportunities, and organize around priority focus areas to direct effort and resources effectively. Please share your thoughts about any of these items. I’ll send a final agenda on Monday. — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521 Dialogue Planning and Logistics: The dialogues should start with an issue that was addressed by Venture with someone with direct experience with how and why Venture addressed it as anchor, and, ideally, an exec of the relevant legacy organization as a key participant. Dialogues we have planned so far are: “Environmental Conservation and Education: The Bend and the River” on March 23rd, anchored by Sally Robinson with Andy Wood, Tennessee Aquarium President & CEO (tentative), and Tricia King Mims, National Park Partners Executive Director, as key participants “Housing Quality, Affordability, and Generational Wealth” (or something like that) on April 27th, with Chris Thompson, CNE President & CEO, as key participant and co-producer. Anchor discussant prospect in Maria Noel with Betsy McCright from Chattanooga Public Housing Authority and someone from CALEB as other key participants. Other dialogues should address education (PEF), local arts & culture (AVA and Bessie Smith Cultural Center), urban design and development (River City Company), violence and trauma (Children’s Advocacy Center and Family Justice Center). Develop a checklist (see below for a starting point) for all/each dialogue and assign tasks to individuals. Dialogue check list: Topic Date/time, location Registration Participants Anchor (individual who worked on the topic with Venture) Bio-sketch Key participants Information & promotions Receptionist Attendee check-in Nametags Room setup and breakdown Agenda/handouts Optional Content/media Sponsor

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