Greater Omaha 2040 Preferred Future Unveiled

The future is fast-approaching, and this region is ready. Case in point: More than 800 CEOs and business leaders gathered for the Greater Omaha Chamber’s annual Economic Outlook Luncheon, where the Greater Omaha Chamber, the United Way of the Midlands, and the Urban League of Nebraska revealed a first-of-its-kind Preferred Future strategy for the year 2040.

The event, which featured insight from David G. Brown, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber and the region’s resident futurist and founder of Next Generation Consulting, Rebecca Ryan, debuted the area’s Preferred Future, or “Greater Omaha 2040/Strategic 4Sight (S4S) initiative,” a tactical, focused, collaborative endeavor envisioning the region as one of America’s great next-generation areas – a region noted for not only its cultural diversity, but also, a private, public and civic sector commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship and excellence.

The initiative positions the 2040 region as a high growth/high tech district, and a net importer of talent that has amassed an impressive record of “best places” accolades. Born of a collaborative effort, and steered by area leaders, the “broad, inclusive and powerful plan is only the beginning,” Brown said.

“It comes down to trends,” Ryan, who led the strategic foresight process, added. “We can pretend we know what is ahead, or we can lift our eyes to the horizon and look to what is aspirational and plausible. With foresight, we can be a global region that is as competitive as it is interesting and inclusive.”

Beginning in February 2017, the Strategic 4Sight (S4S) initiative worked with hundreds of people across the region to identify the area’s most critical trends and plausible futures. Driving the initiative are three primary elements: people, place and prosperity – foundational underpinnings organizers say are based on “what’s coming, who’s coming and how we can establish Greater Omaha as a world-class region.”

To view the Greater Omaha 2040/Strategic 4Sight (S4S) Preferred Future Initiative, go to www.omahachamber.org/greater-omaha-2040.